Kentucky Wildcats Basketball offense thrives in Blue/White game with limited contact rules

Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

With Alabama State looming on the schedule, Mark Stoops is putting the tough loss to Mississippi State behind him. He is optimistic from what he sees in practice but warns that Alabama State could be a dangerous team.

"I feel good today because I got it all off my chest yesterday,” the UK coach said in reference to his first full-team meeting since last week’s game. “We had a good meeting, and the guys responded. They understand. They know there are a lot of things we can do better. That’s the bottom line. Like I said over and over again they care and think it’s important, but we need to do it for 60 minutes, every play.” Stoops and his staff emphasize consistency because there’s no way of knowing when the opportunity to make a play might arise. The first-year head coach was perhaps most frustrated by his team’s missed opportunities in last Thursday’s Mississippi State game. Going forward being ready to make a play at any and every point in the game will take precedence within the Kentucky football team’s focus. “You don’t know what play’s going to change the game,” Stoops said. “It’s not just the obvious play all the time. There are a lot of plays in there that could change the game. And that’s the message, so take them all (as) very important and do the details on all plays. And that’s where we’re working to get better.” Stoops was also quick to point out that despite its Football Championship Subdivision status, Alabama State will pose plenty of challenges for a Wildcat team looking to get back to winning ways. “I’m sure they’ll be very jacked up,” Stoops said of his team’s next opponent. “They’re going to play on TV against an SEC school, and they want to prove to everybody that they’re not just one of the better teams in the SWAC; they want to be recognized as a very good team. And they (have) won six in a row, so they should be optimistic and confident."

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

With some on his sideline explosions, Mark Stoops has drawn comparisions to Rich Brooks in his fiery manner. However, Stoops has done a good job in being honest yet not throwing his players under the bus. Rich Brooks was not so tactful at times in his first year.

"Back in 2004, a horrid 2-9 Kentucky football season in which Hal Mumme-era NCAA sanctions really bit a UK program then led by Rich Brooks, I thought some of the Wildcats brain trust went a bit too far in their bluntness about the perceived lack of capability of their own team and players. After Kentucky was putrid offensively in a 28-0 spanking by archrival Louisville in the ’04 season opener, then-Kentucky offensive coordinator Ron Hudson told the media “I’ll be out recruiting next week. That’s the only way to fix this.” When Alabama whacked UK 45-17 in ’04, Brooks noted that the Crimson Tide at that time led the all-time series with Kentucky 32-2-1 and said “yet, all of a sudden, I’m supposed to beat them with a probation-ridden team?” In fairness, the Brooks staff circa 2004 was not popular and was under fire from a disgruntled fan base and a skeptical state sports media. Conversely, Stoops was a well-received hire whose early recruiting success has helped buffer him and his coaching staff from the criticism a 1-6 start might have normally engendered. If Stoops ever has to coach through an environment as adverse as Brooks and Co. faced in their early days, we’ll see if the current UK head man can stay on the “right side” of the player criticism line. After Kentucky’s season-opening loss to Western Kentucky, Stoops was asked what part of his team’s disappointing performance had most surprised him. “It’s hard to answer. You know me. I’m not one to sit here and throw anybody under the bus,” he said."