Kentucky Coach Mark Pope Says Team Was ‘Cheated’ On Hot Mic

Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope was frustrated after a last-second call that cost them the game, and was heard on the hot mic saying they were “cheated.” 

Kentucky’s Collin Chandler was called for an offensive foul when he shoved Auburn’s Kevin Overton to the floor. This gave Auburn possession with just 14.3 seconds left. This set up the eventual game-winning basket by Eliyah Freeman. 

Chandler and Overton were both making contact with each other before the shove. Pope’s frustration is likely more with the ignoring of Overton’s contact rather than the call on Chandler. 

This was the third-straight loss for Kentucky. Kentucky had the lead at halftime, but Auburn scored 40 in the second half to win the game. Otega Oweh led the way for Kentucky with 29 points. Center Malachi Moreno also had a solid night with seven points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Auburn was led by KeShawn Murphy, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds. Keyshawn Hall had a strong all-around game with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. 

Kentucky has also lost to Florida and Georgia during this stretch. Against Florida, Denzel Aberdeen and Chandler led the team in scoring with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Meanwhile, against Georgia, Oweh and Chandler led the way. 

Chandler had played well the previous two games but struggled against Auburn, including the game-costing foul. He shot 1-6 from three and 3-8 overall. 

Last season, Kentucky reached the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Tennessee. Their offense has fallen from 18th in 2024-25 to 52nd in 2025-26. Koby Brea and Amari Williams graduating are a big part of the offensive decline. 

Kentucky’s next game is Feb. 24 against South Carolina. South Carolina currently has a 12-15 record, ranking No. 13 in the SEC.