Kentucky fans, were you having déjà vu? Because, well, there it was again. The Wildcats were trailing again. The officiating felt one-sided again. And Mark Pope was not keeping his cool on the sidelines again. After two losses to Alabama this season, this was supposed to be Kentucky’s shot at redemption. But from injuries to a brutal schedule, nothing seemed to have gone their way before they even stepped on the court. And with all that frustration boiling over, Pope just couldn’t hold back—uttering his favorite word once again.
History says Kentucky has owned Alabama in the SEC Tournament, eliminating them from title contention in 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. But this time, Alabama is out to flip the script, aiming for a season sweep and flexing their self-proclaimed “new blood” status.
And if the nightmares of the previous two meetings were not enough for Kentucky fans, this game itself turned brutal early. Otega Oweh hit the deck with a bloodied face after taking an accidental elbow from Labaron Philon. The refs reviewed it, but guess what? No foul.
Moments like these set Pope off. Normally a composed guy, he couldn’t control his reaction against the officiating. A clip posted by A Sea of Blu editor Tristan Pharis caught him very clearly mouthing “bu****t” on the sidelines. And the internet did have thoughts.
I think the word is pretty clear here… pic.twitter.com/N0934Lq9We
— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) March 15, 2025
One fan ripped into him, commenting, “The only bull**t I see is your mediocre coach. Stop making excuses, you’re not good enough.” Meanwhile, another was all for Pope’s fiery side, saying, “This is the Mark Pope I enjoy seeing.”
So, love it or hate it, Pope’s frustration is fueling the conversation. And with Kentucky’s 99-70 loss, we expect more coming in.
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