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Mark Pope and Kentucky Staff Talking With SEC, Performing “In-Depth Study” After Back-To-Back Questionably Officiated Games

After a debacle caused the officiating in Kentucky’s loss to Georgia, Mark Pope and his staff look to respond.

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1 year ago

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Mark Pope talking to an official during the Kentucky-Georgia game.
Chet White | UK Athletics

In the wake of Kentucky’s road loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, the latest in a recent flurry of questionable officiating extravaganzas, Mark Pope has announced that he and his staff are doing an in-depth study of the whistle in Kentucky’s first two SEC games.

“Based on our whistle in our first two SEC games, we’re doing an in-depth study right now,” Pope said on his weekly call-in show.

During both bouts, the former of which was at home against Florida, Kentucky is -30 in total free throw attempts compared to their opponents. In the Georgia game specifically, they were -19. These aren’t normal metrics, and Mark Pope knows it.

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A Learning Process

In addition to studying the footage, the staff have been in correspondence with the SEC in order to, according to Pope, “learn about the whistle.”

“We’re not interested in what the rules are, we’re interested in the rules that are being called,” he said. “We want to push the envelope as far as we can toward the rules that are being called more than just following the rules that are written.”

While there is sure to be much debate about the former statement regarding the officials’ ability to impact the outcome of a game, disgruntled fans and watchers alike have a new reason to hope for improvement with the whistle going forward.

Not only can officiating such as that in the Kentucky-Georgia game negatively affect a team, but it damages the experience for onlookers as well.

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The aforementioned match tipped off at 7:00 p.m., set to end by 9:00 and usher in LSU-Missouri, which was slated to jump right as the buzzer sounded on the former. But due to the prolonged nature of a game that is constantly stopped by whistles and monitor reviews, Kentucky-Georgia didn’t end until just after 9:30; a half-hour beyond the allotted time.

Even the broadcast team for LSU-Missouri recognized the madness, chanting “Foul on Kentucky!” when the channel finally switched over to their game. A true anomaly.

If that’s what it took for the issue to potentially be fixed in the long run, then so be it. The wait will not be long to see the aftermath of the situation either way, as Kentucky remains on the road against the Mississippi State Bulldogs this Saturday, Jan. 11.

Either way, Pope will never point to the officiating as a reason for a loss, rather citing that if Kentucky can control the variables they can control, they will win.

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“When we’re good, the whistle won’t determine wins or losses,” he said. “We will determine wins or losses. I always want my players to know that. At the end of the day, this game will never be taken out of our hands. We can find a way to win this game, regardless of how the whistle sounds.”

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Men's Basketball

Star Forward Milan Momcilovic Chooses Kentucky Over Louisville and Arizona

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1 day ago

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June 1, 2026

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Photo via AOL

The wait is over BBN!

Milan Momcilovic has officially announced that he will be playing his senior year of college basketball at Kentucky, suiting up in the blue and white for Mark Pope and the Wildcats!

The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 16.9 points per game in the 2025-26 season, leading the nation in 3-pointers made (136) and percentage from deep (48.7%).

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Momcilovic is mostly ranked as No. 2 in most portal rankings, but ESPN has the former Cyclone as the No. 1 overall player. With that being said, this technically serves as Pope’s first No. 1 transfer during his tenure at Kentucky.

Pulling his name out of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27, Kentucky was seemingly the favorite to land the wing during the entire sweepstakes due to positional need, scheme fit and money available to spend. He could even play another year with the Kentucky Wildcats if the “5-in-5” rule is passed and he forgoes the draft again.

Putting Pat Kelsey in a locker and outbidding him on a recruit is always great for morale, but this fills the much-needed star spot for next year’s roster. Pope and his staff have shaped the team with plenty of skilled players, but Momcilovic adds that extra layer of shooting and will serve as the go-to guy when a game may be on the line.

This will be the final player added to the 2026-27 team, with an insert at the starting small forward position in Momcilovic’s future. Pope and the Big Blue Nation have their guy, and soon enough, we’ll see the Pewaukee, Wisconsin native on Rupp Arena’s court.

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Men's Basketball

National Reporter Matt Norlander Chooses Kentucky as Landing Spot for Star Forward Milan Momcilovic

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6 days ago

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May 28, 2026

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Photo via Imagn Images

The Milan Momcilovic sweepstakes is underway, with multiple teams involved in the No. 2 overall transfer player’s recruitment. It is believed that Kentucky and Louisville are the top candidates after his decision to pull out from the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27.

Along with the in-state rivals, Arizona and St. John’s are both very well still in the mix, but the Red Storm are slowly falling out of contention after landing Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou.

On May 28, national reporter Matt Norlander cleared the air on CBS Sports’ Eye On College Basketball podcast, stating that he believes Kentucky will land Momcilovic by the end of the weekend or Monday.

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“My prediction right now is that Milan Momcilovic will go to Kentucky,” Norlander said. “My understanding is that decision is going to come in the next one, two, three days, four days max.”

He would go on to talk about the other top programs involved, stating why he thinks they will be working in an uphill battle in this bidding war.

“My forecast is that it’s Kentucky, but you know, we’ll see if Louisville can get in there,” he continued. “Arizona I don’t think has the money to contend, like I think Kentucky and Louisville just have more money to play with.”

For the worried members of the Big Blue Nation, this is certainly good news to be put out by one of the most trusted college basketball reporters at the national level.

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Going by this report and Adam Zagoria’s from NYT Sports, it shouldn’t be long until a commitment decision for Momcilovic is announced publicly.

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Men's Basketball

BREAKING: No. 2 Ranked Transfer Milan Momcilovic Removes Name From 2026 NBA Draft

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7 days ago

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May 27, 2026

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Kamil Krzaczynski | Imagn Images

Milan Momcilovic has officially removed his named from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to college for his senior season.

Kentucky leads in his recruitment, followed closely by St. John’s, Louisville and Arizona. A backdoor to Iowa State is also still open.

The No. 2 ranked transfer would be a huge addition to Kentucky’s 2026-27 roster if he committed, averaging 16.9 points per game on 50.6/48.7/87.8 shooting splits last year. Funny enough, in the current world of college athletics that we live in, Momcilovic was responsible for eliminating the Wildcats from the NCAA Tournament, dropping 20 points in the Round of 32.

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He would go on to lose to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 with Iowa State, so at least we know that there’s some inner-hatred for a long-standing rival if he ends up a Wildcat.

He made the most three-point shots in Division I basketball and is a versatile 6-foot-8 wing, which would fit perfectly into Mark Pope’s offensive system. He completed workouts with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves during the draft process.

Now, the bidding war for the top dog begins, with some of the most prestigious programs in the sport placing their bets on the star forward.

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