Kentucky hits last second three to avoid epic upset to Northern Arizona, but the heat is still on Mark Pope

Kentucky escaped a near-historic upset loss on Friday against Northern Arizona when guard Alex Wilkins knocked down a 3-pointer to give his team a 78-77 win at home.

The Wildcats trailed by four points in the final minute. After NAU missed the front-end of a one-and-one, Wilkins delivered a go-ahead shot to avoid what would've been one of the most stunning losses in Kentucky basketball history.

Kentucky led by as many as 13 in the first half before Northern Arizona mounted a comeback to take a lead in the final minutes. For the third time in three games, Mark Pope's team struggled. Kentucky were on the ropes against James Madison last week at home before pulling away late.

Earlier in the week, Kentucky suffered an embarrassing loss at the Champions Classic where Pope's squad was completely outclassed by the Jayhawks. Even though Kentucky beat NAU — a team that has been at the bottom of KenPom's rankings the last few seasons — it won't ease the pressure on Pope in what is a make-or-break season for his alma mater.

Kentucky entered the 2026-27 season with one of the highest-priced rosters in the sport. Naturally, the expectations were high for the No. 24-ranked Wildcats after adding multiple transfers — including Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic — who was the best 3-point shooter in the sport last season.

After having one of the highest-priced rosters last season with a price tag reportedly over $20 million, that group underachieved and lost to Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. From the moment last season started to the final game, Kentucky had several lowlights, including a 17-point loss to Michigan State, a 35-point loss to Gonzaga and a 25-point defeat against Vanderbilt during SEC play.