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Who's in the house tonight: Layla Pope, Dwane Casey, and Pei Pei

Drew Franklinby:Drew Franklin•about 9 hours•

DrewFranklinKSR

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It was another star-studded night in Rupp Arena for Kentucky’s win over fifth-ranked Tennessee. A couple of high-profile recruits, Nate Ament and UK commit Malachi Moreno, took in the action from courtside. There was also a large turnout from college basketball’s national media, including a live Field of 68 from Rupp after the game. However, three other names headline this round of Who’s In The House Tonight.

Layla Pope joined UK Dance

UK Dance Team brought out a special guest for its performance. Layla Pope, Mark’s daughter, appeared in the middle of UK’s routine, wearing her dad’s No. 41 Kentucky jersey. Layla is a professional dancer for the Utah Jazz but volunteered her talents to Kentucky for the night before she heads back to Salt Lake City.

[Mark Pope’s daughter Layla performed with the Kentucky Dance Team in Her Dad’s Jersey]

Welcome home, Dwane Casey

“The Y” at the Kentucky-Tennessee game was none other than Dwane Casey, a member of Kentucky’s 1978 national championship team and the 2018 NBA Coach of the Year with the Toronto Raptors. Casey, from Union County, Kentucky, picked a great game for his long-awaited return to Rupp Arena. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame.

Welcome home, Dwane!

Pei Pei the foot juggler

An unexpected star of the night was the halftime performer, Pei Pei the foot juggler, in her Rupp Arena debut. Rather than trying to describe her greatness, go ahead and watch her foot juggling for yourself.

More photos from the game

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2025-02-11