Mark Pope Says His Players Will Know What Putting On A Kentucky Jersey Means

Thursday began with speculation regarding former Kentucky assistants Orlando Antigua and Kenny Payne. There was buzz that new Kentucky head coach Mark Pope could retain Antigua or bring Payne back to Lexington. Neither happened.

Thursday ended with two more names.

One day after news leaked that BYU assistant Cody Fueger is expected to follow Pope to Lexington, two other names were reported on Thursday. Each has a previous relationship with Pope.

The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker reports that Georgetown support staffer Mark Fox and NBA G League Ignite head coach Jason Hart are expected to join the Kentucky staff.

Mark Fox would be joining the staff in an off-court role. The 55-year-old would bring 18 years of head coaching staff to Lexington. Fox spent four seasons at Nevada, nine seasons at Georgia, and four seasons at California before taking a job at Georgetown in the first season under Ed Cooley. Fox took the Bulldogs to two NCAA Tournament appearances during his stay in Athens. While in the SEC, Fox gave Pope his start in coaching in 2009 when the Kentucky head coach was named the director of basketball operations on Fox’s first UGA staff. The two spent time together when Pope was a player at Washington and Fox was an assistant.

Jason Hart played at Syracuse from 1996-00 before becoming a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The guard would spend a decade as a player in professional basketball becoming an NBA journeyman. During his playing career, Hart and Mark Pope were on the Milwaukee Bucks together during the 2000-01 season under head coach George Karl. That Bucks squad made it to the Eastern Conference Finals that season before bowing out in seven games vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.

After his playing career ended in 2010, Hart got his coaching start in the high school ranks before spending one season at Pepperdine (2012-13). After that, Hart would spend eight seasons as an assistant at USC working under Andy Enfield. During his time at Southern Cal, Hart was a member of three NCAA Tournament teams and an Elite Eight squad in 2021. The Los Angeles native then made the jump to the professional ranks serving as the head coach of the NBA G League Ignite for the last three seasons. During his time in the development league, Hart worked with a handful of draft picks highlighted by No. 2 overall selection Scoot Henderson. The addition of the 45-year-old with deep West Coast ties would be for a normal on-court assistant position.

Mark Pope is set to add extensive college experience to his staff. Hart’s tenure in the G League could bring Kentucky an interesting twist since that team set up by the NBA has had to go out and recruit players while offering a real salary. All three new hires have a working or playing relationship with Pope.

The staffing moves are starting to come together.

The Kentucky Wildcats have contacted one of the top transfer guards in the portal, while another one has found his next home.

According to KSR’s Jacob Polacheck, Texas Tech guard Pop Isaacs has been contacted by Kentucky.

A class of 2022 recruit, Isaacs signed with the Red Raiders while holding scholarship offers from Kansas, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Iowa, Gonzaga, and Arkansas, among others. The Las Vegas native was ranked 82nd overall and 13th among point guards in 2022 via 247 Sports Composite.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Isaacs has been a full-time starter during his two years with the Red Raiders. In 59 career games (58 starts), he’s averaging 13.9 points (35.6% shooting and 32.7% from deep), 3.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.4 turnovers in 31 minutes per game.

In January, Isaacs was accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually assaulting a minor during a team trip to the Bahamas in November. He has since denied those claims.

Elsewhere, former Wisconsin Badgers guard AJ Storr committed to the Kansas Jayhawks. Kentucky has previously made contact when John Calipari was still here, though I’d venture to say Mark Pope probably contacted Storr as well, being that he’s widely regarded as one of the five best players in the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-7, 205-pound Storr was a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection this past season after averaging 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds. He really stepped up in the postseason, scoring 30 points in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament against Northwestern, 20 points against Purdue in the semifinals, and 24 points against Illinois in the Championship game. He was, however, limited to just 13 points on 5/14 shooting in the Round of 64 NCAA Tournament loss to James Madison.

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“Hi, Barbie!” is the first thing I said when I opened the Longines box that landed on my doorstep last week. Hot pink, horses, and sparkles; how could I not think of last year’s blockbuster movie that’s permeated the zeitgeist? But enough about plastic dolls and cinema, we’re here to discuss the brand new Longines Mini DolceVita Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks 150th Anniversary limited-edition watch, which I had the chance to spend some time with for a hands-on review.

2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks — the premier race for three-year-old fillies held each year on the day before the Derby. A committed supporter of equestrian events, Longines has been the Official Partner, Official Timekeeper, and Official Watch of both these world-famous horse races since 2011. Therefore, to celebrate the 150th time that “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” will take place, Longines has created a commemorative edition of the Mini DolceVita watch, limited to 150 pieces.

The vivid strap is the first thing that catches your eye; it’s an entirely new double strap in pink nappa leather inspired by the Kentucky Oaks. Pink symbolizes both the Kentucky Oaks official color and the fundraising efforts of Churchill Downs (the home of the Derby and Oaks) in support of women’s health issues. In addition to the color, Longines borrowed details from the equestrian world to create the design. For instance, similar to the leathers that connect the saddle to the horse’s stirrups, the watch strap holes are numbered from 1 to 6. Although wide and long, the double strap is comfortable and lightweight. The combination of the double-wrap design and striking shade makes for a super bold statement on the wrist; it’s not a look for everyone, but for fans of flashier wrist candy, this one fits the bill.

Identical to the original Mini DolceVita watch I reviewed last year, this limited edition features a rectangular stainless steel case that measures 21.50mm wide by 29.00mm high, 29mm lug-to-lug, and 6.75mm thick. These petite proportions are easy to wear and the compact case nestles effortlessly between its pink leather borders when on the wrist. Longines also opted to decorate the case bezel with 38 Top Wesselton diamonds, split evenly across two rows. The dash of diamonds is a pretty, yet subtle touch; the precious gems are by no means the loudest element on this watch.

The “Cosmo” sector dial includes a combination of sand-blasted silvered and matte white disks, punctuated with a mix of Roman numerals and batons for the hours. I appreciate the restrained use of Roman numerals; dials can get too busy if a full set is used, especially on smaller ones like this. Accompanying the rose gold hour and minute hands at the center is a matching small seconds hand in the subdial at 6 o’clock.

The back of the watch is engraved with the Kentucky Derby’s 150th-anniversary logo, along with the “ONE OF 150” inscription referring to the model’s limited edition run. Beneath the steel caseback sits the high-precision L178 quartz movement that powers the Mini DolceVita watch. The case is water resistant to 30 meters.

The Mini DolceVita Kentucky Derby 150th Anniversary model is a fresh and fun interpretation of the otherwise classically styled Longines women’s watch. In contrast to the other models in the collection, this isn’t a watch destined for everyday wear but rather, one to put on when you want a touch of drama on your wrist — not unlike the over-the-top fascinators and hats integral to the atmosphere of Oaks Day and Derby. However, thanks to the interchangeable strap system, it’s easy to switch out the strap for something more subtle. For reference, the lug width is 16mm.

The Longines Mini DolceVita Kentucky Derby 150th Anniversary limited edition watch will retail for $3,900 USD, available to purchase from Longines’ online store and at the Kentucky Derby. A portion of the sales will go to the Horses and Hope charity, established to increase breast cancer screening, education, and treatment referral among Kentucky’s horse industry workers. For more information, please visit Longines’ website.