As Kentucky head coach Mark Pope gears up for his second season in Lexington, he’s already exploring ways to make his team tougher and more physical heading into the 2025-26 campaign. One of his top priorities is strengthening his players’ ability to handle contact—an essential skill in the rugged SEC, where rebounding battles and post play often determine the outcome of games. The Wildcats experienced this firsthand in their Sweet 16 loss to Tennessee, where they were outmuscled on the boards, giving up 19 second-chance points while being outrebounded 34-24. To address this issue, Pope is reportedly considering an unconventional training method: introducing football blocking dummies into basketball practices.
The idea behind using football-style drills is to get players accustomed to absorbing and delivering contact in a controlled environment. The SEC is one of the most physical leagues in college basketball, and teams that can’t match that intensity often struggle. By incorporating blocking dummies, Pope aims to simulate game-like physicality, training players to finish at the rim through contact, battle for rebounds against resistance, and maintain balance while being bumped and pushed. Other basketball programs have experimented with football-inspired training techniques to build strength and mental toughness, and Pope hopes to use a similar approach to prepare his team for the physical grind of conference play.
Another potential twist to this strategy is a possible collaboration with Mark Stoops and the Kentucky football program. Stoops has built a reputation for developing tough, physical players, and if Pope reaches out to the football staff, there could be opportunities for joint training sessions or specialized strength programs. Football players are trained to absorb hits, maintain balance, and use their physicality to gain an advantage—skills that could translate well to basketball under the right circumstances.
Pope has made it clear he wants his team to be more resilient next season. Whether it’s implementing football drills, increasing physical contact in practice, or simply fostering a stronger mindset, Kentucky is committed to becoming a tougher, more battle-ready squad as they chase SEC and NCAA Tournament success.
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