As Kentucky heads to Nashville for their matchup against Vanderbilt, head coach Mark Pope is ensuring his team is fully prepared for Memorial Gym’s distinctive layout. This will be Pope’s first trip back to the iconic venue since his playing days as a Wildcat, and he’s taking every step to account for its quirks.
This week, Pope and his staff have been simulating Memorial Gym’s unusual configuration in practice to help both the players and coaching staff adjust. The most notable difference is the location of the benches, which are situated on the baselines rather than the sidelines. Although the NCAA mandated in 2015 that coaches can now roam the sideline to midcourt, the staff remains positioned far from the players, which poses communication challenges. To combat this, Pope and his assistants have been using hand signals for plays, and they’ve even incorporated crowd noise into practice to simulate the intense atmosphere at Vanderbilt.
Cameron Mills, a member of the coaching staff, highlighted how crucial this preparation is. “Mark’s at halfcourt coaching, and the assistants have to communicate quickly with him from the baseline,” Mills explained. “It’s about making sure we’re ready to communicate in a loud, challenging environment.”
The challenges for Kentucky are not limited to the venue itself. Vanderbilt, under first-year head coach Mark Byington, has been impressive, boasting a 15-4 record and recently upsetting No. 6 Tennessee in a thrilling 76-75 victory. The Commodores are riding high, and with their passionate fanbase, Memorial Gym will undoubtedly be rocking.
Kentucky, fresh off their first true road win of the season against Mississippi State, will need to keep their composure and rely on the poise they’ve developed in tough environments. If they can adapt to Memorial Gym’s unique setup and maintain strong communication on both ends of the court, they’ll have a good chance to avoid falling victim to the magic that has made the venue a challenging place for visitors.