Mark Pope left BYU 10 months ago to return to his alma mater Kentucky, where he plied his craft at the direction of legendary coach Rick Pitino. Now, as head coach roaming the sidelines of Rupp Arena, that leap of faith is paying off big time.

Kentucky basketball fans are ball-knowers. We can be honest with one another about our Wildcats without getting out the torches and pitchforks, so please, keep your lighters far away from your torches when I state the following.

Predictions, picks and odds as No. 8 Tennessee basketball faces No. 12 Kentucky. Plus, injury updates and the latest news

Kentucky point guard Lamont Butler dribbled stealthily along the baseline before turning on a dime back toward the basket, attempting to muster a decent look late in the shot clock. With the No. 9 Wildcats nursing a four-point lead at Vanderbilt and under eight minutes remaining,

After defeating No. 14 Mississippi State and losing at No. 1 Auburn last week, the Volunteers are taxed this week with home games against No. 12 Kentucky and No. 5 Florida. Tennessee is No. 8 in the latest Associated Press poll, dropping two spots after Saturday night's 53-51 setback against Bruce Pearl's Tigers.

Ben Rothwell's power was on full display Saturday in Philadelphia when he claimed BKFC heavyweight gold. In the BKFC KnuckleMania 5 co-main event, Rothwell (4-0) clobbered champion Mick Terrill (8-2-1) with a big right hand that ended the fight at 0:36 of Round…

On a two-game losing streak, Kentucky faces a road trip to Tennessee and then John Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena.

Kentucky was upset by Vanderbilt on the road Saturday in a game where they just let it slip right out of their hands. Coming back from a 14-point hole at halftime, the Wildcats eventually took the lead thanks to a run,

Unlike Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr was unable to take the floor against the Commodores on Saturday afternoon. A back injury prevented the fifth year senior from practicing for multiple weeks, and on Saturday, Pope made the decision to keep him out for the game.

Pope's Wildcats have enjoyed a fast start this season. His success has reached a point where media pundits like ESPN's Jay Williams deemed him the favorite to earn national Coach of the Year honors. However, Kentucky's latest loss to Vanderbilt has effectively crushed the dream, and even the fans know it.

On Saturday afternoon — and fresh from a week off from games — No. 9 UK fell 74-69 at Vanderbilt. The Wildcats battled back from a 14-point halftime deficit to take a seven-point lead with 8:39 to play, but head coach Mark Pope’s team faltered down the stretch.

Kentucky's Mark Pope started his coaching career at Rupp Arena with 11 straight wins. How does that start compare to other first-year UK coaches?