Tyrese Haliburton takes shot at former Kentucky players for John Calipari-Arkansas allegiance
Kentucky's 2026 NCAA Tournament run came to an end Sunday vs. Iowa State, and Haliburton, a Cyclones alum, had jokes on social media.
Tyrese Haliburton takes shot at former Kentucky players for John Calipari-Arkansas allegiance originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Kentucky Wildcats have a long history of sending players to the NBA.
But after Mark Pope's squad fell to Iowa State on Sunday, ending its NCAA Tournament run, it was a Cyclones alum who poked fun at those former Wildcats. Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who starred at Iowa State from 2018-20, shared a social media post that took a light-hearted shot at all the former Kentucky players now playing in the pros. Haliburton joked that most Kentucky alum in the NBA now have allegiance with the Arkansas Razorbacks, where longtime Wildcats head coach John Calipari is now at the helm.
Here's a look at Haliburton's viral Kentucky post after Iowa State's March Madness win. MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more Tyrese Haliburton takes shot at former Kentucky players Haliburton has become known for his active X account, especially in the past year — he's been recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Early in March Madness, Haliburton made it clear he'd be posting about the games, sending a message to college basketball fans: "Make one bracket and stand on it.
" Make one bracket and stand on it — Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) March 17, 2026 On Sunday, with his second-seeded Iowa State team handling Kentucky with ease, Haliburton continued his March Madness commentary. He joked that he went to "text the guys who played at Kentucky" about Iowa State's 82-63 win, but he "forgot they think they Arkansas alum now," a dig at players for keeping their allegiance with Calipari over the Wildcats. Went to text the guys who played at Kentucky about this game and forgot they think they Arkansas alum now🤣 — Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) March 22, 2026 Notable Kentucky NBA players Here's a look at some of the top Kentucky players in the NBA: Bam Adebayo, Heat Devin Booker, Suns Anthony Davis, Wizards De'Aaron Fox, Spurs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder Tyler Herro, Heat Tyrese Maxey, 76ers Jamal Murray, Nuggets Julius Randle, Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks MORE: What's next for Kentucky, Mark Pope after loss to Iowa State?