Kentucky's 84-70 loss to Georgetown wasn't just an offensive failure; it was a complete defensive breakdown. The Hoyas shot 55.4% from the field and scored 38 points in the paint, finding open looks all night. After the game, Mark Pope pinpointed exactly what went wrong.
The 'absent third defender'
Pope explained that his team, perhaps over-eager after the Purdue win, completely lost its discipline against Georgetown's pick-and-roll sets.
“They were great at moving our third defender,” Pope analyzed on the radio with Tom Leach following the loss. “We were so dialed in this… chase… I think we were too amped. But our third defender was absent or late.”
In basketball, the "third defender" is the help-side player responsible for rotating over to stop the ball-handler or "tag" the rolling big man after the first two defenders (the on-ball guard and the big man's defender) are screened. An "absent or late" third defender means either no one rotated, or they rotated too slowly, resulting in the wide-open layups and dunks Georgetown enjoyed all night, led by Malik Mack (22 points) and Kaden Lewis (19 points).
A missed learning opportunity
This was the exact kind of defensive scheme Pope wanted his team to face. “So many teams play us with this exact same gameplan,” he lamented, clearly frustrated that his team failed such a predictable test.
The Wildcats, who looked so tough and connected against Purdue, were repeatedly a step slow. They failed to execute their defensive game plan, got beaten off the dribble, and couldn't contain the ball, leading to a porous interior defense that Georgetown exploited for 40 minutes.
Otega Oweh promised his team will be "super locked in" come next week when the games count.
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