WATCH: Mark Pope was drafted by the Indiana Pacers on this date in 1996

The NBA Draft started last night with the Dallas Mavericks taking Cooper Flagg with the number one overall pick.

No Kentucky Wildcats were selected in this first round, but the second round is set to take place in a few hours, and a few Wildcats are hoping to hear their names called.

The two Wildcats that have a real shot of being taken in this second round are Koby Brea and Amari Williams.

Just like Brea and Williams are hopeful to hear their name called in the draft this evening, one former Wildcat did hear his name called in the draft 29 years ago.

That former Wildcats is the team's current head coach, Mark Pope.

On June 26th, 1996, Pope was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 52nd pick of the second round.

Pope was coming off of a National Championship with the Wildcats, where Rick Pitino led the Wildcats to one of the program's eight national titles.

The best part of the video shared by Kentucky athletics was Pitino talking to the broadcast about Pope and how great of a person and a leader he is and would be in the future.

Of course, Pitino was spot on with this as Pope went on to get into coaching, and now he is the head coach at his alma mater.

Now, in his second year at Kentucky, Pope will look to win Kentucky's ninth national title.

Here is the video of Coach Pitino talking on the broadcast about Coach Pope right after he was taken by the Indiana Pacers..

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