Few Kentucky players in recent memory have drawn as much criticism as Brandon Garrison. Fans question why he even sees the court, national media have piled on, and local voices have been merciless. On Tuesday night at Rupp Arena, it finally boiled over — right in front of everyone.
With just over eight minutes left in the first half against North Carolina Central, Garrison caught the ball in the middle of the lane, turned, and had the ball knocked loose. Not ideal, but mistakes happen.
What followed, however, drove everyone — including head coach Mark Pope — over the edge.
Instead of sprinting back on defense, Garrison jogged, dropped his head, and casually watched as NCCU went the other way for a dunk that cut Kentucky’s lead to single digits. Fans have been frustrated by this type of “nonchalant” play all season, and Pope clearly had enough.
He called an immediate timeout, stormed onto the floor, and lit into Garrison as he headed to the bench, saying “Go sit down.” Garrison never checked back in for the rest of the game.
Afterward, Pope didn’t name names but made his point crystal clear:
> “We just have a standard that we have to live up to, and we’re not, and we have to. So we keep fighting until we do.”
That particular possession failed that standard.
Effort now has consequences
Garrison’s benching wasn’t the only lineup shake-up. Jaland Lowe and Kam Williams, who hadn’t played at all in the first half, entered with roughly 14 minutes left in the second. Pope framed it not as punishment, but the message was obvious: players who don’t bring consistent effort sit, while those who play with intensity get opportunities.
For a team criticized nationally for having “no heart,” this was Pope drawing a visible line in the sand. If you loaf, you sit. Period.
KSR unloads on Garrison
The reaction outside the arena was just as blunt. On KSR, host Zack Geoghegan didn’t mince words:
> “I’m tired of watching Brandon Garrison play. I don’t say stuff like this often, but he should never play another minute for Kentucky. He is not playing hard. He is not giving full effort. Even Mark Pope saw it tonight… glad he benched him.”
Geoghegan did acknowledge Garrison might be a good kid off the court, but this is a nuclear-level critique for a former McDonald’s All-American expected to be a key rotation piece.
Talent vs. impact
On paper, Garrison isn’t a scrub. As a freshman at Oklahoma State, he averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 22+ minutes per game, shooting over 57% from the field. Last season at Kentucky, he contributed 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17 minutes per game, shooting above 50%.
This year, he’s putting up 5.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes while shooting nearly 60% and even showing some three-point range. Those are solid rotational numbers. The problem? They don’t match expectations for someone of Garrison’s talent.
Fans and coaches alike are frustrated by the gap between potential and production — and after Tuesday night, it’s clear Pope isn’t afraid to act when effort doesn’t meet the standard.
