It was a rare week with no Kentucky Basketball, so it felt like an eternity waiting for the Cats to return to the court. The patience was rewarded with a Saturday afternoon monster matchup against the #14 Gators, with the top spot in the conference on the line.
Several weeks ago, it would have been hard to believe, but Mark Pope’s team stabilized a rocky situation and took the floor ranked in the top-25.
Before the game, it was clear that beating Florida on its home floor in front of the Rowdy Reptiles would be a daunting task. The Gators started hot and used the home crowd as fuel to absolutely pour it on early on Kentucky in the first half, thanks in part to an onslaught of turnovers by the Cats.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… UK found themselves down double-digit figures before you even settled in and got comfortable. At one point, Florida’s lead was as many as 15 before it was reeled back in, though it rarely felt as if the Cats were truly even in the game. After cutting the lead, ESPN announcer Karl Ravech put it best: “It’s a five-point lead, but it feels like 30.”
The Cats would head to the locker room down 43-34.
As unsurprising as it may have been to watch UK get down big, it also didn’t come as a surprise to see them claw their way back into it. Kentucky cut the lead to two points, but the mountain was too high to climb on this day. Florida used their bulky bigs to control the game and thwart any real threat of losing the game before coming away with a 92-83 win over the Cats.
It was frustrating to see yet another poor start and even worse to see it translate to a loss. If not for that poor start and all those turnovers, it’s fair to wonder if Kentucky could have done enough to have a chance to win this in the final minute.
Alas, a loss is a loss, and the Cats miss out on taking first place in the SEC.
Denzel Aberdeen finished with a team-high 19 points (8/21 shooting) in his return to Florida, while Collin Chandler kept up his hot play with 18 points (6/10 shooting). Malachi Moreno chipped in a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards as his stock continues to rise, despite playing against a very strong Florida frontline.
And hey, at least Kentucky showed plenty of fight and beat that 12.5-point spread that was staring them in the face enteting the game. Small victories.
Here are five things to know following Kentucky’s latest setback.
Kentucky misses chance to take SEC’s top spot
Coming into Saturday’s game against #14 Florida, the Big Blue Nation was locked in to level set exactly where their team was after landing in this week’s top-25. An up-and-down season created understandable apprehension about overly celebrating the Cats’ recent success. You couldn’t draw up a better test for Mark Pope’s team than facing the defending national champions on their home floor.
Win or lose – it was important for Kentucky to walk away from this game feeling like they belong in the conversation to contend for the #1 seed in the conference tournament.
The same thing we’ve seen all season long, a roller coaster performance that required overcoming a large deficit. Only this time, the opponent was too good to steal a win from.
It also creates a very steep climb for Kentucky to get back in the race for an SEC regular-season championship. At 8-4 in conference play, the Cats just about need to win out to have any chance of winning the crown. Otherwise, they’ll have to settle for hopefully finishing in the 2-4 spot and earn a double bye in the SEC Tournament.
Kentucky forgot the game started (again)
Another game, another terrible start for Mark Pope’s Cats.
UK’s inability to execute early has become the norm for this season and has played a key role in their overall mediocre results. It was painstaking to watch the Cats get down 15 points in the first half. After a week off, I expected the players to look rested and ready to execute.
Instead, the Gators pummeled Kentucky early, creating another mountain to climb if they were to secure a victory. But then again, Mark Pope’s squad had already come from behind to win four conference games this season, but couldn’t make it a fifth on the road against the defending national champs.
Whatever the pregame routine is – let’s tweak it.
Moreno did his best to carry UK frontcourt
Not having Jayden Quaintance and Kam Williams available for Saturday’s road matchup against a physical top-15 team stung even a little more. The size and strength of the Gators overwhelmed Kentucky for most of the game. Who knows if having JQ and Kam Williams would have made an ultimate difference, but there’s no denying that having two taller players would have served Mark Pope and the Cats well in Gainesville.
It’s especially frustrating to think about the fact that Jayden Quaintance is supposed to be UK’s pillar in the paint that could have counteracted some of the bully-ball that Florida was having success with.
However, shout out to Malachi Moreno for more than holding his own against a stout backcourt. His stock continues to rise as he proves he’s capable of competing against anyone in the country.
If Moreno keeps this up, it feels like Kentucky can have a chance against just about any frontcourt in America. After all, Florida has arguably the best one, and Moreno more than held his own, though he needs to work on finishing his layups.
He’s a good one, and it’s clear that Kentucky fans won’t get to enjoy him for four years. At this rate, we may be lucky to get two out of him before the NBA comes calling.
It can be easy to critique your own situation, but sometimes you just have to acknowledge that the team on the other side is pretty damn good.
Florida is a big, fast team that has won their last four games by an average of 28 points. Beating them on their home floor was going to be a tall task for literally any team in the nation on Saturday.
As much as the BBN hates to see yet another awful start, it’s worth noting that the Gators are capable of that kind of onslaught no matter who their opposition is.
Whether we like it or not, the SEC runs through Florida this year.
Kentucky will face Georgia on Tuesday night at home in a game that they really need to win. A 9 PM tip-off could pave the way for yet another slow start and potential disaster.
SEC tournament seeding is beginning to take shape, and for the Cats, avoiding a Wednesday/Thursday game is the top priority. Securing a top-4 seed in Nashville will be critical for a title run and also impactful on Selection Sunday. UK needs to win every game on Rupp’s floor, but especially the games they’ll be favored in, like Tuesday night against Mike White and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Now, let’s discuss this game.