Mark Pope’s tone after Tuesday’s game said it all: frustration mixed with inevitability.
“We just knew that we were facing an issue that we hadn’t found good resolution to in practice,” Pope admitted. “And it showed on court.”
That’s not what fans want to hear after another game where Kentucky’s new defensive identity fell apart. The rebuilt defense featuring Mo Dioubate, Otega Oweh, and Brandon Garrison was supposed to be the strength of this roster. Instead, it’s become a liability. It will get better once Jayden Quaintance gets back but it won't get drastically better.
Kentucky lost both halves in the game against Louisville, by seven in the first, one in the second. They looked slow on rotations, late on help, and disconnected on the perimeter. They didn't talk or support each other on the defensive end, and that carried over to the offensive end where they had the same amount of turnovers as assists, 14.
Kentucky's defensive identity crisis
It’s only the third game of the season though. Pope’s teams traditionally improve over time, especially once lineups stabilize. But the early warning signs are real. Oweh and Dioubate are struggling, Garrison hasn’t found his footing, and the team’s best basketball so far has come with them on the bench. That shouldn't be happening. But you really can't play these 3 guys together. Neither of them are good enough shooters to all play together.
The silver lining: players like Chandler and Williams are trending upward. There’s talent here, it just hasn’t come together yet.
If these issues linger into January, concern will turn to alarm. For now, it’s a matter of finding answers in practice and translating them to the court. Kentucky saw this loss coming. The challenge now is preventing the next one.
The Cats are back in action tomorrow night on ESPN+ playing Eastern Illinois in the final game of the BBN United Tip-Off Classic.
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