Kentucky basketball’s 9-1 record might seem impressive on the surface, but a troubling pattern is taking shape—slow starts in the first half. Following their 78-67 win over Colgate, head coach Mark Pope didn’t mince words. He said they had an "energy deficit" and lacked "intensity" at times. While that assessment captured the Colgate game, the issue isn’t isolated.
It’s almost like the Monstars stole Kentucky’s shooting powers.
— Everything College Basketball (@ecbpodcast10) December 12, 2024
This is going on 4 1/2 games where shots aren’t falling from deep. Through the first five games, Kentucky made 10+ 3’s in each while shooting around 43%. Now they are shooting around 26%. That’s Antartica cold
In their last three games, the Wildcats have failed to crack 40 points in the first half, a trend that began with their loss to Clemson. Wednesday night the Cats had a 38-36 halftime lead against Colgate. During that game, Kentucky endured a nearly six-minute scoring drought. A similar problem arose against Gonzaga in the game prior, where a five-minute scoring lapse contributed to a 50-34 halftime deficit. Clemson exploited another five-minute drought to secure a 37-30 halftime lead in the Cats lone loss this season.
This isn’t the first time Kentucky has faced such issues either. Against Duke earlier in the season, the Wildcats went scoreless for three minutes in the first half, ultimately trailing 46-37 at the break. Even in the wins against Western Kentucky and Colgate, they’ve struggled with prolonged stretches of offensive stagnation.
Yup, tonight was weird. Mark Pope was the first to admit it after the game.
— KSR (@KSRonX) December 12, 2024
"We had some weird energy...We’re trying to become like masters of energy and games like this can help you learn a little bit more about yourself.”
MORE: https://t.co/jvIxuINX5V pic.twitter.com/9id2b5u4sr
Such lapses might be manageable against non-conference opponents, but they could spell disaster when the SEC schedule begins if the pattern continues. The league’s dominance is clear—a combined 123-18 record, 19 Quad 1 wins, and nine teams in the Top 25. The SEC’s reputation as a juggernaut is well-earned, and Kentucky’s tendency to dig first-half holes could lead to unnecessary losses against teams poised to punish every mistake.
Kentucky’s inconsistency starts on defense and translates to offense. Against Colgate, they allowed the Raiders to control the tempo with a 2-3 zone in the first half. "We didn’t challenge shots well early," Pope said. The Wildcats did rebound with stronger defense in the second half, but slow starts can’t be a recurring theme. The Cats also aren't hitting the boards nearly as effective in the first half as shown by the +4 margin in the first half vs Colgate, but turning that into a +11 the whole game.
Well #Kentucky basketball has to figure out the rebounding game.. Too many second opportunities and Clemson is taking advantage of it.. #BBN
— Trey Carney (@CarneyMedia) December 4, 2024
With SEC play looming, Kentucky needs to establish a sense of urgency from the opening tip. Prolonged scoring droughts and low-energy starts will make it nearly impossible to compete against conference heavyweights. If the Wildcats can’t fix this issue, wins could turn into losses really quickly as you can't come back from halftime deficits all season long.