Mark Pope finally stepped out of the shadows and into the light on his weekly radio show.
"I like them (shot decisions). Shooting is just what it is. It comes and goes. We're a good three-point shooting team. I think we'll make shots in the NCAA tournament."
Excuse me? Comes and goes? That is your legitimate response to a question that will determine wins and losses? It was almost as baffling as his decision to keep the Selection Sunday party private.
The head coach broke the decade-long streak of hosting a viewing party with the team, and there was no real reason given until now.
"It's actually the only moment we've had the entire season where it has just been us, and it just gave us an evening, a short evening, to kind of have some very personal, private conversations and to take in the moment."
One of those things better have been shooting.
Mark Pope's twisted view on shooting could eliminate the Cats
The Cats have been up-and-down all year results-wise. But the 3-point shooting has been even worse. Kentucky shoots it just 34% from deep on the year, despite Pope's continual defense of this team's poor 3-point shooting.
Without Collin Chandler's numbers, Kentucky shoots it at a 28.5% rate from deep. That will not win you very many games. And that is why Chandler has been keyed in on so hard by teams in the stretch run.
In the last 5 games here are Kentucky's shooting numbers:
Texas A&M loss- 8-26
Florida loss- 8-23
LSU win- 6-22
Missouri win- 6-21
Florida loss- 5-23
I don't know about you, but I don't see the shooting coming back after leaving in any of the last 5 games.
Mark Pope's system uses 3's to open space for 2's
In an ideal scenario, Kentucky would force teams to play them tightly from the 3-point line. This allows Aberdeen and Oweh room to operate in the paint. But without that threat of making the deep shot, teams can sag in and force turnovers from UK's 2 senior guards.
Pope uses space and pace to try to get good shots, but this year, that hasn't worked due to the roster's lack of shooting. Instead, he allows Oweh and Aberdeen to go one-on-one a lot, which has mixed results.
And now, the Cats face a Santa Clara team that will turn you over anytime you are unsure with the ball. That is a dangerous element to watch in this opening round game.
If Kentucky's shot doesn't come around, much like this season, the NCAA Tournament will just be another disappointment.