Sometimes, coaches and players can get a little bit too emotional, especially after a very close loss. This happened with Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope who had some very colorful words about the officiating after their 74-75 loss to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday. This eventually led him to be punished by the SEC as he took a not-so-subtle jab at officials as if questioning if they had made the right calls during the game.
“We’re not allowed to talk about the referees, but you guys saw it,” he said. “I think sometimes it’s just super personal. I’m not allowed to comment on the referees. I won’t comment on the referees. It’s just unfortunate. It didn’t cost us the game. We’re in control of the game. We’ll find ways to go win.”
After the tirade, the SEC then moved to fine Pope $25,000, citing the coach’s “post-game conduct and comments related to officiating.”
However, Pope saw this one coming as he was reportedly caught telling Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart that he does not care if he gets fined.
“If those (expletives) try to fine me, screw ’em, because I did not say a word about how they cheated us,” Mark Pope told his AD.
After that one-point loss to the Tigers, Mark Pope’s squad has now lost its third game in a row. They now also drop to 17-10 as their chances of reaching the National Championship Tournament or March Madness dwindles even more.
What Led To Mark Pope Going On Controversial Rant After Loss To Auburn?
As for what set Mark Pope off during the postgame, it was actually a controversial call by the referees late in the game, leading to a tip-in layup with one second left in the clock. At that time, Kentucky had been fighting back a late rally by Auburn and their lead had dwindled to just one with a few seconds left.
With just 14 seconds remaining on the clock, the Wildcats were about to inbound the ball to extend their lead and possibly win the game. However, this was when the referees called Collin Chandler for a “push-off,” which gave possession to the Tigers instead, leading to that game-winning tip-in.
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