By John Zenor, AP Sports Writer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Mark Pope left no doubt where he played college basketball, in case anyone didn’t already know.

The new Kentucky coach and former Wildcats player sported a UK letterman-style jacket at the podium for Southeastern Conference media day on Tuesday.

Pope claimed the jacket from a rack of blue and white swag set up by equipment man Mark Evans for recruits to try on for a photo shoot.

“And I saw this jacket, and I’m like, forget the recruits, man. That is too good. I’ve got to have it,” Pope said. “In a general sense, as an old man, I’m trying to look a little younger.”

The jacket listed the Wildcats’ eight NCAA championship teams on the back, but it also served as an unintended reminder that the last one came in 2012.

Pope was a captain of Kentucky’s 1996 championship team. Jaxson Robinson, who followed him from BYU, was a fan of the jacket.

“It’s nice. He was wearing it a couple of days ago,” Robinson said. “I like it. I wish I had one.”

Preseason rankings droughts broken

No. 24 Mississippi will enter the season ranked for only the second time and first since starting at No. 23 in 1997-98. The 21st-ranked Florida Gators are ranked for the first time in preseason since 2019.

They’re marks of progress for the Rebels going into Chris Beard’s second season. Florida’s third-year coach, Todd Golden, is coming off an NCAA Tournament trip and the Gators’ first appearance in the SEC Tournament championship game in a decade.

“I think it says that we’re on the right track,” Golden said of the ranking. “We’re not spending a whole lot of time applauding ourselves on being ranked 21st. We appreciate the respect that we’re receiving from the AP, and it means a lot to us.

“But unless we’re better than that at the end of the year, we’re going to think of it as being a disappointing year.”

Beard said the rankings show “respect for your players more than anything.”

“Proud of that. We don’t spend any time talking about that to our players, but I think it’s good for our fan base,” he said.

Proving doubters wrong

South Carolina coach Lamont Paris couldn’t make any sense out of last year’s prediction that his team would finish last.

Now, the Gamecocks are picked to finish a modest 11th after defying the naysayers by winding up in a four-way tie for second.

“I wondered how many questions it was going to take before somebody referenced last year,” said Paris, who wound up being named SEC coach of the year. “You know how I feel about rankings. Honestly, I think it’s a favor to be put in a position where you have to prove yourself.”

As for his players, Paris said: “There’s nothing that could be better than to be ranked in a way that they perceive as disrespectful.”

Painful reminder

Auburn players and coaches get a daily reminder of how last season ended. The Tigers’ hopes of a deep NCAA Tournament run ended with a 78-76 first-round loss to Yale after winning the SEC tourney.

“We have it on our board: 78-76. We look at it all the time until the season comes up,” forward Johni Broome said.

Now, Auburn is ranked No. 11 entering the season and picked to finish behind only rival Alabama in the SEC.

“Nobody’s satisfied with how the season ended,” Broome said of the Yale game. “Everybody knows that it’s still a sour taste in our mouth.”

Missouri’s quest

The Missouri Tigers appeared to upgrade the roster significantly from a team that went 0-18 in the SEC last season.

The Tigers added transfers Mark Mitchell (Duke), Tony Perkins (Iowa) and Marques Warrick (Northern Kentucky). The recruiting class was ranked No. 5 in the 247Sports composite ratings.

“For me it was making sure we had unbelievable talent, could play in different styles but also had experience,” coach Dennis Gates said.

Texas reunion

Texas coach Rodney Terry will face his former boss and predecessor, Mississippi’s Beard, on Jan. 29. Terry was elevated to interim coach after Beard’s midseason firing in January, 2023, and then was hired as his replacement after leading an Elite Eight run

“Chris Beard and I go way, way back,” Terry said. “We’re talking about 25 years of friendship. One of my really close friends in the business.”

Beard’s two-year tenure at alma mater Texas ended abruptly in January 2023 following a domestic violence arrest. Felony domestic charges were ultimately dismissed.

Beard received a new contract before the SEC Tournament.

Quotable

“He will go down in the annals of history as one of the best players to ever play at A&M,” Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams on guard Wade Taylor IV. Taylor needs 402 points to catch Bernard King’s school career mark of 1,990 points.