Mark Pope (Photo sourced from X)

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Sean Woods did not play with Mark Pope at Kentucky but he knows plenty about Pope and closely watched his first season as UK’s head coach.

Woods, one of “The Unforgettables” who played for coach Rick Pitino, liked what Pope did to get UK to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a new roster but he does think Pope has to make one change in year two.

“He has to change on the defensive end,” Woods, who has over 20 years of college coaching experience and will coach LaFamilia in the TBT, said. “Starting off he has got to hone in on teaching defense.

“I know that is not his forte, but he has got to put more emphasis on defense than last year. I think he thought he could out offense SEC teams and shoot 3’s and outscore them. Now he realizes how tough and physical the SEC is because Kentucky got embarrassed in some games last year.

“This year he has brought in tough, physical guys that come from big-time programs. They may not shoot the ball as well but they will be tougher and more physical which is what you need in the SEC.”