Kentucky fans, were you having déjà vu? Because, well, there it was again. The Wildcats were trailing in the first half 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.

Under Oats, Alabama has increasingly imposed its fast-paced, three-point-heavy system on Kentucky, leading to five wins in their last seven matchups. The shift became clear in 2021 when Alabama swept Kentucky for the first time in nearly two decades and went on to win the SEC Tournament. This season, Alabama completed yet another season sweep, handing Kentucky a brutal 99-70 loss—their worst SEC Tournament defeat in recent memory. With Kentucky’s glaring defensive gaps, it seems like this is no longer the one-sided rivalry it once was.

History says that 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 its 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 Blue editor Tristan Pharis caught him very clearly mouthing “bu****t” on the sidelines. And the internet did have thoughts.  

Even in their last meeting, it felt like the refs were all in on Kentucky. And somehow, their leading scorer is in the middle of it all every time. One of the worst calls in the previous game was Oweh getting whistled for a foul on Mark Sears early in the second half. The lead was just eight points, and it looked sketchy at best. Almost like the refs were waiting to see if the shot went in before deciding to call it. Obviously, the head coach wasn’t about to keep his thoughts to himself. There’s literally a clip of an official just stopping the game to give Pope a long stare before restarting play. And, well, Pope had plenty to argue about. Two of his starters racked up four fouls each.

There’s a growing argument that officiating lapses have hurt Kentucky in critical games this season. In their January loss to Georgia, referee Olandis Poole, previously dismissed from the NBA, made several questionable calls that left fans and analysts puzzled. Amari Williams was among the Kentucky players who found themselves in foul trouble early. However, when it came to getting calls, Kentucky actually had a slightly better time in this game—18 fouls compared to Alabama’s 24. But that didn’t really change the outcome.

Kentucky and Mark Pope are officially out of the SEC Tournament after a brutal 99-70 loss. The Wildcats never led, not even once. Meanwhile, Alabama cruised through with a wire-to-wire win and will now take on Florida in the semifinals, with a ticket to Sunday’s championship game on the line. As for Kentucky, all eyes are now on Selection Sunday.

Fans React as Mark Pope lets loose courtside

One fan ripped into him, commenting, “The only bull**t I see is your mediocre coach. Stop making excuses, you’re not good enough.” Without question, it’s been a roller coaster of a season for Pope in his first year leading the Wildcats. 

For most Kentucky fans, a season with double-digit losses before postseason play isn’t exactly what they’d call a success. Sure, a 21-10 record isn’t elite, but let’s not forget the number of big-time wins Pope had stacked up. The second half of the season was rough. Injuries, tough competition, all the usual stuff. But writing off Pope already may be a little too soon for that. While we might demand immediate success, the historical context is important. The last first-year head coach to win the SEC Tournament with Kentucky was Tubby Smith in 1998, a feat even John Calipari failed to accomplish. So, the long-term vision still matters.

Another chimed in, saying, “This is the Mark Pope I enjoy seeing.” Pope hasn’t been called for a single technical foul all season. Not one. Even when Kentucky found themselves on the wrong end of a season-high 25 fouls against Georgia, he stayed cool. And sure, we’ve seen moments where he’s lost it, but it’s still nowhere near the fire we’re used to seeing from other college basketball coaches. So, fans would love some antics. 

A third pointed out, “Not sure why we make such a big deal about it.” Seriously, when we have Dan Hurley and Kim Mulkey out there making theatrics part of their brand, Pope saying a bad word can’t be the most animated sideline reaction. Maybe it’s because he’s usually busy actually coaching, learning/ figuring out the officiating, practicing gratitude, and keeping himself as calm as possible.

Then there was this take: “Pope is great, but more of this is needed!” Look, fans love a level-headed coach, but when half the game feels like Kentucky vs. the referees, you expect your coach to fight back. And lately, we’ve been getting more of that. Even in the Oklahoma game, Pope was caught probably uttering “Bu**it” again. Let’s just hope he saves these moments for when the team really needs it.

And finally, one fan brought the jokes, saying, “He said ‘I’m wearing a BLUE SHIRT.'” I mean, technically, yes—he was wearing a Kentucky pullover. But we all know what he actually said. Nice try, though.

So, now, we wait to see who clinches the SEC title while Mark Pope & Co. sit tight for Selection Sunday.