Mark Pope introduced as Kentucky's coach, affirms expectation that 'We are here to win banners'

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — One of the last players to exit a bus full of Kentucky greats on the Rupp Arena floor, Mark Pope held the 1996 NCAA championship trophy aloft and basked in the cheers during his introduction as the Wildcats’ new men’s basketball coach.

Pope then ratcheted up the energy in the packed arena, making clear his expectations are as high as the fans welcoming him to the most challenging chapter of his coaching career.

“Every coach in America at every other job in America stands up at the press conference and they try and moderate expectations," Pope said Sunday. "We don’t do that here in Kentucky. When (athletic director) Mitch (Barnhart) called me and talked to me about being the head coach here at Kentucky, I understand the assignment. We are here to win banners.”

Pope's introduction came two days after Kentucky hired him to replace John Calipari, a Hall of Fame coach who was hired by Arkansas on Wednesday after 15 years highlighted by winning the 2012 national championship. The 51-year-old Pope returned home after going 110-52 in five seasons at BYU with two NCAA Tournament appearances, including this spring, and found Rupp Arena just as he left it — loud and packed, even late on a Sunday afternoon in April.

The former Wildcats co-captain faces huge expectations guiding a program that had recently flamed out early in the NCAA Tournament and hasn't reached the Final Four since 2015. Pressure-filled for sure, but nothing new to Pope after making two free throws in the final minute against Syracuse to help Kentucky clinch that sixth national title on a powerhouse 34-2 squad labeled “The Untouchables” by demanding then-coach Rick Pitino.

“I literally was walking (to the line) and I promise you that the only thought that came into my mind was if I don’t make this, they are going to kill me,” he said. “And who wouldn’t want that? That’s why we’re here, guys. That’s what we do.”

Pope faces numerous tasks taking over Kentucky, starting with building a roster that has already lost two players to the NBA draft with other decisions looming. He seemed eager to recruit in-state players — pointing to ex-teammate Richie Farmer in the crowd and calling out Travis Perry, a Kentucky signee who attended the ceremony a month after leading Lyon County High School to the Sweet 16 state title. Pope was also very enthusiastic about mining the transfer portal for talent along with taking on the challenges posed by name, image and likeness (NIL) endorsement options that recruits seek.

The challenge that juiced Pope the most was maintaining Kentucky's “gold standard” of excellence from winning eight national championships.

Several trophies from that 1995-96 season were displayed on a table next to the podium, offering reminders of what Pope helped achieve as a player and the bar he must meet as coach. Fans cheered every time a highlight from that season with Pope were shown on video screens, providing the feel of a pep rally and home game rolled into one.

Then from the white-and-blue bus came the parade of Kentucky players, who believe Kentucky found the right man in Pope even after talking with several higher-profile candidates.

“I was just as surprised as everyone else initially," said former Wildcat Winston Bennett, who coached Pope as an assistant under Pitino. "But once (Pope's name) came across, I was like, who better to fit the task than Mark? I was blessed to be a part of coach Pitino’s staff, so I know his work ethic. I know his passion at the University of Kentucky and what it’s done for his life. There’s no one better for this job.

“I knew once his name come up, if they interviewed him, he was going to get the job. That’s how good he is.”

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

A fan dressed as the pope listens as Mark Pope speak to fans and the media after being named Kentucky men's NCAA college basketball head coach in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Mark Pope greets fans after being named head coach of the Kentucky men's basketball team in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart, left, and Mark Pope hold up a jersey after Pope was named head coach of the Kentucky men's basketball team in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Mark Pope speaks to fans and media after being named Kentucky men's NCAA college basketball head coach in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Mark Pope exits the bus he rode into the arena, carrying the 1996 Championship Trophy at an event naming him head coach of the Kentucky men's NCAA college basketball team, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sheriffs would be required to temporarily hold inmates in jail that federal immigration agents believe are in the country illegally under a bill passed by the North Carolina Senate on Thursday.

