Kentucky men’s basketball is headed to its first NCAA Tournament under new head coach Mark Pope.
So far, Pope’s first season at his alma mater has been an unquestioned success. The Wildcats, who are the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, enter the Big Dance at 22-11 overall, having posted a 10-8 regular season mark in the rugged SEC. Kentucky also earned major non-conference wins over Duke, Gonzaga and Louisville.
While Pope was putting his imprint on the UK program, his daughter Layla was back in Utah making her own impact in the basketball world.
A graduate of BYU, where her father used to coach, Layla Grace Pope is a professional dancer for the NBA’s Utah Jazz.
Last month, she made the trip to Lexington for Kentucky’s matchup against Tennessee at Rupp Arena, where she performed during the game with the UK Dance Team.
Layla Grace Pope has almost 23,000 Instagram followers. She often shares glimpses into her dancing job with the Jazz, as well as photos of her family life and relationship with boyfriend Payton VanSteenkiste, a defensive back on the BYU football team.
Meanwhile, her dad is getting ready to face 14th-seeded Troy in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and he’s trying to make sure BBN is as well-represented as possible for the game in Milwaukee.
“It’s only a 7-hour drive, so if you’re having trouble with gas money, hit me up. Let’s get all of BBN out there,” Pope said on his radio show, via On3. “I’m not gonna tell you how to hit me up, because I’m nervous about how many people are about to hit me up. I had this ridiculous notion one night after a game to buy everybody that was left in the arena ice cream. It cost me a little bit more than I anticipated, but it’s all in the family, baby. It’s family. Let’s go.”
Kentucky and Troy will tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET Friday night from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. CBS will broadcast the action.
If the Wildcats win, they will advance to face whoever emerges between No. 6 Illinois and the winner of Wednesday’s First Four matchup between Xavier and Texas.
Kentucky is looking for its first trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019.
