KSR Today: Mark Pope previews Arkansas, Kentucky WBB hosts No. 22 Alabama

Good morning, folks! We’re in for a busy day in the world of Kentucky basketball.

First, we’ll hear from men’s head coach Mark Pope this afternoon as he prepares for Saturday’s highly-anticipated showdown against John Calipari‘s Arkansas Razorbacks. College Gameday might not be making the trip to Lexington, but all eyes will be on Rupp Arena for Cal’s return.

Pope gave us a small taste of what’s in store when he appeared on his weekly radio show last night. Fans will have to decide for themselves whether to cheer or boo Calipari, but Pope knows it will be a special and emotional night regardless of what happens.

“As time goes on and circumstances change, there’s gonna be a time when Cal walks back into this arena and he is gonna feel all of the love that BBN possibly has to offer, because that’s what we do with our family,” Pope said. “We’ll see Saturday. Saturday is gonna be — it’s also a competition, right? It’s just going to be what it is, but I have a ton of love for Cal and I’m grateful for what he did here at Kentucky. I’m grateful that I get to be here and enjoy some of the fruits of his incredible labors here.”

Calipari has already talked this week about likely being booed when he returns to Rupp. He says the returning players (DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivisic) expect to get booed too, but I don’t see that actually happening. He tapped into a classic Cal-ism when asked about coming back to Lexington, too.

“My guess is I’m gonna get booed. But that’s all part of it. You get booed,” Calipari said. “I’ve done this so long, I tell you, I got bazooka-holes in my body, so when you shoot arrows, it doesn’t even hit skin. It just goes through one of those bazooka holes.”

Saturday is going to be… very interesting. The excitement will be uncontainable, especially with the late-night tipoff, but it’s going to be a tense atmosphere, as well. Both Pope and Calipari will talk with their respective local media later today. As always, we’ll have everything they have to say on the website as soon as possible, starting with any injury updates on Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr.

Let’s dive into the rest of this morning’s news and notes.

Kentucky WBB hosts No. 22 Alabama

We’ve got a big one tonight in Memorial Coliseum. No. 12 Kentucky women’s basketball will host No. 22 Alabama in a significant SEC opportunity for the Wildcats. Kenny Brooks has his team off to a 6-1 start in league play, but they’ve faced only one ranked opponent during that stretch. The Alabama matchup kicks off a run of Kentucky taking on six ranked teams over the course of the final nine regular season games. This is a big one for the resume.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST on the SEC Network. If you’re going to be in attendance tonight, UK is asking all fans to wear white. I’ll be there for my first game of the season. Let’s have some fun cheering on the ‘Cats.

We’ll have a full preview of this matchup on the website this morning. If you can’t wait, listen to the latest episode of Memorial Memo with Phoenix Stevens and Katie Hutchison for their thoughts on the Crimson Tide.

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Trent Noah = Mountain Mamba?

That’s the latest trend the Big Blue Nation is trying to make a thing. One KSBoard member suggested the nickname Mountain Mamba for Trent Noah during the Tennessee win and it’s stuck ever since. Noah hit a couple of huge shots on the road against the Volunteers in key moments for the Wildcats. It’s a fitting nickname for the freshman from eastern Kentucky.

Mark Pope loves it, too — it looks like it’s here to stay.

“I heard this today for the first time,” Pope said last night. “Is this Mountain Mamba a real thing? I love it, Mountain Mamba. I just heard that today, and I was like, this is fantastic!”

New Sources Say in your feed (and the rest of the week)

If you love the Sources Say podcast, you’re going to love the schedule for the rest of this week. Jack Pilgrim dropped a new episode with Steven Peak last night on the KSR YouTube channel. We’ll have new shows every single day through Sunday. Tonight, you’ll be treated to guest appearances from Kentucky signee Jasper Johnson and his father Dennis. Friday night will be an Arkansas preview. If you’re in Lexington on Saturday, come to KSBar for a live Sources Say around 1:00 p.m. EST.

Check out last night’s episode as the guys recap Tuesday’s win over No. 8 Tennessee. We’re in for a fun next few days.

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Pitino is all-in on the new UK-UL rivalry

Rick Pitino is trying to get back into the BBN’s good graces now that Pope is in charge of Kentucky MBB. He’s done a good job of it so far. But it looks like he’s trying to do the same with the Louisville fans, who might be tougher to win over at this stage. Pat Kelsey has the Cardinals cooking though. When both programs are good, the entire state benefits.

“The rivalry with UK and Louisville will be awesome for years to come,” Pitino posted on social media yesterday. “Two great young coaches with Pat Kelsey and our captain Mark Pope.”

Wouldn’t it be funny if Pitino was the “Y” at Saturday’s game?

The rivalry with UK and Louisville will be awesome for years to come. Two great young coaches with Pat Kelsey and our captain Mark Pope.

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) January 29, 2025