John Pelphrey has been to Rupp Arena in almost every role possible: high school player, college player, fan, opposing head coach, opposing assistant coach, and even ESPN commentator. His No. 34 jersey hangs in the rafters alongside the rest of the Unforgettables. So, when Mark Pope invited Pelphrey to bring his Tennessee Tech squad to town to play Kentucky, he got a surprising answer.
“I’ve got a 41-year relationship with this building,” Pelphrey said on Pope’s call-in show last night. “So, when Mark asked me to do this, I told him no. Right? I had no hesitation whatsoever.