Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope talks to the media after the Wildcats’ 83-82 win over the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Norman. (UK Athletics)
This weekend, Mark Pope can become the first Kentucky basketball coach to achieve a rare feat.
The No. 1-ranked Auburn Tigers will meet the Wildcats in Rupp Arena at 1 p.m EST Saturday — in a nationally televised game on ABC — and it will be Pope’s first shot at the top-ranked team in the country as UK’s head coach.
No leader of the Wildcats has ever won his first regular-season game against the nation’s No. 1 team.
Pope will look to change that when he faces off against Auburn’s Bruce Pearl on Saturday.
The Wildcats are coming off a thrilling 83-82 win over the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday, and Pope will look to build on that momentum against the top-ranked Tigers.
A win over Auburn would not only make history for Pope, but it would also be a major boost to the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament resume.
Kentucky is currently ranked No. 25 in the AP poll, and a win over the top-ranked Tigers would likely propel them into the top 15.
The game is set for 1 p.m. EST on Saturday and will be nationally televised on ABC.
Will Pope make history on Saturday? Only time will tell.
