Kentucky basketball barely got a 78-77 win against Northern Arizona, and you know what? It didn’t feel like a win at all. After getting trounced by Kansas, this was supposed to be the moment the Wildcats righted the ship, but it took a clutch three-pointer from Alex Wilkins with only two seconds left on the clock to survive an 0-3 Lumberjacks team. Fans were booing at various times. It was a lackluster effort that has everyone in Lexington scratching their heads, because this team just isn’t performing like it should be.
Wilkins and Momcilovic: The Lone Bright Spots
It was ugly, no doubt about it, but a couple of guys did show up for Kentucky. Alex Wilkins is obviously at the top of that list. Not only did he drain the game-winning three with literally seconds to spare, but he battled through the last several minutes with four fouls, dished out 4 assists, and played his tail off from start to finish. He showed grit when the team needed it most. Then there’s Milan Momcilovic. After being practically invisible offensively for a couple of games, he finally got things going. Momcilovic dropped 14 points and hit three big shots from deep. These two were the only players providing any real spark in a game that felt like a loss even with the W.
This Defense Is A Disaster, And The Rebounding Is Worse
Here’s where it gets brutal. The defense was flat-out awful. After the Kansas game, you’d think it couldn’t get worse, but Friday night was a full-blown disaster. Northern Arizona, an 0-3 team, was getting wide-open shots almost every single time they came down the floor. They shot over 50% from the field, including a ridiculous 50% from three-point range. Most of those threes were wide open because the Wildcats defenders were either playing too far off or just too slow to rotate. Seriously, it’s college basketball, you can’t let teams walk into easy buckets like that.
And then there’s the rebounding. Oh man, the rebounding. Kentucky, a team with plenty of size, got absolutely destroyed on the boards, getting out-rebounded 32-20 by a much smaller Northern Arizona squad. The frontcourt, with players like the clearly talented Malachi Moreno and Ousmane N’Diaye, is getting bodied night in and night out. They snagged only one offensive rebound all game. There were moments when shots went up and not a single Wildcats player was even inside the three-point line to try and crash the glass. It’s a huge problem, and if they don’t fix it fast, this season is already lost.
Mark Pope Is Feeling The Heat
Winning usually calms the storm, but for Coach Mark Pope, this “win” just added fuel to the fire. He looks more and more out of sorts in Lexington, and the fans? They are beyond dissatisfied. They are loudly calling for his dismissal and already looking ahead at who could be the next coach. Despite having a roster loaded with veteran players, the team just isn’t getting better. It’s gotten ugly very quickly. This wasn’t the bounce-back game anyone wanted. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but one thing is clear: the Wildcats need to figure things out, and they need to do it yesterday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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