Dick Vitale, Karl Ravech, and Jimmy Dykes on the Florida-Kentucky broadcast at Rupp Arena. Credit: ESPN Credit: ESPN
By Matt Clapp on

ESPN college basketball broadcasting legend Dick Vitale sounded off about the University of Kentucky basketball program during Saturday’s game against Florida at Rupp Arena.

No. 4 Florida won the game 84-77, but it took just over 12 game minutes for Vitale to voice his frustration about Kentucky and its roster construction under head coach Mark Pope with $22 million in NIL spending.

“I’m going to say this right here,” Vitale explained to Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes on the ESPN broadcast. “I’ve done several now Kentucky games. Win or lose, $22 million this team [reportedly has spent] in terms of the NIL for their players. I think in $22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.”

With 1:46 remaining in the second half, Vitale made it clear that moral victories are unacceptable for Kentucky, an eight-time national champion.

“I’ll tell you one thing,” Vitale said. “You don’t want to walk out of here thinking you got a moral victory. Moral victories don’t count at this level of basketball. And you hear some of the people, ‘We played them close. We played them tough.’ The bottom line is you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There are no moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”

Kentucky is 19-12 on the season and 10-8 in SEC play, with losses in five of its last seven games. Entering Saturday, the Wildcats came in at No. 27 on the NET rankings, and they currently slot in at No. 27 on Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings. Pope led Kentucky to the Sweet 16 last year in his first season as the school’s head coach after holding the same position at BYU.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.

He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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