In the heat of the moment, it looked like a meltdown. In hindsight, it was the smartest play of the game.
When the officiating crew in Fayetteville decided to turn the game into a circus, handing out three technical fouls in 39 seconds, Kentucky was on the ropes. The crowd was deafening, the lead was gone, and the momentum was entirely with Arkansas.
Brandon Garrison had just picked up a well-deserved technical for barking at an opponent. Fine. But the next one on Mo Dioubate? That was atrocious. He flexed at a camera after a block. There wasn't an Arkansas player in the zip code.
Mo Dioubate really got a technical for yelling at the air.pic.twitter.com/5XQjABvuPV
— Cats Coverage (@Cats_Coverage) February 1, 2026
That is when Mark Pope decided he had seen enough. He didn't just complain; he got in veteran official Doug Shows' face and made sure he got T'd up. It was a calculated risk. And it changed everything.
'The gym felt good'
Pope wasn't apologizing for the chaos after the game. In fact, he doubled down on it. He viewed that sequence not as a lack of discipline, but as proof of life.
"I'd like us to have just a tiny bit more discipline," Pope admitted. "But what I love about that stretch is the guys' fight and determination... I felt like it was coming from exactly the right place in our team... We definitely have to be a little more disciplined, but I actually the gym felt good at that point. It felt like, man, these guys are here to fight... I wouldn't trade the heart of it for anything."
The Whistle Flipped
Pope's technical sent a message to his team: I am fighting for you. But more importantly, it sent a message to the referees: You are losing control of this game. The numbers prove it worked.
Before Mark Pope's Technical (First 26 minutes):
- Kentucky Free Throw Attempts: 7
After Mark Pope's Technical (Final 14 minutes):
- Kentucky Free Throw Attempts: 23
- Arkansas Fouls Called: 14 regular fouls + 1 Flagrant 1
The moment Pope took that technical with 14:11 to go, the officiating crew realized they had squeezed the game too tight against the visitors. Kentucky responded by becoming the aggressor, driving into the paint over and over again. The refs started rewarding that aggression. The announcers talked about it, drive it down there, and make the refs make the calls. Kentucky did.
Of course, some of it was Arkansas fouling at the end, but there is a clear difference there in the number of free throws.
Better to Cross the Line
The fight, the desire to win, sometimes you cross that line when you get right up to it. But it's better than not meeting it at all. You can deal with a technical on occassion if means not getting down by 20 every first half.
On Tuesday against Vanderbilt, Kentucky never came close to the line. They were passive. On Saturday, they sprinted across it.
Mark Pope's technical cost his team two points in the moment. But it bought them 23 free throws and a road win in the end. That is a trade you make every single time.