Mark Pope, is leading his team to the NCAA tournament in his debut season! A former player for the prestigious program, he was the apparent heir of Kentucky once John Calipari left for Arkansas last season. Well, the daunting March Madness begins this Saturday, and the Wildcats coach promised something that he is already regretting. Yes, the 52-year-old previously said he would pay for gas money, so fans travel to Milwaukee!
But now he regrets the decision because there has been a “whole slew” of requests. One of them was a Kentucky college student, Jack who was in Florida for his summer break. Seeing the request and after thinking about paying gas money from Florida to Milwaukee. Mark Pope started having second thoughts. “That was not a good call on my part… Gas money for Milwaukee, this is not going to go well.”
Even though the UK coach knows the decision ain’t financially sound, he is ready to do it for Big Blue Nation! A few months ago, Mark Pope paid for hundreds of Kentucky fans’ ice cream at Rupp Arena. So the loving nature towards the fans is not out of the blue behavior from him.
Mark Pope says a “whole slew” of requests for gas money have already come in, including from a college student in Florida named Jack.
“That was not a good call on my part… Gas money for Milwaukee, this is not going to go well.”
: @UKSportsNetwork https://t.co/MvXsFTT1jj pic.twitter.com/zD7szIZaz7
— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) March 17, 2025
Any Wildcats fan out there, drop your request, and that might get approved as the coach is ready if you are willing to travel to Milwaukee for Kentucky’s first and second-round games in the NCAA Tournament.
Before this, the head coach also spoke about a personnel scout. “We went through player by player, watching incredible highlights, reading incredible numbers, teasing guys about some of the funny, flukish plays they’ve made this year. It was really, really special.” As per Tristan Pharis, Founder of @KyInsider ” Mark Pope says the staff presented the team with a personnel scout today, later revealing it was their own.”
Can Mark Pope deliver gold in his first season?
This marks Pope’s first March Madness run with his alma mater, and he’s eager to see the fans show up in full force. Although Kentucky is a bit banged up heading into the tournament, this is familiar territory for the Wildcats. Their star guard, Lamont Butler, left in the first postseason game for Kentucky in the SEC Tournament with another injury to his shoulder.
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Kentucky at Texas Feb 15, 2025 Austin, Texas, USA Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope argues with an official during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Austin Moody Center Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xScottxWachterx 20250215_tbs_wa5_412
However, Mark Pope again asserted that the Wildcats’ point guard will be available for the NCAA Tournament. “I mean, that’s the plan. The plan is for him to play, for sure. I don’t think there’s a lot of doubt in that.” In an appearance on ‘The Field of 68’ on Selection Sunday, Pope spoke about Butler’s status and was expecting him back for their run in March Madness. But there is another issue for the BBN.
According to reports, 19-year-old Travis Perry sustained an injury to his shooting hand during the Kentucky-Alabama game. With Butler and Perry uncertain, the point guard duties fall to Kerr Kriisa. But even he is in recovery from his foot injury. That leaves the responsibility to Walker Horn, who has only played in 12 games overall (4 games per season). So, the journey is not that straightforward for Mark Pope.
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