Tyrese Haliburton Ribs Former Kentucky Stars After Iowa State’s NCAA Upset
tyrese-haliburton-taunts-kentucky-alums-after-iowa-state-win
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton used social media to jab at several Kentucky basketball alumni moments after No. 2 seed Iowa State eliminated the Wildcats 82-63 in the men’s NCAA tournament second round on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
Haliburton, who spent two seasons with the Cyclones, posted on X that he “went to text the guys who played at Kentucky about this game and forgot they think they Arkansas alum now,” mocking former Wildcats now in the NBA who have shown public support for Arkansas since coach John Calipari left Lexington for Fayetteville in April 2024.
Iowa State’s dominant win
Sophomore guard Tamin Lipsey paced Iowa State with 26 points, 10 assists and five steals. According to ESPN Research, he is just the third player since 1986 to reach 25 points, 10 assists and five steals in an NCAA tournament game. Freshman forward Milan Momcilovic added 20 points as the Cyclones advanced to the Sweet 16.
The 19-point defeat was Kentucky’s largest in the tournament since a 1972 Elite Eight loss to Florida State.
Why Kentucky alums are catching strays
Haliburton’s dig referenced a recent trend of ex-Kentucky stars aligning themselves with Arkansas in support of Calipari. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told a team-produced video he was picking “either Arkansas or Kentucky” to win the tournament, while teammate Cason Wallace, who played one season under Calipari, simply chose Arkansas. Forward P.J. Washington visited Calipari in Razorbacks gear in September 2024, and fellow alum Reed Sheppard wore an Arkansas shirt with Kentucky pants when the two schools met later that season.
Haliburton, drafted in 2020, made only one NCAA tournament appearance as a player, losing in the first round in 2019. Sunday’s result gave him a reason to celebrate—and to remind former Wildcats where his loyalty lies.
Source: ESPN
