10 days rest, 4-game winning streak, a team that throttled you 3 times last year. You would think Kentucky would come out like a house on fire. They were as cold as ice nearly all night long in one of the most disappointing displays of the season. For 30 minutes of the 40-minute game in Tuscaloosa, Kentucky, didn't look like they belonged on the floor with Alabama. That is as tough to type as it was to see. Time and time again, Alabama found wide-open looks in a first half that was again disastrous.
The defense was not good enough as Kentucky found themselves down 21 with just under 2 minutes to go in the first half, and they finally woke up. They cut the lead to 13 before a back-breaking 3 sent Alabama to the locker room up 16. That was the largest deficit Kentucky has faced against Alabama in 30 years.
Alabama roasts Kentucky from deep, in a shockingly bad defensive display from the Cats
Kentucky kept fighting back the whole second half, but every single time, they'd make a run. Alabama would set a screen and get another wide-open 3 to push the lead back up to around 15. It was under single digits only once after midway through the first half, and it was for all of about 20 seconds.
To make matters worse, Alabama's Nate Oats was on the sideline jumping around at nearly every one of Alabama's 15 3-point makes. Kentucky made only 4, and they only shot 19.
The Cats didn't do anything well in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Against a much smaller Alabama team, they were out-rebounded by the Tide 41-37. The one thing you can say Kentucky should have done really well, they did not all.
Jayden Quaintance looked lost at times, Albama had Kentucky constantly chasing and they were never able to get comfortable. The lack of 3-point shooting allowed Alabama to clog the lane up and prevent any inside game Kentucky tried.
Kentucky made matters worse by not being able to make a free throw either. For the game, the Cats were just 20-29, again under 70 percent.
Aden Hollaway tormented the Cats all night long, scoring 26 on 6 of 8 shooting from deep. Otega Oweh paced the Cats with 22 on 8 of 16; he also added 8 rebounds.
The Cats now sit at 9-5 with another embarrassing effort against a ranked team on tape. The question is uncomfortable, but has to be asked. Is Kentucky ever going to get it figured out, or is this just a lost year? Alabama wins 89-74.