One of Mark Pope’s former players has special role for Louisville’s NCAA Tournament hopes
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Tracking NCAA games in Rupp Arena
Click below to view more coverage from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com about the men’s NCAA Tournament games March 20 and 22 in Rupp Arena.
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After almost a full season watching Amari Williams star for Kentucky basketball, Wildcats fans need no reminder of the importance of the center in Mark Pope’s offensive scheme.
But for a brief period after Pope was hired at Kentucky last spring, speculation centered on one of his former BYU players as the possible pick for that role. Instead, Pope signed Williams as a transfer from Drexel and Brandon Garrison as a transfer from Oklahoma State to be his backup.
Meanwhile BYU center Aly Khalifa landed at Louisville, Kentucky’s archrival.
“It was chaos, because we never expected Coach Pope to leave, and I played there for only one year,” Khalifa said Wednesday during Louisville’s pre-NCAA Tournament interview session at Rupp Arena. “I wanted to play for BYU again. … Of course, when I entered the portal, (Pope) called me, but he was really busy with the press conference and everything here in Kentucky.
“Coach (Pat) Kelsey reached out, and we just connected right away. And I committed on my visit the week after.”
Louisville fans are still waiting for their first glimpse of Khalifa. Medical exams during his visit to Louisville revealed he needed knee surgery that would keep him out for the entire 2024-25 season.
In recent weeks Khalifa has returned to the practice court as part of Louisville’s scout team, but he will not play in the NCAA Tournament. After redshirting this season, Khalifa hopes to fill a featured role for the Cardinals next year.
“Aly Khalifa is an extension of the coaching staff,” Kelsey said Wednesday. “He has one of the brightest basketball minds that I’ve coached. He has such a wonderful heart and gives of himself every day to help the players that aren’t redshirting.”
Kahlifa’s relationship with Louisville sophomore forward James Scott has been particularly beneficial to the Cardinals, Kelsey said. Scott’s singular focus on basketball – Kelsey joked he wished Scott would find a few more hobbies outside of the sports – has found a willing source of information in Khalifa.
The two discuss the finer points of post play, passing and schematics.
“Aly Khalifa is one of the best passers in the world,” Kelsey sad. “He is a remarkable passer. Sometimes I get a little bit worried it hurts our guys’ confidence because he’s picking us apart (on scout team) with back cuts and things like that.”
That passing prowess will be familiar to Kentucky fans who have watched Williams thrive in his one season as a Wildcat. It would be difficult to disagree with Pope’s decision to prioritize Williams in the transfer portal, especially after Khalifa was sidelined for the season, but there is a reason Khalifa was so important to Pope’s BYU success despite averaging 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-11 center also averaged four assists per game.
Now, Khalifa finds himself in an unusual position.
While he has yet to play against Kentucky, he and Louisville teammate Noah Waterman, who also played for Pope at BYU, might be the most informed about the next phase of the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry.
“It’s not that different,” Khalifa said when asked to compare Pope’s and Kelsey’s coaching styles. “They both bring energy. They both embrace that rivalry as well, which is really cool as a first year.
“...Coach Kelsey just has a lot, a lot of passion and energy. Of course, Coach Pope has it as well. He doesn’t show it as much.”
Pope shared a moment with Khalifa when Kentucky beat Louisville in December, asking about his family and wishing him well on his new team. Khalifa also heard from Pope’s wife, Lee Ann, that day.
The bond he shares with Pope is going nowhere, Khalifa said, but he knows the dynamic has changed.
“All love for Coach Pope and the staff and all the guys that I know there, but, ‘Go Cards,’ at the end of the day,” he said. “And now, let’s see them next year.”
Thursday
Louisville vs. Creighton
What: NCAA Tournament South Regional round-of-64 game
When: 12:15 p.m. EDT
Where: Rupp Arena
TV: CBS
Records: Louisville 27-7, Creighton 24-10
Seeds: Louisville No. 8, Creighton No. 9
Series: Creighton leads 2-1
Last meeting: Creighton won 62-58 on March 11, 1999, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament South Regional at Orlando, Florida
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
