Mark Pope praises Kentucky's commitment to improve through two games

Mark Pope wanted more intensity on offense, and that's exactly what he got on Saturday.

The Kentucky Wildcats have had two overwhelming victories this season, but these two games were certainly different despite having the same result. In the first bout, Kentucky defeated Wright State 103-62. Otega Oweh led the way with 20 points. The Cats finished with seven offensive rebounds and 34 defensive rebounds.

After the game, Pope asked for more intensity on the glass, and that's what he got. Against Bucknell, the Wildcats had 35 defensive rebounds and 22 offensive boards, a much more aggressive performance on the court.

However, it's not about the rebounds, it's about how Pope gets his people to buy into what he preaches. He commented on this after the game, praising his team's ability to adopt his view of the game.

“I like how our guys are responding,” Pope said during his postgame press conference. “We've been dealing with this rebound issue for 10 days now and what an epic response. Just a commitment. The guys as a group said, “Okay, we're going to fix this.” It was really impressive to see when we show our guys a certain direction and show that they're willing to commit to it, and that's a good one Sign that we can develop further as the season progresses.”

The Cats have a big game on Tuesday against the 7th ranked Duke Blue Devils. Let's hope they can remain dominant on the glass against a more aggressive opponent.