The Kentucky Wildcats' season is over after a disappointing 78-65 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet 16. Kentucky and Tennessee split the regular season series, but in this rare conference showdown in March Madness, it was the Vols who controlled the game from start to finish.
Tennessee carried a 15-point lead into halftime and never really let Kentucky back into the game. After the Wildcats' defense reached a new level in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, familiar shortcomings cropped up on Friday. Mark Pope's group was outclassed.
This was not the ending Kentucky fans envisioned, but don't let it take away from the incredible job Pope did in his first season with the program. After taking over in April and building his team from scratch in a month, Pope led UK through the SEC gauntlet to claim a top-three seed. Big Blue Nation has to feel good about the direction of the team under Pope.
Kentucky may never again attract star recruits like John Calipari did, but this version of Kentucky basketball should yield more consistent postseason success. The Wildcats built their identity around sweet-shooting wings and steadfast, level-headed vets. Gone are the days of baffling rotation choices and inefficient hero ball late in games. The Wildcats look like a team built to go deep.
UK fans are celebrating a job well done, even after a bittersweet loss.
Kentucky fans shower Mark Pope with praise after Wildcats' Sweet 16 loss
"Mark Pope did an incredible job this season."
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2025
Despite the loss, @GaryParrishCBS says Kentucky made a lot of improvements this season. pic.twitter.com/RxvflklD2n
I don't care what anyone says, Mark Pope's first season was a huge success. Assembling a team in under a month and leading them to the Sweet 16 is impressive and it speaks volumes about his coaching ability. #BBN
— Wildcat (@WildcatUKx) March 29, 2025
Thank you Ansley Almonor.
— Brandon Ramsey (@BRamseyKSR) March 29, 2025
Thank you Koby Brea.
Thank you Lamont Butler.
Thank you Andrew Carr.
Thank you Jaxson Robinson.
Thank you Amari Williams.
You all set the tone for the Coach Mark Pope era.
This was a GREAT start and it’ll only get better from here. I’m love this team.
I still give Mark Pope a solid A on this season
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 29, 2025
He got a team together in a few weeks, had them play entertaining basketball in the hardest conference maybe ever
Lotta great wins and a Sweet 16…plus much optimism about the future
Even after an NCAA Tournament loss to its bitter rival, the attitude and energy from the fanbase is a complete 180 from what it was a year ago. Mark Pope has united what was a fractured fanbase in way that I'm not sure anyone else could.
— Chris Fisher (@ChrisFisher247) March 29, 2025
Disappointing end to Year 1 of the Mark Pope era, but doesn't change how awesome this team was when healthy.
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) March 29, 2025
Wins over Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Tennessee twice in the regular season.
Would've loved to see this team at full-strength in March.
Heck of a Year 1 of the Pope Era pic.twitter.com/0LX4PqcUgt
Man, this team has been so much fun. I’ve said it for weeks.
— Cullen Bohannon (@NotJKLMcClure) March 25, 2025
You give mark Pope a healthy roster against every other healthy roster in the country & it’s #9 no problem. pic.twitter.com/GMgxhPlCba
The vibes in Big Blue Nation have done a complete 180 in the span of a year.
When Oakland shocked Kentucky in the first round last March, Calipari — the winningest active NCAA Tournament coach and a former champ — was Public Enemy No. 1 in Lexington. Was all of it deserved? Maybe, maybe not, but Kentucky fans were united in their desire for change. There isn't a fanbase with higher expectations.
For Pope, a former Wildcats star, to take over and generate so much optimism around the program despite an "early" Sweet 16 exit is wildly impressive. Especially when one considers his relative lack of high-level experience.
Pope has always been a good coach, but his prior D-I stops were Utah Valley and BYU. The names be thrown around at the beginning of Kentucky's search were, like, Dan Hurley. This Wildcats program demands a high standard, and there was plenty of skepticism when Pope won the job. It felt like a consolation prize. Now, I'm not sure Kentucky fans would accept anyone else.
This was a resilient group in 2024-25. Beyond all the noise around Cal's exit and the dire state of affairs in Lexington, Kentucky battled through several injuries and SEC setbacks to reach this point. Jaxson Robinson, Pope's biggest transfer portal hit and a familiar face from BYU, went down for the season in February. And yet, the Wildcats persisted, clawing their way to a high seed and the second weekend of March Madness.
Most of the roster will be gone next season through graduations, the NBA, or transfers, but Pope is already on the right path when it comes to rebuilding his squad for 2025-26. It's clear the fans are confident in his ability to field a winner.
This is not how Kentucky wanted to end its season, but the future feels awfully bright under Pope.