Mark Pope woke up in a sweat the night before Louisville win, remembering loss from junior season

Of all the things that Mark Pope already understands about Kentucky Basketball, the Battle of the Bluegrass is something he needs no reminder of.

Following his coaching debut in the rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville with a 93-85 win for the Wildcats over the Cardinals on Saturday, Pope spoke about how it felt to join the history of that game as someone on the sidelines of it.

“It was fun,” Pope said postgame.

However, leading up to the game, it led to Pope recalling something that he had long forgotten until recently.

In his answer, Pope thought about the 88-86 loss that UK took to UofL at Freedom Hall during his junior year on New Year’s Day of 1995. With that, he remembered the long ride back to Lexington that night after his first game against that rival.

“To be honest, you guys know I have a terrible memory but so I actually was with Lee Anne yesterday. It was last night as we’re sitting there trying to figure, you know,” Pope said. “I looked up the two games that I actually played in and, the game my junior year, we lost by two at Louisville. And, when I saw it, I was like, wait, what? And then I remembered.”

“So, I promise you. So I remember now. It was like locked away. The bus ride home from Louisville? I was in a full-on, like, teary-eyed sweat last night. I had blocked it out of my memory and, like, all of a sudden, it all comes rushing back. Oof. I mean, it’s like – I’m starting to, like, sweat right now. You get locked in a bus with Coach P. for an hour and a half after a two-point loss against Louisville? Woah,” said Pope said to the laughing media members at the press conference. “I won’t wish that on any of you actually. I bet only half of you guys would come out alive – I kid you not.”

Kentucky made up for it the next season, though, with an 89-66 victory the following year. In the 30 games played since then, the Wildcats are 21-9 against the Cardinals, including winning three straight and 14 of the last 17 since 2010.

Pope has bad memories from that loss back in ’95. He’ll remember ’24 well, though, with it being another victory for the program in his first game as head coach within the in-state rivalry.