Man, imagine if Mark Pope had actually stayed in med school? Rupp Arena would be way quieter. Seriously, the dude almost went full Grey’s Anatomy before chucking the white coat and picking up a clipboard. Now he’s basically Kentucky basketball’s mad scientist, and honestly, the story just keeps getting weirder—in a good way.
Turns out, Pope isn’t the only guy on this year’s squad who nearly went down the doctor route. Enter Andrija Jelavic—a Croatian freshman forward with hands as big as textbooks and brains to match. He almost chose scrubs over sneakers, too. Now, both these almost-MDs are suiting up (well, Pope’s wearing a suit, Jelavic’s rocking the jersey) and aiming for a championship. Wild, right?
Mark Pope: The Guy Who Ditched Med School for Madness
Pope’s been pretty open about his zigzag path. He even joked on the Field of 68 podcast that he “would’ve been a terrible doctor”—which is honestly what you want to hear from your coach, not your surgeon. Guess all that nervous energy and obsession with details fits better in a locker room than an operating room.
Fans love him for it, though. Pope’s become the poster child for chasing your passion and flipping the bird to “the safe path.” The dude bet big on basketball, and right now, it looks like Kentucky’s the winner.
Andrija Jelavic: Smarter Than Your Average Big Man
So here’s this 6’9″ Croatian kid, Andrija Jelavic. Big, tough, and apparently, way into academics. He told UK Sports Network he almost went medical, too. Instead, he’s out here mixing Euro footwork with some no-nonsense muscle in the paint. I mean, the guy moves like he’s performing surgery but, you know, on defenders.
If he’d stuck to the books, maybe he’d be slicing open cadavers right now. Instead, Kentucky fans get to cheer for a big man who probably crushes both physics exams and alley-oops. Honestly, not a bad trade.
Sports Medicine: Literally
So, is this doctor-athlete thing a trend? Not really, but it happens. Look at:
- Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif – Dude protected Mahomes and patients. Won a Super Bowl, too.
- Dr. Myron Rolle – Florida State safety, now slicing brains at Harvard. No big deal.
- Dr. Samkon Gado – Used to run through NFL defenses, now he’s an ear-nose-throat wizard.
Seems like top athletes and top doctors have a few things in common—mainly, being absolute psychos about discipline and pressure. Sure, Pope and Jelavic might never write prescriptions, but you can bet they’re bringing that same “do-or-die” energy to the court.
So… Is This the Year?
This next season? Could be nuts. Pope’s cooking up chaos from the bench, Jelavic is about to bully people in the paint, and the storyline basically writes itself. Two almost-doctors, one basketball team, a shot at the title—sounds like something out of a sports movie.
If Kentucky’s raising banners and snipping nets come spring, just remember—they traded stethoscopes for sneakers. Worked out pretty well, huh?
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