Mark Pope has now checked off one of Kentucky basketball’s quirkiest little traditions.
The Wildcats’ head coach recently stopped by Wheeler’s Pharmacy in Lexington, joining a line of Kentucky coaches whose visits have become part of program lore. For fans, it was the kind of moment that gets attention because of who came before: Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith all made the trip to the longtime local spot before going on to win national championships.
Pope made sure Big Blue Nation knew he understood the significance.
“BBN knows there’s something legendary about Wheeler’s Pharmacy. We had to go experience it for ourselves!” Pope wrote on social media.
He wasn’t alone on the visit. Several members of his staff went with him, including Mark Fox, Mikhail McLean, Cody Fueger, Nick Robinson, Keegan Brown and other staff members. The group posed for photos with employees and customers who were there for lunch, giving the outing the feel of a familiar Kentucky stop rather than a formal team appearance.
Wheeler’s has been part of Lexington since 1958, when William K. “Buddy” Wheeler opened the business.
Wheeler died in 2024, but in 2020 he sold the pharmacy to his daughter, pharmacist Claire Wheeler Lewis, and the tradition has carried on under her leadership. People still come in for lunch, prescriptions, or both.
Of course, a meal at Wheeler’s doesn’t come with any guarantees. Still, in Kentucky circles, the stop has taken on a life of its own as a superstition - one more piece of the Wildcats’ championship mythology.
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