The Kentucky Wildcats, despite having lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, have still had one of the most impressive seasons in college hoops. Few teams have as many signature wins as the Wildcats, who have taken down both the Duke Blue Devils and Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Kentucky has been able to have such success by revamping its roster with numerous top transfer weapons that former BYU head coach Mark Pope was able to bring to Lexington. Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr and Oklahoma State transfer Brandon Garrison were among the key players who committed to Pope’s first team in Lexington.

Pope, who was a big man himself, has been able to coach these two individuals throughout the first portion of the year and has an encouraging update on the style of play he is pushing them toward.

For Carr, it’s more about being “more aggressive at the 3-point line.”

“He’s a terrific shooter. It’s a part of his game that’s going to continue to grow and expand, and he’s incredibly capable,” said Pope. “So that’s a work in progress. It’s just that as he gets more comfortable with how we’re playing and what we’re doing and how we are and how we approach this game, he’ll continue to be more and more aggressive.”

Pope’s comments came on his call-in radio show Monday. He continued with a note on Garrison, giving praise to the continued patience from the sophomore big man.

“What we’ve seen in him that’s been so spectacular is he’s just becoming more and more patient in the post,” said Pope. “He’s got a ton in the tank. He is going to grow into an extraordinary player. He’s learning a lot with us right now. What he’s done in terms of protecting the ball through the course of the season, his assist-to-turnover ratio is still really, really solid. He’s getting a sense there.”

The Cats, who have a 10-2 record on the season, have been led by a combination of Otega Oweh and Lamont Butler, who combine to average about 30.2 points per game. Andrew Carr sits fifth in the team, tallying 11.1 points per game, while Garrison is averaging 5.5 per game.

Expect more involvement from both big men as the season progresses if Kentucky is to become a true Final Four contender.