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Kentucky Shielded Basketball Players From Media After Being Mocked By Kansas

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Kentucky was embarrassed by Kansas in the State Farm Champions Classic.


The Kentucky basketball team was blown out by Kansas in the State Farm Champions Classic, 89-69. The Jayhawks mocked the Wildcats after the fact.

Players on the losing side were shielded after the embarrassing defeat. The Wildcats were not made available to the public to speak on the setback.

It was a disappointing start to the 2026 campaign in Lexington. Mark Pope is already under fire after just three games.

Kentucky basketball was embarrassed by Kansas.

It was game that the Jayhawks controlled throughout. Kentucky led 15-11 at the 12:32 mark in the first half. Kansas then used a 22-8 run to take a 10-point lead.

At halftime, the Jayhawks led 46-36. They outscored the Wildcats by 10 in the second half to leave with a 20-point victory.

As they gained control, Kansas players began to let loose. At one point, teammates were laughing with one another during live play.

The ridicule would get worse after the outcome was decided.

Former five-star recruit Tyran Stokes was seen mocking Kentucky on the bench following the game. That came after he spurned the Wildcats to sign with Kansas a few months prior.

Stokes said the game was personal for him having grown up in the Bluegrass State. He was once a Louisville fan. He said the feelings of disdain for the Wildcats re-emerged on the court.

“I kinda still got that same emotion, as if I was playing for Louisville.”

-Tyran Stokes

Stokes posted a double-double, going for 23 points and 10 boards. That performance, and ensuing the mockery, was certainly salt on the wound for Big Blue Nation.

But while Kansas players celebrated, Kentucky basketball was silenced. Players were not made available for comment after the loss.

Wildcats shielded after blowout.

Players did not speak to the media after the loss. Head coach Mark Pope did. He addressed the loss and the mindset moving forward.

“This is a brutal lesson,” he said. “It’s a learning group… We’ll look internally and learn and get better… There was zero part of me that thought we were going to skate through this season without taking a couple hits. We took a massive, really disappointing, not living up to our standard hit tonight, but it’s a good group that’s going to learn and respond.”

That response will do little to ease the frustrations of Kentucky basketball fans, some of whom called for Pope’s job from the stands.

The Wildcats have reached the NCAA Tournament in both of Pope’s seasons at the helm. They were beaten on the first weekend last year after making the Sweet 16 in his debut.

Unfortunately, his susceptibility to getting blown out has overshadowed those accomplishments.

He was embarrassed again on Tuesday night by Kansas. Kentucky will look to turn things around later this week against Northern Arizona.