Sometimes numbers lie. This was not one of those times.
Kentucky’s 94–59 loss to Gonzaga in Nashville was every bit as ugly as it felt, and possibly worse. It wasn’t just their worst defeat since 1990. It was the kind of night that made you question where this program is headed.
Kentucky basketball vs Gonzaga was historically bad in every way
Gonzaga’s Graham Ike made more two-point field goals (10) than the entire Kentucky team (9).
That’s not a typo. One Gonzaga big man hit more shots inside the arc than an entire Kentucky roster built on NIL money and preseason hype. Gonzaga shredded the Wildcats for 46 points in the paint, while Kentucky managed just 18.
The overall shooting numbers were just as brutal:
- Gonzaga: 34-of-60 (57%) FG, 9-of-18 (50%) 3PT, 11-of-14 (79%) FT
- Kentucky: 15-of-58 (26%) FG, 7-of-34 (21%) 3PT, 18-of-24 (75%) FT
Gonzaga played with rhythm, poise, and purpose. Kentucky flailed.
The Bulldogs won the glass 43–31, sliced up the defense for 24 assists, and built a lead that ballooned to 37 points. The Wildcats mustered just 12 assists, turned it over 11 times, and never found anything resembling an offensive identity.
And all of it happened in front of a crowd that was overwhelmingly blue.
Triston Pharis summed it up on X:
“95%+ of Bridgestone Arena was packed with Kentucky fans tonight.
They just witnessed Kentucky’s worst defeat since 1990, following two other embarrassing performances against ranked opponents.
Just nine games into the season, this could get even uglier.”
The fans booed Kentucky off the court multiple times. That almost never happens at a neutral site, especially not in December.
“It’s disappointing because we care about BBN, but we will do a better job for this University,” he said after the game.
Mark Pope didn’t run from it either.
“All the boos we received tonight were incredibly well deserved, mostly for me,” he admitted.
Add it all up: worst defeat since 1990, one Gonzaga big hitting more twos than the entire Kentucky team, an offense that shot 27% from the field and 21% from three, a crowd that turned on its own team, and players and coaches publicly admitting it was deserved.
You don’t bounce back from that with one decent week. You don’t hand-wave it as “just one game.” This was a flashing-red warning sign that the product is nowhere near Kentucky’s standard, and that everyone in the building knew it.
Now the question becomes, can the Cats rebound, literally.