If you asked people a year ago where they thought Mark Pope and Kenny Brooks would be, most would say enjoying a great second year in Lexington with really good rosters. They were 50 percent right.
Mark Pope is 9-5, 0-1 in the SEC with another crushing loss to Alabama under his belt. Kenny Brooks has his Cats 15-1, 2-0 in the SEC. The programs could not be further apart right now.
Kentucky women's basketball climbs to highest ranking since 2013
The women's basketball AP top-25 poll was released today, and Kentucky found itself jumping up 5 spots to number 6 in the country after handing then-unbeaten LSU its first loss and knocking off a pesky Missouri team at home. They are on an eight-game winning streak and look to be really building some momentum. Then disaster struck.
Teonni Key dislocates elbow against Missouri
Kenny Brooks confirmed after the game that Teonni dislocated her elbow, which usually means a 3-6 recovery time, or longer, if nerve damage is involved. We expect more updates on the injury tonight when Kenny Brooks does his weekly call-in show. We will bring that to you when it becomes available.
Mark Pope is searching for answers after question-filled SEC opener
Mark Pope is trying to find his way with a roster that has yet to find what it does best. They struggle to rebound, move the ball, shoot, defend, and pressure other teams; there is just not one thing you can point to and say, this is the one thing we do better than anyone. Fans are starting to say he needs to be fired, questions are being asked, and so far, he has no answers.
Kentucky is just 1-5 against ranked teams; they have been beaten by 17-Michigan State, 35-Gonzaga, and 15-Alabama. That does not scream a tournament team. That is where Kentucky finds itself right now. Not in the national title picture, but in the "are they a tournament team?" picture.
No one saw this coming in August; if anything, most had Kentucky's men in the title picture, and the women finding their way with a new point guard. Instead, it is the exact opposite.
Mark Pope has some soul-searching to do; we will see if he can find the answers before the season is too far gone.