The Wildcats closed out their 2024-25 regular-season home slate with a stellar 15-3 record, a testament to the relentless energy of their fans and the unique culture fostered by first-year head coach Mark Pope. But beyond the stats, the night crystallized what makes Kentucky basketball more than just a game—it’s a family, a legacy, and a proving ground where even the unlikeliest heroes etch their names into lore.
Pope, reflecting on the season and the Senior Night triumph, couldn’t help but spotlight an unsung figure who embodies the spirit of BBN: Zach Tow, a walk-on whose journey mirrors the grit and heart of this storied program. “Well, listen, BBN is incredible,” Pope said postgame, his voice brimming with pride. “And I think, you know, it was a special night. A name that most people don’t know is Zach Tow. Zach Tow actually came to walk-on tryouts and we randomly held walk-on tryouts and he showed up and he fought through 60 guys in a bunch of workouts and then earned the right to come to practice and be on a one-day contract throughout the entire course of the season.”
Tow’s story is the kind of tale that resonates deeply in Lexington. A 6-foot-5 junior from Madisonville, Kentucky, he wasn’t handed a roster spot—he clawed for it. Out of 60 hopefuls at an open tryout last August, Tow emerged, not with fanfare, but with quiet determination. For months, he operated on what Pope called a “one-day contract,” showing up daily to battle in practice without a jersey, without a guarantee, without complaint. “He came and battled every single day, never said a word, never missed a rep, never missed a practice, never was an issue, never asked for anything,” Pope marveled. “Just came and fought every single day.”
That fight paid off in a moment that electrified Rupp Arena and captured the essence of BBN’s embrace. “One of the highlights of the night,” Pope continued, “was, you know, I had some of the guys come to me, in fact, Lamont Butler came to me about a month ago and said I think Zach deserves a jersey, he had not got a jersey all year, he was on a one-day contract.” Butler, a fifth-year guard and a leader on this Kentucky squad, took it upon himself to right that wrong. In the pregame locker room, with the team gathered, Butler delivered the speech—and a jersey—to Tow. “The guys lost their mind,” Pope recounted. “Zach was in stunned wonderment.”
With 0.2 seconds left in the blowout, Tow stepped onto the court for his Kentucky debut, donning the #20 jersey that Butler had gifted him. The crowd erupted, not just for the win, but for the kid from Madisonville who’d earned his stripes the hard way. It was a fleeting moment—barely a blink—but as Pope put it, “If you spend one day in this jersey and BBN embraces you for life. And that’s really cool. It’s like nowhere else. This basketball community of BBN is like nothing else.”
That sense of belonging, of lifelong loyalty, is the backbone of Kentucky’s 15-3 home record this season. Under Pope’s stewardship, Rupp Arena has remained a fortress, with the Wildcats dropping only three games. Yet, even in defeat, BBN’s passion fueled the team all year long. Pope has leaned into that energy, stripping away the NBA-centric trappings of the Calipari era and doubling down on what it means to wear Kentucky blue. He’s kept the championship banners up, brought back legends like Rick Pitino for Big Blue Madness, and reminded his players they’re playing for something bigger than themselves.
The Zach Tow moment wasn’t just a feel-good footnote—it was a microcosm of Pope’s vision. This team, with stars like Otega Oweh (24 points vs. LSU) and Brandon Garrison (15 points), thrives on talent, but it’s the culture of effort and unity that’s carried them to 15 home wins. “It was fun to hear our guys talk about our seniors, our extinguished eligibility guys talk about it because they got a huge dose of it in just a short time,” Pope said. Players like Lamont Butler, who orchestrated Tow’s jersey moment, exemplify that brotherhood. It’s a squad that fights for each other—and for BBN.