Kentucky will not play Brown until Tuesday due to the 10-day Christmas break. Brown is coming off a loss to Kansas, while Kentucky comes off a loss to Ohio State on December 21st.
Let us analyze the necessary steps the Cats must take to recover from last week’s loss.
Kentucky played their worst basketball of the season last Saturday in the loss to Ohio State. If they want to return to their winning ways and achieve consistency, the offense must address the issues at hand.
The Wildcats have the shooters in Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, and Otega Oweh to rely on when the offense goes stale, yet in the last two losses, they have not been present.
When SEC play comes, the Cats will need to be prepared from all angles, whether it’s a fast-paced game or a slower one like against Clemson and Ohio State. In some of those games, they will have to play ugly and still manage to win.
Fortunately, they have a game scheduled just before the home opener against Florida on January 6th at Rupp Arena to address some issues, work on improvements, and hopefully have a successful get right game.
In the losses to Clemson and Ohio State, the theme of the game was defense and more defense, but not in a favorable way for the Cats. Clemson dominated them, and Ohio State did the same, particularly in the paint. The Buckeyes scored 36 points in the paint. This is not an encouraging sign as they head into SEC play in just two games.
Kentucky made only 7 out of 23 layups (30.4%) in last Saturday’s 20-point loss to Ohio State. During the Christmas break, they have had to focus on this, and it is certain that Mark Pope, along with the coaching staff and players, are eager to address this issue before it becomes a consistent problem.
SEC play is approaching in January, and this marks Mark Pope’s first season in the SEC. It is also his first season in a year where the SEC is as challenging as it is now. Kentucky’s first game is at home against Florida, followed by back-to-back road games at Georgia and Mississippi State. It doesn’t get any more challenging than that.
I anticipate a few losses. This is simply the nature of the SEC this year, and it is not necessarily a bad thing, as many of the other teams will also be competing against each other, including Kentucky.
They face the challenge of securing a series of victories that will bolster their position on Selection Sunday, similar to their wins against Duke and Gonzaga. It is feasible; they should focus on winning their home games, which will be difficult, and accept a few losses on the road. The key is to ensure they win several of their home games.
One thing is certain: SEC play will be brutal, and I would not be surprised if a team with six or even seven losses became the SEC champion. That is just how tough the SEC is this year. It is one of the toughest and best conferences in basketball, and for good reason.
With that said, I eagerly await how Mark Pope will prepare the team for next Saturday’s game when Florida comes to town for his first SEC home game. It should be exciting, and there is no better way to start than against a strong Gator team that has been one of the best in the country this season.
Let’s get it on.
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