But unlike two previous versions of the bill successfully shot down by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto in the last five years, the measure stands a strong chance of becoming law thanks to GOP seat gains.

The Senate voted along party lines for the measure in a 28-16 vote. Now the legislation returns to the House, where Speaker Tim Moore said Wednesday he supports the measure and that his chamber could vote on the Senate changes as soon as next week.

An affirmative House vote would send the measure to Cooper, who could veto it again. But a GOP supermajority in both chambers since last year means Cooper's veto could be overridden and the bill enacted if Republicans stay united.

The bill, sponsored by several key House leaders, centers around the issue of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers. Those are requests for local law enforcement to notify federal immigration agents about an inmate believed to be in the country unlawfully and maintain custody.

State Republicans have said the need for the bill is apparent as several sheriffs across the state, particularly from Democratic urban counties, haven't cooperated with immigration agents.

“Most sheriffs comply, but we have a few who don't want to,” said Wilson County Republican Sen. Buck Newton on Thursday. “This has been going on for years and years and years that it's reached the point of critical mass.”

Under the proposed changes, all sheriffs or jailers are required to hold inmates accused of serious crimes for up to 48 hours if a detainer is issued. It also mandates the involvement of judicial officials to order law enforcement to hold the inmate in question, according to the bill.

A Senate amendment to the bill would allow anyone to file a complaint with the state Attorney's General Office if they believe a jail administrator is not complying with the law. The legislation would go into effect on July 1.

Senate Republicans used a parliamentary maneuver to table another amendment from Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, that would allow a district attorney to file an objection to a detainer on behalf of a crime victim who seeks prosecution against an inmate in North Carolina. A district judge would have the ultimate say over whether a jail administrator would comply with a detainer request.

“You need to join me in supporting victims of crime and victims of domestic violence and prosecutors across our state by allowing them to seek justice by voting no,” Mohammed said.

Current state law already asks sheriffs or other law enforcement officials to check an inmate’s legal status if they are charged with serious crimes. If the jailer cannot determine someone’s legal status, a query should be sent to ICE.

Two previous iterations of the bill failed to become law in 2019 and 2022 when Cooper vetoed them and Democrats held enough seats to block an override veto.

In response to the legislation, the governor’s office said Wednesday that Cooper was concerned if the bill was constitutional and effective in making communities safer. It would take away authority from sheriffs for “purely political purposes,” spokesperson Jordan Monaghan said.

As with previous bill versions, advocates for Latino immigrants spoke against the mandate in Senate committees this week and during a lobbying day on Wednesday.

They said the requirement would actually make communities less safe by instilling fear into immigrants, especially those who are undocumented, by discouraging them from reporting crimes or building trust with law enforcement.

“The Republican majority in this legislature continues to push forward extreme laws that target immigrants and punishes our community for merely existing,” Axel Herrera Ramos of Durham with the advocacy group Mi Familia en Acción said at a rally outside the old Capitol building. “Don’t tell me it’s about safety.”

At least six states broadly outlaw local agencies' ability to restrict federal immigration law enforcement involvement, National Conference of State Legislatures policy analyst Jay Gideon said in an email. These prohibitions aim to strike down “sanctuary” policies that do not enforce local cooperation with federal immigration agents.

Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp also signed a bill Wednesday requiring jailers to check inmates' immigration status and criminalizes the failure to do so.

Associated Press writer Gary Robertson in Raleigh contributed to this report.

Opponents of a measure debated by the North Carolina General Assembly that would force local sheriffs to comply with requests by federal agents interested in picking up jail inmates believed to be in the country illegally hold placards against the bill during a rally on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, outside the old Capitol Building in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson)

Axel Herrera Ramos, left, with Mi Familia en Acción in North Carolina, speaks at a rally outside the old state Capitol in Raleigh, N.C., involving advocates for the state's immigration community on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Ramos and others spoke in opposition to a measure debated by the General Assembly that would force local sheriffs to comply with requests by federal agents interested in picking up jail inmates believed to be in the country illegally (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson)