In front of twenty thousand people in Lexington, the Wildcats were forced into submission by the Crimson Tide. The post National Analysts Deliver Double Blow to Kentucky After Mark Pope’s SEC Disappointment appeared first on EssentiallySports.

This is new territory for Mark Pope, his Wildcats, and the Big Blue Nation. Kentucky lost its first home game of the Pope era despite Rupp Arena’s best effort from the stands. Pope was dejected after the defeat,

Mark Pope and Nate Oats matched wits on the court, and Kentucky and Alabama put on a show in Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon.

More than that, Mark Pope deserves a lot of credit for what he’s done. He built a team entirely off of the transfer portal, and while they might not be as talented as other teams, they’ve still fared well.

For the first time under Mark Pope’s leadership, UK basketball lost at Rupp Arena. The Kentucky coach explains a home defeat to Alabama.

Kentucky basketball, for the first time under Mark Pope, lost at Rupp Arena on Saturday. The Kentucky Wildcats weren't able to slow Alabama's offense.

“Alabama right now is, of course, they’ve always been so potent, demanding shooting guards’ space, their pace is elite, ” Pope said. “I don’t know if the metrics change every but they are one of the fastest-playing teams in the country.”

What channel is Kentucky basketball vs Alabama on today? Here's how to watch, time, TV schedule, streaming info and odds for the SEC basketball game.

Lamont Butler was listed as a game-time decision ahead of Kentucky‘s showdown against No. 4 Alabama on Saturday. Butler ultimately played but his shoulder seemed to occasionally bother him throughout the game.

One of the best games of the college basketball season took place on Saturday as Nate Oats and No. 4 Alabama went on the road to Rupp Arena to take on Mark Pope and No. 8 Kentucky in Lexington. The two teams battled back and forth in a high-scoring affair before Alabama eventually made a few more plays to come out on top 102-97.

Check out the latest bracketology projections for the 2025 NCAA Tournament as the conference schedule continues.