Tensions flared briefly during Kentucky Basketball’s road matchup at Tennessee, but head coach Mark Pope made sure it never crossed the line.
After the game, cameras caught Kentucky guard Otega Oweh exchanging
words with Tennessee forward Jaylen. What started as trash talk quickly escalated when Carey gave Oweh a shove. Brandon Garrison immediately stepped in to have Oweh’s back.
Before anything could spiral, Pope sprinted from the sideline straight into the middle of it.
Grabbing the jerseys of both Oweh and Garrison, Pope physically pulled them away from the confrontation, making it clear that Kentucky wasn’t going to get dragged into unnecessary trouble. Officials quickly intervened as well, and the situation was defused with the only real contact being Carey’s shove.
Since the game was over, the officials could not call any technical fouls or ejections, and it was just a moment of emotion in one of the SEC’s most heated rivalries.
Oweh has become one of Kentucky’s emotional leaders, playing with fire and confidence, especially in big road environments. Garrison, meanwhile, showed the kind of teammate mentality every coach wants by being ready to defend his guy without hesitation.
But Pope’s response mattered most. In a loud, hostile building, one extra shove or one negative reaction could have resulted in the SEC office reviewing the incident, leading to potential suspensions.
Instead, Pope made sure his team stayed focused on getting off the court.
Kentucky went on to win the game against Tennessee, 80-78, in another game that Kentucky had to come back to win. After looking dead in the water three games ago, there’s now reason for hope within the Big Blue Nation.
