Mark Pope’s first full offseason as Kentucky’s head coach was never going to be quiet—but now it’s getting loud, thanks to rival fans turning a minor recruiting miss into a full-blown meme war.
After Lamar Wilkerson committed to Indiana over Kentucky, fans from Indiana, Louisville, and even Arkansas pounced on the opportunity to take a shot at the Wildcats’ head man.
🐦 Barstool banter & rival roast sessions
It started with BarstoolIU posting a photo of Pope and Wilkerson at Keeneland, with the caption:
"Did all this and didn’t even get to see inside Rupp Arena."
Then came the GIFs, the memes, and the "Pope whiffed again" jokes.
One user wrote:
“Mark Pope got lockered AGAIN, by DARIAN DEVRIES”
And an Arkansas fan chimed in:
“Pope massive whiff—Nick Pringle, Malique Ewin, what a day.”
To be fair, Wilkerson’s comment that he “didn’t want to go to Kentucky and just be another guy” only added fuel to the fire.
🧠 Let’s zoom out to get some transfer portal perspective
It’s easy to get caught in the comment section chaos, but step back for a moment.
Mark Pope has a top 5 transfer portal class. That’s not fan spin—that’s fact, whether you look at 247Sports, On3, or EvanMiya’s valuation metrics.
He’s landed:
A proven point guard
Versatile wings
Frontcourt depth
And retained key pieces with NCAA Tournament experience
Add in a two-man high school class (with Braydon Hawthorne on campus potentially making it three), and you have a balanced roster built for both now and next.
🔥 They better get their shots in now
Let’s be real: this is what happens when Kentucky hires someone other fanbases think they can clown. But the laughs will fade when the ball tips in November just like it did last year.
If Pope’s portal class gels the way many expect—and players like Jaland Lowe, Kam Williams, and Andrija Jelavic make the leap—those memes might not age well.
So yeah, let the jokes fly. Let Barstool have its Keeneland post. Let Indiana, Arkansas, and Louisville enjoy the offseason W’s.
Because when it comes to the regular season, Mark Pope and Kentucky might be the ones getting the last word—and the last laugh—AGAIN.