It was the home finale for Kentucky basketball, Rupp Arena closing up shop for the Wildcats after an 18-game schedule that saw 15 wins — the most in the last three seasons. Louisville was the first big one in Lexington, followed by Florida, Texas A&M and Tennessee among the high-profile victories. Then you factor in the celebration behind Mark Pope’s first with a convenient 41-point margin of victory vs. Wright State in the opener, matching his jersey number from his playing days in blue and white. Fans enjoyed that in-state win vs. Western Kentucky to claim the BBN Invitational title back in November, too.
Whether it was Bucknell or Jackson State or South Carolina or Vanderbilt, Pope found himself celebrating with fans, signing autographs and taking pictures after every game. He did it after road games, too, but he went out of his way to stick around as long as possible for those going out of their way to buy tickets and spend the day watching his team.
And if he didn’t have time to hang out with the fans personally, he bought them ice cream.
Pope continued that streak on Tuesday following the Wildcats’ blowout victory over LSU on Senior Night, celebrating one last home win in his debut season with Big Blue Nation.
Among the fans? This one in a wheelchair, who shared a picture with Pope highlighting a special moment between the two a few weeks back.
The UK head coach’s response? “This picture is fantastic, you’re a lot more handsome than I am. I’m not going to lie to you.”
