Dick Vitale is Officially a Mark Pope Fan

Dick Vitale and college basketball go together like peanut butter and jelly. They just fit. Unfortunately, the two were forced to spend some time apart. On Saturday, Dickie V was right back where he belongs, on the sideline for a Top 25 Kentucky basketball game.

Since his friend Jim Valvano lost his bout with cancer, Dickie V has used his platform to raise funds for cancer research and The V Foundation. He had to endure his own personal fight. Over the last four years, he’s been afflicted with four different kinds of cancer, including in his vocal cords.

His health forced him to the sideline for two years. The 85-year-old returned to a college basketball sideline on February 8. He was treated to a Top-10 upset when Clemson knocked off Duke at Littlejohn Coliseum. Vitale followed Duke back to Cameron Indoor a week later.

Kentucky at Alabama was his first game of the season in the SEC. Despite the loss to the Crimson Tide, Dickie V like what he saw from the Wildcats.

“After seeing Kentucky in person vs the talented Alabama team, I’m impressed by what Coach Mark Pope has done,” Vitale shared on X. “With the return of Lamont Butler & Jaxson Robinson, BBN will be a legit threat (during) March Madness time. Playing in the SEC without your starting guards is TOUGH!”

Vitale received a warm reception from the crowd at Coleman Coliseum. There was a video tribute ahead of tip-off and he posed for pictures with fans. Mark Pope was one of those fans.

Welcome back, @DickieV. pic.twitter.com/QqGAQWLsgN

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 22, 2025

Sign up for the KSR Newsletter to receive Kentucky Wildcats news in the most ridiculous manner possible.

Vitale on Kentucky and Calipari

If you didn’t know Vitale was on the broadcast, it probably took you a minute to figure out who was accompanying Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes. You can hear the same trademark Dickie V passion. It’s just coming from a much more hoarse voice.

Some of that passion was directed toward BBN. A big fan of John Calipari, he spent a few seconds on the broadcasting lamenting the boos his pal heard at Rupp Arena. In that same broadcast, he also said he doesn’t think John Calipari’s current team should be in the Big Dance. If you aren’t .500 in conference play, you can’t be in the tournament.

“You mentioned the fact about Arkansas,” Vitale said in the first half of Alabama vs. Kentucky. “I love John Calipari – he’s a close friend. He’s done a great job, where I thought at Kentucky, he did a tremendous job. Fifteen years, sometimes you wear yourself out a little bit and a change had to be made. However, being in the tournament right now – 4-9 in conference – you’d better start getting some wins [in] conference. You’d better get at least mediocre.

“I don’t care how tough the conference is. The tournament’s not to recognize mediocrity at best. I mean, come on. It’s about, you’re gonna … [put] teams in over teams [that are] 24-2. I mean, come on.”

As great as it was to see Vitale back in the saddle, Jimmy Dykes delivered the highlights of the ESPN broadcast.

“He said ‘No way’ to Oweh.”
“Up, up, and Oweh!”

That kind of word-play is why he gets paid the big bucks.