Mark Pope’s rivalry test: In 2025-26, UK will face new hurdles vs. top rivals
As Kentucky men’s basketball coach, one of Mark Pope’s foremost “assignments” each year is to win more than UK’s share of its games against the teams that the Big Blue Nation most yearns to beat.
Last season, in Pope’s debut as UK coach, the Wildcats went 5-2 in “rivalry games.”
Alas, Pope’s success vs. rivals in 2024-25 was somewhat tempered by the reality that both of the defeats in such contests were unusually consequential.
In a game that had transcendent meaning to the Big Blue Nation, Kentucky took an 89-79 whipping from Arkansas on Feb. 1 in ex-UK coach John Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena
Subsequently, in the most significant men’s hoops contest Kentucky has ever played against its ancient rival Tennessee, the Wildcats received a 78-65 thrashing from the Volunteers in the NCAA Tournament round of 16.
For 2025-26, four of the eight games UK is scheduled to play vs. its biggest rivals will be on the opponents’ home court. That alone will make it a major challenge for the Wildcats to replicate last season’s 71.4 winning percentage in rivalry games.
As Pope prepares to enter his second season, this is the status of Kentucky’s eight primary men’s basketball rivalries:
Arkansas
Kentucky’s all-time record vs. Arkansas: 36-15.
Cats record vs. the Hogs over the past five seasons: 3-4.
Mark Pope last season vs. Arkansas: Lost 89-79 in Lexington.
Arkansas coach John Calipari’s all-time mark vs. Kentucky: 3-4.
The skinny for 2025-26: The teams will play in Fayetteville on a yet-to-be-announced date. Last season at Rupp Arena, players with ties to UK that Calipari took with him to Arkansas killed the Wildcats.
Ex-Cats Adou Thiero (21 points, eight rebounds), D.J. Wagner (17 points, eight assists) and Zvonimir Ivisic (14 points, four boards) thrived in their old Kentucky home. Former UK signees Karter Knox (10 points, four rebounds) and Billy Richmond (four points, two boards) made significant contributions.
Thiero (36th pick in NBA draft and now with the Los Angeles Lakers) and Ivisic (transferred to Illinois) will not be part of this season’s rematch, but the Cats will again face Wagner, Knox and Richmond.
Duke
Kentucky’s all-time record vs. Duke: 13-11.
Cats record vs. the Blue Devils over the past five seasons: 1-1.
Mark Pope last season vs. Duke: Won 77-72 in the Champions Classic in Atlanta.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer’s all-time mark vs. Kentucky: 0-1.
The skinny for 2025-26: Behind late-game heroics from Andrew Carr and Otega Oweh, No. 19 UK rallied to upset No. 6 Duke last season, giving Pope his first signature victory as Kentucky head man.
For there to be a rematch in this coming season, it will have to be in the NCAA Tournament. The Cats and the Dookies are not otherwise slated to meet in 2025-26.
Florida
Kentucky’s all-time record vs. Florida: 111-42.
Cats record vs. Gators over the past five seasons: 7-2.
Mark Pope last season vs. Florida: Won 106-100 at Rupp Arena.
Florida coach Todd Golden’s all-time mark vs. Kentucky: 1-4.
The skinny for 2025-26: The Southeastern Conference has already announced that defending NCAA champion Florida and traditional SEC kingpin Kentucky will play home-and-home next season.
It will be fascinating to see what reaction Denzel Aberdeen, who transferred to UK after playing a key reserve role during UF’s NCAA title drive, will receive in Gainesville.
Indiana
Kentucky’s all-time record vs. Indiana: 32-25.
Cats record vs. the Hoosiers over the past five seasons: 0-0.
Mark Pope last season vs. Indiana: Did not play.
Indiana coach Darian DeVries’ all-time mark vs. Kentucky: 0-0.
The skinny for 2025-26: On Dec. 13 at Rupp Arena, for the first time since Tom Crean and IU bounced John Calipari and UK from the 2016 NCAA Tournament with a 73-67 win in the round of 32, the Hoosiers and the Wildcats will meet.
It will be fascinating to see what reaction Lamar Wilkerson, the transfer guard from Sam Houston State who spurned UK in favor of IU during last spring’s portal recruiting period, will receive at Rupp.
Kansas
Kentucky’s all-time record vs. Kansas: 24-12.
Cats record vs. KU over the past five seasons: 1-3.
Mark Pope last season vs. Kansas: Did not play.
Kansas coach Bill Self’s all-time mark vs. Kentucky: 9-6.
The skinny for 2025-26: Absent a UK-KU meeting in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Pope will get his first shot against the Jayhawks as UK head man in the 2026-27 Champions Classic.
Louisville
Kentucky’s all-time record vs. Louisville: 40-17.
Cats record vs. U of L over the past five seasons: 3-1.
Mark Pope last season vs. Louisville: Won 93-85 at Rupp Arena.
Louisville coach Pat Kelsey’s all-time mark vs. Kentucky: 0-2.
The skinny for 2025-26: The teams are slated to play Nov. 11 at the KFC Yum Center.
If U of L, which has lost 14 of its past 17 games vs. UK, is ever going to make the intrastate rivalry competitive, it has to start consistently winning its home games vs. the Wildcats.
Pope’s job, obviously, is to keep that from happening.
North Carolina
Kentucky’s all-time record vs. North Carolina: 18-25.
Cats record vs. UNC over the past five seasons: 2-1.
Mark Pope last season vs. North Carolina: Did not play.
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis’ all-time mark vs. Kentucky: 0-2.
The skinny for 2025-26: The Wildcats and Tar Heels will face off at Rupp Arena on Dec. 2 in the ACC/SEC Challenge. It will be the first meeting at Rupp between the two men’s hoops blue bloods since Dec. 13, 2014, an 84-70 UK victory.
It will be fascinating to see what reaction North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson, who rebuffed UK for UNC in recruiting, will receive in Lexington.
Tennessee
Kentucky’s all-time record vs. Tennessee: 163-79.
Cats record vs. the Vols over the past five seasons: 7-5.
Mark Pope last season vs. Tennessee: Won 78-73 in Knoxville; won 75-64 at Rupp Arena; lost 78-65 in NCAA Tournament round of 16 in Indianapolis.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes’ all-time mark vs. Kentucky: 13-14.
The skinny for 2025-26: The border rivals will again play home-and-home in 2025-26.
At age 70, Barnes needs five more wins against Kentucky to tie former LSU head man Dale Brown (18-33 vs. UK) for the most victories by an opposing head coach against the Wildcats.
Pope’s job, obviously, is to keep that from happening.
