The 2025-26 season was a roller coaster in Mark Pope’s second year at Kentucky. The Wildcats went 22-14 and saw their season come to a close in the second round of the NCAA Tournament after losing to Iowa State. Despite the ups and downs, one of the highlights of Kentucky’s season came before the start of SEC play when it faced St. John’s in the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta
While on the surface, St. John’s against Kentucky seemed like a typical nonconference game, it held deep meaning to both sides. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino (1989-97) previously coached at Kentucky. The highlight of his tenure came in 1996, when he coached the Wildcats to the national title while Pope was a player for the Wildcats.
In an exclusive interview with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on Inside College Basketball Now, Pope opened up about the contest vs. the Red Storm, which resulted in a 78-66 win.
“At Kentucky, we are never short for drama,” Pope said. “There’s always massive buildup for every game. … very much of a side story, it was special for me to compete against coach (Pitino) and do it as the head coach here at the University of Kentucky and most importantly, coming away with a win.”
Pitino returned to Rupp Arena in October 2024 — just months after his former player was hired as Kentucky’s coach — as part of the program’s Big Blue Madness. The last time Pitino coached inside Rupp Arena was in 2015, when he was the coach at Louisville.
“Coach did so much for Kentucky,” Pope said. “And if there’s anything that Kentucky does, it’s celebrate the people that have been part of this program and contributed. And he contributed so much. His run here was legendary. It was easy. It was trying. There was a lot of pressure. A lot of setbacks, but ultimately, he got the job done. He will forever be cherished and loved by the Kentucky faithful.”
Kentucky isn’t scheduled to face St. John’s during the 2026-27 season, but a home-and-home with St. John’s — which would allow Pitino to return to Rupp Arena — could be in the works in the future. Pope was receptive to the idea when asked about the potential matchup.
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“We are not there now, but if we keep working this way, scheduling-wise (and) getting more flexibility, then I can’t imagine that that won’t happen,” Pope said. “I would expect we get that done sometime in the near future.”
Since taking over St. John’s in 2023, Pitino has elevated the program back to national relevance. The Red Storm have won back-to-back Big East Tournaments titles under his watch and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 after a dramatic win over Kansas in the second round.
“St. John’s (games) were a fixture in my childhood,” Pope said. “Coach Pitino just got the juice of New York running through his veins. It’s a match made in heaven. I’m so happy for him. I’m happy for New York and St. John’s that they get to enjoy this time together. I still think he has a ton left in the tank and I think they’ll continue to be really good.”
