Kentucky basketball bested Louisville in field goal and 3-point percentage, rebounds and points in the paint, but it still suffered a 96-88 road loss to its in-state rival. Actually, the Wildcats (2-1) trailed by 20 points with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game. Despite their obvious talent, they could not figure out stellar freshman Mikel Brown Jr. in this Battle of the Bluegrass.
Many head coaches may choose to look on the bright side, especially given the team's determination, but Mark Pope is not letting his players off the hook for what was a missed opportunity to grab a signature win early in the season.
“They did exactly what we didn't do,” he told the media, per Wyatt Huff of Kentucky Wildcats on SI. “They were great in their gap help. …They were elite and we didn't make the simple play. We forced the issue at the wrong times, the wrong ways.”
Kentucky has adjustments to make after falling to Louisville
Pope's frustrations are understandable, as it was essentially a lack of discipline that ultimately cost the visitors. Louisville took almost twice as many free-throw attempts than Kentucky, and although they were just 21-of-31 on those chances, the extra trips to the line certainly helped. The Wildcats need to do a better job of defending without fouling, which is admittedly a difficult task when playing in such a boisterous environment.
Kentucky also got a little loose with the ball, committing 14 turnovers that resulted in 19 Cardinals points. Even so, Pope and fans should feel optimistic about this group. Florida transfer and national champion Denzel Aberdeen did his best to match Brown (game-high 29 points), scoring 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. Even in defeat, this performance could give him a great amount of confidence moving forward.
Mark Pope knows what the Cats are capable of achieving this season, and he will try to keep them on the right path. They host Eastern Illinois this Friday before facing another tough test in Michigan State on Tuesday.
