Kentucky gets a season-shifting win over the Hoosiers.
Kentucky basketball came into tonight’s matchup with Indiana in desperate need of a solid non-conference win.
It just so happened that this wasn’t an ordinary opponent to welcome into Rupp Arena. Winning or losing against the Hoosiers was undoubtedly going to produce a deeper emotion in either direction. With the Cats’ struggles continuing to mount, it was of tremendous importance to find a way to beat the Hoosiers at home.
The Big Blue Nation finally got the fight from their squad that they’ve been looking for. From the opening tip-off, you could sense that this group was tired of hearing about their lack of desire and heart.
A monster second half, ignited by the Rupp Arena crowd, produced the best stretch of basketball that this team has played against high-level competition all season long en route to a 72-60 win over the Hoosiers. The victory allows everyone to take a deep breath while acknowledging that there is much work to be done before Selection Sunday.
For now, enjoy beating the Hoosiers and protecting the precious Rupp floor against an old rival.
Cats come out clawing.
The Big Blue Nation has been craving a lot more than made jump shots.
The Cats’ uninspired play has been more frustrating than any execution errors. From the opening tip-off, you could see a fight in Mark Pope’s group that had been absent against top competition. Jaland Lowe provided a spark off the bench, with many other teammates showing noticeable signs of a concentrated effort to play with more aggression.
The results at times are still…… painstaking but more palatable when there’s evidence of players giving it all they have. By no means have the Wildcats cleared all concerns about their will to win and get this figured out, but tonight was a step in the right direction.
A big one for Mark Pope.
This was unquestionably one of the biggest wins of the Mark Pope era. Sure, beating an unranked team at home isn’t all that glamorous, but under the tense circumstances, the Cats desperately needed to find a way to score more points than the Hoosiers tonight.
Can Pope settle in and turn this season around?
Maybe this win over Indiana is the match that sparks an inferno. It sure was enjoyable watching these players have some fun and get the best part of the Kentucky experience.
Scoring points remains a challenge.
At this stage of the season, you just have to call it what it is: This team cannot manufacture easy points consistently against good competition.
This isn’t something that is likely to change, and the Cats must figure out a way to adapt if they want to survive conference play.
Granted, UK played a terrific second half, but it was the grit and determination of players like Mo Dioubate that went a long way on Saturday night, not offensive finesse. This team looks the best when inspired defense leads to transition opportunities.
Mark Pope should now have more than enough data to formulate the best plan of attack offensively heading into conference play.
Mo Dioubate flexes in return.
The Big Blue Nation was craving to see an emotional leader step up and lead by example. Mo Dioubate gave it all he had on Saturday night in Rupp Arena against the Hoosiers. He was the X-factor that Mark Pope needed to mask other deficiencies.
It wasn’t just his impressive stat line that made an impact. Dioubate’s competitive spirit was contagious, and his teammates used the fearless performance on a hobbled ankle as fuel for themselves.
When you take a step back, it really is frustrating to think about how much injuries have played a role in the rocky start for Mark Pope in year two. With some toughness back in the fold, maybe this roster starts to take shape and produce the results we all expected.
One more opportunity for a quality non-conference win.
Obviously, Mark Pope’s Cats did themselves no favors through the first eleven games of the season. After preseason hype that was through the roof, this costly roster has not performed at the level that most college basketball followers expected, and finds itself in desperate need of quality wins.
Kentucky will wrap up the calendar year with games against #22 St. John’s in Atlanta on December 20th and at home against Bellarmine on December 23rd.
After that, it’ll be the predictable, physical gauntlet that is the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky needs to kick it in overdrive and keep it there if they want to put themselves in the best position possible for a run this March.
Some notable games remaining:
#22 St. John’s – 12/20 (Atlanta, GA)
@ #12 Alabama 1/3
@ #20 Tennessee 1/17
@ #15 Vanderbilt 1/27
@ #17 Arkansas
#20 Tennessee 2/7
@18 Florida 2/14
@ #21 Auburn 2/21
#15 Vanderbilt 2/28
#18 Florida 3/7
Now, let’s celebrate this win!
Go CATS!!
Category: General Sports
