Kentucky HC Mark Pope Calls Team 'Really Poorly Coached' After MSU Blowout Loss

University of Kentucky head men's basketball coach Mark Pope was highly critical of himself following the No. 12 Wildcats' 83-66 loss to the No. 17 Michigan State Spartans at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters after the one-sided defeat, Pope put the onus on himself, saying, "I know there's one team that's really, really well coached and one team that was really poorly coached. My message isn't resonating with the guys right now. That's my responsibility."

Pope provided more context during a conversation with The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, saying he is "disappointed with how disconnected we've been," before adding, "I thought I was doing a better job coaching than I'm doing right now."

The 53-year-old Pope, who played collegiately at Kentucky, is in the midst of his second season as the head man at his alma mater following a successful stint as the head coach at BYU.

Last season, the Wildcats went 24-12 under Pope's guidance and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, which was considered a strong result after the departure of longtime head coach John Calipari.

Kentucky subsequently entered this season with high expectations, but they have lost to both of the ranked opponents they have faced in Louisville and MSU.

While the Wildcats easily defeated the three lower-level opponents they have played, their play against top teams must improve in order for them to be considered potential national title contenders.

On Tuesday, the Tom Izzo-led Spartans dominated essentially every facet, shooting 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range, compared to 35 percent and 23 percent for Kentucky.

Michigan State also dominated the board, grabbing 42 rebounds to only 28 for the Wildcats.

The Spartans improved to 4-0 with the win, and they have now beaten a pair of ranked opponents in Arkansas and Kentucky, which suggests they are a force to be reckoned with once again.

Following games against Loyola MD and Tennessee Tech, Kentucky has back-to-back meetings with No. 18 North Carolina and No. 13 Gonzaga next month, which will say a lot about how Pope's team responds to adversity.