Pope reveals request that helped Kentucky get to Sweet 16

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Fiserv Forum. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Mark Pope reveals unusual request that helped Kentucky get to Sweet 16

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 10:14 AM ET

An English breakfast cereal apparently helped fuel Kentucky’s journey to the Sweet 16.

No. 3-seeded Kentucky outlasted No. 6-seeded Illinois, 84-75, in their second-round NCAA Tournament matchup at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Wildcats center Amari Williams was arguably the unsung hero of the contest.

Williams did the dirty work for the Wildcats. The Kentucky senior grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots as teammates Koby Brea, Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh carried the scoring load.

During the team’s postgame press conference, Williams was asked about his strong performance against Illinois. Amari’s initial answer didn’t satisfy Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, who urged his player to give the “real” answer related to something called “Weetabix.”

“On Friday, I had four pieces of toast for breakfast,” Williams said. “And [the Kentucky coaching staff] thought that wasn’t enough. [Coach Mark Pope] asked me what I usually eat growing up, and I had something called Weetabix, which is from England. It’s like shredded wheat. Me saying this is crazy cause my parents always forced me to eat it growing up. … I feel like that helped my performance today for sure.”

Weetabix sales are about to skyrocket in Kentucky.

Here’s the story of how the English breakfast cereal fueled Amari Williams to a big performance vs. Illinois — and how UK’s staff went to great lengths to find it in Milwaukee.https://t.co/5VKgF3VPjL pic.twitter.com/kfwdwA97Hj
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) March 24, 2025

That’s one way to secure an NIL deal. A partnership between the Kentucky senior and the whole-grain cereal brand will almost surely be in the works.

Kentucky’s Director of Basketball Administration Will Barton found boxes of Weetabix at an international store in Milwaukee. Williams shared that he ate three bowls of it alongside coach Pope and teammate Brandon Garrison.

Williams, who hails from Nottingham, England, played four seasons at Drexel before transferring to Kentucky for his final year of eligibility. Williams was a key transfer portal acquisition for Kentucky, which completely revamped its roster following the departure of John Calipari.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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