Mark Pope says Pat Kelsey fight 'was really a big nothing' -- but 'it should spill over sometimes'

Pat Kelsey joked that he dreamed he was at a UFC fight with Dana White in attendance, surprised to find out he was in the headliner with none other than Mark Pope, a battle of the in-state rivals. It was a play on the two getting into it outside Tay Kinney‘s apartment in Atlanta to open the in-person recruiting period, something the Louisville coach somewhat confirmed to be true — despite neither school actually landing the eventual Kansas pledge.

“Some of you may see stuff on social media, things like that,” Kelsey said. “Heck, man, that dude’s a competitor. I’m a competitor. He’s the head coach at one of the best programs in the country. So am I. We compete on the court, we compete in recruiting. We go at it.

“But you know what? There is honor among thieves. We really respect each other. I think Mark Pope is one of the finest human beings in coaching, a world-class father, a world-class husband — and I still want to tear his face off when we play in November.”

Pope hadn’t gotten his chance to address the brouhaha quite yet, but that changed at Kentucky Media Day where he unofficially tipped off his second season as head coach. When the topic was inevitably brought up, he started off wanting to joke about the back-and-forth while also making it clear the fight was blown way out of proportion.

But of what was true, it was all out of good old-fashioned rivalry love. When Kentucky’s top competition improves, it brings the best out of him as a coach — which is how it should be, right? He compared Louisville’s situation to Indiana’s and North Carolina’s, among others.

“I want so badly to have fun with this, guys. I just don’t — I’m not sure what direction to go with it. I do know. I do know, because all of it — I’m just gonna make all of it up,” Pope said. “It was really a big nothing, but I want it to be something. I can’t decide if I should make up a story or not. It’s just, listen — the beauty of this deal is the rivalries, right?

“I’ve said this a lot: I think Indiana is going to be way better, I think Louisville is getting way better, you know? I think our in-state rivals, our in-conference rivals continue to get way better. I love every second of it, it’s how it’s supposed to be. This game is great. North Carolina is going to be better this year, and they roll into Rupp (Arena).”

When competition increases, things can get heated every once in a while because both sides are desperate to represent their fan bases well. Pope and Kelsey have their whole hearts in this rivalry, and for the first time, that bled over into some extracurriculars.

That doesn’t mean it’s ever personal — he obviously has a ton of respect for the second-year Louisville coach. But it’s his job to win at all costs.

If that doesn’t lead to some passionate dust-ups, they’re not trying hard enough.

“I love when the competition is elite-level, and that’s what happens. It gets really fun and salty and competitive,” Pope continued. “I also am grateful for these incredible coaches. We’re at a fun time right now where there are great coaches that are putting their whole heart and soul into this project, and sometimes that could spill over — and it should spill over sometimes. If it never spills over, that means you’re not in it fully, fully in it with your whole heart and soul.

“If you’re fully in it, then sometimes you step out of bounds. That’s fun for fans, it’s fun for coaches and it’s fun for everybody.”

November 11. KFC Yum! Center. Pope vs. Kelsey Round 2 — or three, if we want to count their chippiness in Atlanta as the second battle.

That’s certainly a headliner on the main card of the nonconference schedule for all college basketball enjoyers.