The second-round exit of Kentucky in the men’s NCAA tournament on Sunday against Iowa State led to a lighthearted jab from Cyclone alumnus Tyrese Haliburton.
Iowa State defeated Kentucky 82-63, fueled by Tamin Lipsey’s 26 points and Milan Momcilovic’s 20 points. Lipsey also contributed 10 assists and five steals, becoming only the third player since 1986 to achieve 25 points, 10 assists, and 5 steals in a March Madness game, as noted by ESPN Research. Kentucky’s 19-point defeat represented its largest margin of loss in an NCAA Tournament game since an Elite 8 loss to Florida State in 1972.
Shortly after the Cyclones’ win, Haliburton took the opportunity to tease Wildcat alumni, some of whom had recently made headlines for their support of Arkansas. He shared on X that he intended to message Kentucky players but quickly remembered their current allegiance.
Went to text the guys who played at Kentucky about this game and forgot they think they Arkansas alum nowπ€£
— Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) March 22, 2026
Haliburton was alluding to former Wildcat head coach John Calipari’s departure to Arkansas in April 2024. He humorously noted that since Calipari’s transition, former Kentucky stars now in the NBA identify as Arkansas alumni, likely due to their time under Calipari.
The Oklahoma City Thunder recently shared a video inquiring which players believe will win the tournament. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who played for Calipari in 2017-18, mentioned “either Arkansas or Kentucky.” Cason Wallace, who spent a season at Kentucky in 2022-23, expressed his support for Arkansas.
“Coach Cal?” the Thunder staff asked Wallace, to which he simply responded: “Yeah.”
Other players have echoed similar sentiments since Calipari’s move. Wildcat alumnus P.J. Washington visited Calipari at Arkansas wearing Razorback apparel in September 2024. A few months later, fellow alumnus Reed Sheppard donned an Arkansas shirt paired with Kentucky pants during a matchup between the two programs.
Haliburton appeared to recognize this trend and did not let the former Kentucky players off the hook. The Indiana Pacers star played two seasons at Iowa State before entering the draft in 2020. He experienced a first-round exit in his only March Madness appearance in 2019 but took pleasure in seeing his alma mater triumph over the Wildcats.
