The Kentucky basketball team continues to struggle this season. Kentucky got rocked in a loss on Saturday to Alabama, 89-74. Wildcats head coach Mark Pope was deeply frustrated with his team following this latest loss.
“We had some breakdowns communication wise, defensively, we're really inconsistent. It was unfortunate. I was really, really frustrated with our physicality and effort on the glass and down low,” Pope said, per Sports Illustrated. “I thought it was that was a place where we had to come out here with a massive win, and we didn't. We actually got out rebounded out physical to the post, even with their starting five sitting on the bench the whole second half. So that's a massive issue for us. Our guys are gonna have to take that to heart.”
Kentucky is just 9-5 on the season. The Wildcats are now 0-1 in the SEC. Pope says his team is struggling to find its identity, and taking too many plays off.
“For us to walk out of here shooting a really poor percentage and being out-rebounded by four and out-rebounded on the offensive glass by two with Alabama, I don't know, 50-plus percent, that's a problem. It's not okay for us,” Pope added. “Our identity, basketball wise, has got to be something more than that. So, you know, that physicality was missing. We knew that was something we had to have, and we didn't get it.”
Pope is now 0-4 against Alabama as Kentucky's head coach. The Wildcats next play Missouri on Wednesday, as Kentucky searches for its first conference win this season.
