Pat Kelsey reacts to in-game scrum with Kentucky: 'It was no big deal'

Things got a little heated between Kentucky and Louisville during Saturday’s rivalry game. During the second half of action, Kentucky forward Brandon Garrison was called for a foul on Louisville guard Reyne Smith, and the two teams gathered in front of the UL bench before tempers eventually cooled.

Garrison and Smith went for a loose ball, and Garrison ended up walking over Smith. As he tried to walk away, Garrison got pushed from behind as Smith’s teammates tried to help him up, and it led to a scrum in front of the bench.

Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey was asked about the scrum after the game and described it as “no big deal.”

“Yea, I mean, the kid may a hustle play, you know,” Pet Kelsey said. “Kind of fell into our bench. I don’t think it was any big deal.”

Pat Kelsey added that Kentucky star guard Lamont Butler joined him in helping to defuse the situation and ensure that it didn’t get worse. Words were exchanged, but no fight broke out.

“So [Garrison] falls into the bench, and Lamont comes over and he’s grabbing him, I’m grabbing him. I look at him. And we both smiled like, ‘We’re good, we’re good, we’re good,’” Kelsey explained. “Officials did a great job with it. It was really no big deal.”

Kentucky first-year head coach Mark Pope was also asked about the incident. Pope agreed that a little scrum in a rivalry game is normal and he was thankful it didn’t get out of hand.

“Listen, it wouldn’t have been an appropriate game if it wasn’t a tension-filled mosh pit down in front of their bench. That was probably the most fun part of the game, right?” Pope said. “But I think you have two organizations right now that have an insane amount of passion about winning and feel all of the joy and intensity and stress of this rivalry.

“But also are pretty good about being focused about what actually makes you play the best to give yourself the best chance to win. I think both programs are probably in that space somewhere.”