Well, that was not fun.
Kentucky’s latest trip to Tuscaloosa delivered another harsh reminder of an issue that is no longer theoretical—it’s real, it’s persistent, and it’s growing. Mark Pope watched his Wildcats fall apart against Alabama once again, later admitting, “First two or three minutes we were good, then we hit a wall.”
That wall continues to be Alabama head coach Nate Oats.
Pope is now 0–4 against Oats, and the numbers behind those losses paint a troubling picture. In those four meetings, Alabama is averaging 96.5 points per game, while Kentucky is scoring 81. Only one of the matchups—the 102–97 loss in Lexington—was competitive. The rest have been decisive:
February in Tuscaloosa: 96–83
SEC Tournament: 99–79
Saturday afternoon: 89–74
What makes this result especially alarming is that this roster was built with Alabama in mind. Pope emphasized defensive versatility, communication, and toughness when assembling this team. Against the Tide, those traits were largely absent.
Instead, Kentucky was pushed around early, struggled to sustain energy, and found itself trailing by double digits for long stretches. The Wildcats have now fallen to 1–5 against ranked opponents, and nearly every one of those losses followed the same script—early deficits and uphill battles.
Mark Pope speaks on brutal loss to Alabama
Speaking with Tom Leach after the game, Pope acknowledged Alabama’s quality while expressing frustration with Kentucky’s physicality and consistency.
“First off, Alabama is a good team… We had some breakdowns… we’re really inconsistent,” Pope said. “I was really frustrated with our physicality… We got out-rebounded in the post even with their starting five on the bench… We have to come respond.”
Kentucky lost the rebounding battle 41–37, a margin that only tightened late as Alabama slowed the pace and missed shots. That struggle was magnified by the fact that the Tide lost their starting center near the end of the first half—an opportunity Kentucky failed to take advantage of.
The frustration is building inside the locker room.
“I think our group is frustrated right now for sure,” Pope admitted. “Coaching is putting it inside them so they can come and perform, and we didn’t tonight.”
This loss marked Kentucky’s third defeat by at least 15 points this season. Through just 16 games, the Wildcats have already been non-competitive in nearly a quarter of them.
For a program with Kentucky’s expectations, that simply can’t continue.
Until the Wildcats show real toughness and consistency against elite competition, Alabama will remain a problem—and Saturday made that impossible to ignore.
