Mark Pope is leaving absolutely nothing to chance ahead of Kentucky’s SEC Tournament opener against LSU. Every detail is being accounted for: the training venue, the daily routine, and even the specific time those routines take place.
That level of precision is admirable. But it is also the reason Kentucky is the only team out of eight playing on Wednesday that chose not to practice at Bridgestone Arena. And given what happened the last time they played there, not everyone is convinced the math adds up.
The last time Kentucky stepped inside Bridgestone Arena, it was not a memory worth keeping. Gonzaga handed the Wildcats a 95–59 drubbing, holding them to just 16-of-60 shooting from the field. A performance that bad in a specific building would logically have most coaches get their team back on that court. And the idea would be to shake off the ghost of that performance, rebuild some comfort, and build some more familiarity with that arena…