One play perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with Kentucky basketball

You can forgive bad shooting. You can forgive a great team hitting shots they usually miss. What is inexcusable is lack of effort.

And the tape confirms that lack of effort is the norm right now, not the exception. The most damning example is a defensive sequence in the first half involving Brandon Garrison—the very player who was reportedly barking at his teammates to get focused later in the game.

This right here is exactly what’s wrong with Kentucky basketball:

• 16:54: Michigan State’s Carson Cooper missed a jumper.
• 16:52: Carson Cooper secured his own Offensive Rebound. Garrison watches .
• 16:51: Carson Cooper missed another jumper.
• 16:48: Carson Cooper secured his second Offensive Rebound.
• 16:43: Brandon Garrison is subbed out for Kentucky.

Garrison basically stood and watched as the ball bounced around him, leading to two quick offensive rebounds for the opposition. He was rightly subbed out, only to be put back in later.

The hypocrisy crisis

Coupled with Otega Oweh's shocking admission that he needs to give "100% effort" the Cats all need to really evaluate what kind of team they want to be. The problem is those calling out the lack of effort are the very one's with the biggest problem.

The hypocrisy is stark here: the player who had the most visually inexcusable lack of effort in the first half Brandon Garrison, was the same player who was reportedly "barking" at other players in the huddle during a timeout.

When the team leader isn't boxing out and players are openly admitting to a lack of effort, Mark Pope’s crisis of culture is real. He admits he can fix it, but the game film shows the fix has to start with the simple, fundamental demand for effort and accountability.

If you can't be trusted to simply go get the ball, can you even be trusted to touch the floor?

Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion