Kentucky basketball reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 before bowing out Friday in a 78-65 loss to second-seeded Tennessee in Indianapolis.
Mark Pope's Wildcats, who were seeded third in the tournament, finished 24-12 and made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
Pope, a UK alum, had a lot of expectations placed on him as a rookie coach after following Hall of Fame coach John Calipari, who spent 15 seasons in Lexington.
Kentucky has had many great coaches in its illustrious history, and many started their tenures with runs in the Big Dance.
Courier Journal readers can vote for the Kentucky coach they believe had the best debut season. The poll closes at 6 p.m. Thursday, and the winner will be announced Friday.
John Calipari (2009-2024)
Calipari led the Wildcats to a 35-3 record and were SEC champions. They made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to West Virginia.
