In an interview with Maggie Davis on BBN Tonight, Hart said that the first time he saw Pope was when Kentucky beat Syracuse in the 1996 National Championship — Hart’s senior year of high school prior to joining the Orange. Pope happened to drain the free throws that pushed Kentucky to a seven-point lead with a minute to go in the finals, clinching the program’s sixth national championship.
“The first time I seen Coach Pope, I didn’t like him,” Hart said with a smile. “I was at home my senior year and they was beating my college, Syracuse, in the national championship. He made those free throws.