Kentucky basketball guard Lamont Butler talks to the media after the Wildcats’ 94-78 loss to Auburn on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Rupp Arena in Lexington. By John Clay
A question posed to Kentucky’s Mark Pope regarding the benefit of college basketball players playing for the same coach for multiple seasons — specifically, national player of the year candidate Johni Broome playing under Auburn’s Bruce Pearl for the past three years — led to a reply about the rarity of such situations these days.
“Those are unique situations,” Pope said. “You don’t see that very often. Kids are moving. Kids are transferring. Kids are going pro. It’s just the way of the world right now.
“So when you do have a guy who’s been with the same coach for three years, that’s a unique situation. And I think it definitely benefits the player. I think it benefits the coach. I think it benefits the program.”
Pope’s comments came on the eve of Kentucky’s final home game of the season, which will also serve as Senior Night for several Wildcats players.
One of those players is guard Lamont Butler, who transferred to UK from Texas Tech last offseason.
“I love this place, honestly,” Butler said. “The community, the fans, my teammates, the coaches — it’s all been amazing. I’m really going to miss it.”
Butler’s comments were echoed by several other UK players who are set to be honored during Senior Night ceremonies.
“I’m going to cherish every moment,” said forward Jacob Toppin. “It’s been a great ride. I’ve loved every minute of it.”
The Wildcats will host LSU on Tuesday night, with tipoff set for 9 pm ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Kentucky is looking to bounce back from a 94-78 loss to Auburn on Saturday, which dropped the Wildcats to 10-7 in Southeastern Conference play.
LSU, meanwhile, is 12-5 in the SEC and has already clinched a share of the league title.
“LSU’s a great team,” Pope said. “They’re very talented. They’re very well-coached. They’ve got a lot of depth. They’ve got a lot of size. They’ve got a lot of athleticism.
“So it’s going to be a great challenge for us. But we’re looking forward to it.”
The Wildcats will honor several players during Senior Night ceremonies, including Butler, Toppin, and guards Antonio Reeves and CJ Fredrick.
“It’s going to be an emotional night,” Pope said. “But it’s also going to be a great night. We’re going to celebrate these guys and everything they’ve accomplished.”
