Louisville basketball learned late Monday night that the 5-star power forward Milan Momcilovic had committed to Kentucky over the Cardinals. The Cards were in a heated recruiting battle for Momcilovic, making a strong push for the elite 3-point specialist, but Mark Pope and the Cats ultimately landed this commitment over Pat Kelsey and Louisville.
Milan Momcilovic breaks Louisville basketball hearts by picking the enemy instead
The Cardinals and Wildcats fans obviously don’t get along too often, and last night, the two fanbases showed their passion for one another. The two fan bases were going back and forth Monday night, and after Kentucky landed Momcilovic, Pope posted an interesting photo on social media that Louisville fans will absolutely hate, as it certainly felt like a jab at Louisville.
Louisville fans won’t like Mark Pope’s latest post following Milan Momcilovic decision
When looking at the social media post from Pope, Louisville fans quickly notice the Kentucky head coach holding some cards while the song “Many Men” is playing.
— Mark Pope (@CoachMarkPope) June 2, 2026
Louisville fans were quick to express their frustration with the post with Pope holding a pair of cards, which certainly feels like he is trying to throw a jab at Louisville, which, of course, goes by the “Cards”.
Pope is having a lot of fun in the offseason with him landing Momcilovic over Louisville, but the Cards aren’t going to be a walkover when December rolls around. The two Kentucky state schools are having eye-popping offseasons, with Louisville ranked No. 1 in the portal class rankings, and after Momcilovic’s commitment, the Cats are now No. 2.
So, Pope might have just poked a bear with this post, and Louisville fans can only hope this lights a spark with Kelsey, who uses it as fuel and motivation when the two programs go head-to-head in December. Pope can talk the talk right now, but if Louisville beats Kentucky for the second straight season, Louisville fans and Kelsey will get the last laugh, and Kentucky fans and Pope will see this post come back to hurt them.
Louisville may have lost this recruiting battle, but the countdown to December 12 at Rupp Arena is officially on.
Also read: Louisville meets wil Milan Momcilovic and it's selling what Kentucky's money can't buy
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