One of the biggest storylines this 2024-25 college basketball season was the contrast between new Kentucky head coach Mark Pope and John Calipari, who is over at Arkansas. While the Razorbacks have been playing better as of late, they’re likely not making the NCAA Tournament.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats have remained a national contender. The latest AP top-25 poll has them ranked No. 15 and potentially playing for a 2-3 seed in the Big Dance. On Tuesday, despite multiple injuries to its rotation, Kentucky pulled off the 75-64 home win over No. 5 Tennessee.
👀 @KentuckyMBB now has the most wins vs AP Top 10 opponents in school history with 5 wins this season! pic.twitter.com/BY5Un623Tc
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 12, 2025
That was the 6th win over a ranked opponent this season for the Wildcats, with five coming against top-10 foes. That includes the non-con victories over Duke and Gonzaga, Florida, Texas A&M, and a previous win over the Vols to complete the sweep.
If you're Mark Pope, it’s been as good a first year as one could ask for. The SEC is filled with great teams, including five ranked in the top 10 in this week’s poll. So, there are more opportunities for top-10 wins than in the Calipari era.
At the same time, the Wildcats have not only had a brand new roster that needed time to gel, but they also have dealt with injuries. Lamont Butler, arguably the team’s MVP, has been in and out of the lineup. Jaxson Robinson and backup point guard Kerr Kriisa are currently out.
Yet Kentucky continues to win, and they have a pair of opportunities to improve on the historic season. They play No. 2 Alabama on the road on February 22nd before facing current No. 1 team Auburn on March 1st. Hopefully, the Wildcats can get some key pieces back for those games.
In the meantime, Coach Cal and Arkansas can celebrate the win over Kentucky last week, but the winner of the yearly war between them has clearly gone Pope’s way.