On Tuesday, while the Wildcats managed a narrow victory over Tennessee, there lingered one notable issue. The post Mark Pope’s Misery Sees No End as National Reporter Uncovers “Unsettling” Roster Issue appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Pope took over after John Calipari left for Arkansas in a stunning turn of events. However, Pope wasted no time winning over the fanbase, especially since he is a former Kencutky basketball player. Moreover, moves such as this one only helped Pope's case more, and fans were excited to see the fan interaction with the Wildcats coach.

Mark Pope's Kentucky team made the trip to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in a game no one thought the shorthanded Wildcats would win. Despite t

There’s more at stake in Tuesday night’s Kentucky-Tennessee basketball game than simply a win against an SEC rival.

The coaching contract details for Mark Pope at Kentucky and John Calipari at Arkansas ahead of Saturday’s SEC basketball showdown in Rupp Arena.

Kentucky's Ansley Almonor and Koby Brea, forced into the starting lineup because of key injuries, helped lead the Cats past host Tennessee on Tuesday.

Contrast that success with Calipari’s first Arkansas team, which needed six tries to notch its first SEC win of the year, and Kentucky fans figure to have plenty of ammunition Saturday. The Razorbacks are just 12-8 overall, and their 1-6 start to SEC play has them looking like a long shot for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Ignore the hype. Ignore the noise. Ignore the circus that is sure to surround the return of John Vincent Calipari, who in a 15-year run as the UK coach took the Wildcats to four Final Fours and a national championship before his Big Blue express ran out of steam.

The No. 8 Vols (17-4, 4-4 SEC) lost 78-73 to No. 12 Kentucky (15-5, 4-3), shooting a season-high 45 3-pointers and making only 11. Tennessee did not attempt a two-point field goal in the final 4:40 and went 2-for-13 on 3-pointers in the stretch.

Vols senior point guard Zakai Zeigler, who injured his right knee late in the first half, returned to action and scored 13 points but was only 1-of-10 from 3-point range. Igor Milicic led Tennessee with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Lanier had 15 points and was 3-of-10 on 3-point tries.

Calipari returns to Kentucky for the first time Saturday when the Wildcats host Arkansas. The Razorbacks (12-8, 1-6) have this week off but No. 12 Kentucky (14-5, 3-3) has a huge game tonight at No. 8 Tennessee (17-3, 4-3).