Kentucky basketball has its first signature win of the Mark Pope coaching era. The No. 19-ranked Wildcats toppled No. 6 Duke 77-72 in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night at State Farm Arena. Despite trailing by as many as 10 points late in the first half,

It took 3 games for Kentucky to come back to college hoops prominence ... but it also took several hundred games of experience for a wily veteran group that overachieved against Duke.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope doesn’t need the best of the best now; he’s got himself a squad that has plenty of talent and heart.

Kentucky basketball can score. Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have shown they can win with more than just the 3 this college basketball season.

It wasn't an easy decision, but when Mark Pope decided to return to coach his alma mater, he took on all the pressure of UK fandom.

It didn’t take long for Mark Pope to win over Big Blue Nation. pic.twitter.com/9o1umXbMVc Kentucky rallied from a 9-point halftime deficit to stun superstar Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils, who missed 11 of their final 14 field goal attempts down the stretch.

When longtime Kentucky coach John Calipari left for Arkansas, replacement Mark Pope had only one way to build a roster: the transfer portal. Tuesday's win over Duke showed he made all the right choices.