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.

Kentucky basketball bounced back in a massive way, beating #8 Tennessee on the road in Knoxville on Tuesday 78-73. The Wildcats were without Lamont Butler and K

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 this, without Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr,

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.

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

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.

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

Tennessee fought back within 74-73 with 28.6 seconds left on a Chaz Lanier 3-pointer but Otega Oweh, who had 14 points, buried four free throws to seal the deal. The win moved Kentucky to 15-5, 4-3 in the SEC and dropped Tennessee to 17-4, 4-4. The Hogs are a stunning 12-8, 1-6.

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).

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.

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats waltzed into the Food City Center in Knoxville and took care of business, defeating the Tennessee Volunteers by five on Tuesday evening. Afterwards, Pope took some time to address the media,