In college basketball, some losses sting worse than others. And for Kentucky, Thursday night’s exhibition against Georgetown was one of those nights. The Wildcats were outplayed, outshot, and outworked in nearly every category, falling 84–70 in front of a stunned Rupp Arena crowd.
Head coach Mark Pope didn’t sugarcoat what he saw. He called the performance “really, really disappointing,” emphasizing that the effort, energy, and execution simply weren’t there. Georgetown ran Kentucky off the floor, building a 17-point lead at one point while the Wildcats struggled to make anything fall.
The final box score painted a harsh picture — 33.3% shooting from the field, 24.1% from deep, and a defense that never found its footing. But buried beneath the ugly numbers, there was one area Pope actually praised.
The Lone Bright Spot: Relentless Rebounding
“They’re a little deceiving because we shot the ball so poorly,” Pope said, referring to the team’s rebounding totals. “But I did think our guys’ persistence on the offensive glass was a positive thing tonight… in a game where there wasn’t a lot for us.”
That small victory mattered. Kentucky grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, converting them into 11 second-chance points. Those numbers might not win you games by themselves, but they reveal something Pope has been trying to build since day one — a team that competes, no matter the situation.
Even on a night when shots refused to fall, the Wildcats fought for extra possessions. That kind of fight — that willingness to battle despite frustration — is the foundation Pope wants this program to stand on.
Mo Dioubate and Collin Chandler Lead the Charge
If there was any consistent source of energy, it came from Mo Dioubate and Collin Chandler. The transfer forward and the sophomore guard each finished with seven rebounds, setting the tone for Kentucky’s work on the glass.
Dioubate’s performance was especially noticeable. Time after time, he muscled through traffic to tip balls out, chase down misses, and extend plays. He wasn’t perfect offensively, but his hustle kept Kentucky’s possessions alive when little else was working.
Chandler, meanwhile, showed flashes of the motor and toughness Pope values. For a team that’s still figuring out chemistry and roles, having guards willing to rebound like frontcourt players is a major plus.
“Those are the kinds of guys that can change the momentum of a game just with effort,” Pope said earlier in the week. Against Georgetown, that effort was about the only thing that didn’t disappear.
A Hard Lesson in What Wearing Kentucky Blue Means
Postgame, Otega Oweh echoed the frustration but also the accountability that followed. “We’re going to be super locked in from now on,” he said — an admission that the team hadn’t been fully engaged going into the matchup.
That kind of honesty tells you a lot about where this team is mentally. Oweh’s comments hinted at what Pope saw: a group still learning how to sustain the standard that comes with wearing Kentucky across your chest.
The Wildcats can’t afford to coast or assume talent alone will carry them. Every team that faces Kentucky sees it as a statement game — and Georgetown treated it exactly that way.
The Path Forward
Losses like this one are humbling, but they also reveal who’s willing to fight when things fall apart. For all of Kentucky’s offensive dysfunction and defensive lapses, the one undeniable takeaway was their work on the glass.
That’s not enough to satisfy fans, and Pope knows it. But it’s a starting point — a small piece of the identity he’s trying to instill.
The challenge now is translating that fight on the boards into consistency everywhere else: communication, transition defense, shot selection, and poise under pressure.
Because if there’s one thing Pope won’t tolerate, it’s apathy. Thursday night was proof that this team still has a lot to learn about what it means to play like Kentucky. But if they can channel the same hunger they showed chasing rebounds into every possession, they’ll turn this early embarrassment into the kind of lesson that pays off in March.
