Mark Pope exclaims after win vs. Louisville: 'One mole down, one to go'

Before this season began, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope made headlines when he admitted that he and his wife had nicknamed the pesky mole in their backyard, “The Cardinal.” The shot at Louisville immediately reinvigorated the bad blood between the two programs despite both of them having new head coaches.

On Saturday, the two programs had an opportunity to work out their issues inside Rupp Arena. Kentucky ultimately had the last word, walking away with a 93-85 victory. After the game, Pope joked about his previous jab toward the Cardinals.

“One mole down, one to go, guys. That one in the backyard is a little more pesky. It’s a problem,” Pope said. “That is really frustrating, but we will work on it.  My guys know it. It’s an honor to be a part of this great game.

“It’s really special to be able to kind of put their name in the book and imprint it.  It had everything that you would expect of this game, it was really special.”

With Louisville taken care of, perhaps Pope will have more time to focus on groundskeeping. However, it’s unlikely. The first-year head coach has wowed fans across the nation this season, with his non-stop work ethic. That hard work paid dividends on Saturday.

In the win, Kentucky shot 32-55 (58.2%) from the field and 11-21 (52.4%) from beyond the arc. Pope’s Wildcats looked like a well-oiled machine, racking up 23 assists, compared to Louisville’s mere eight.

Fifth-year senior point guard Lamont Butler was particularly fantastic for Kentucky, erupting for a career-high 33 points while shooting 10-10 from the floor, including six 3-pointers.

While Mark Pope didn’t hesitate to poke fun at Kentucky’s archrival, he also showed respect to them after the game.

“I’m incredibly proud of our guys. It was a classic rivalry game,” Pope said. “Louisville, hats off to them. I mean, those guys are playing so hard right now and doing it shorthanded and Pat is doing an unbelievable job coaching that group.

“They got a ton of fight and a ton of heart and leadership and seniority, and they had guys making big plays and making shots, which they haven’t done as much lately. They should be super proud. And our guys just kept fighting and got the win. Couldn’t be happier for our guys.”