It’s about time.
Mark Pope spent the offseason painting an optimistic picture of his first Kentucky roster, even likening it to a “Ferrari.” But from the beginning, Big Blue Nation saw the glaring flaw: a lack of proven perimeter shooting.
Outside of Kam Williams — who shot 40 percent from three last season at Tulane — there were real questions. Those concerns have only grown louder. Williams is shooting just 24 percent from deep this year, with the lone outlier being an 8-for-10 outburst against Bellarmine. As a team, Kentucky is hitting only 33 percent from three-point range, a number that continues to drag the offense down.
During Wednesday night’s broadcast of Kentucky’s game against Missouri, ESPN’s Tom Hart shared what may have been the most revealing admission yet from Pope. According to Hart, Pope acknowledged that this group is not the offensive team Kentucky believed it would be — and that realization has forced a philosophical shift.
Kentucky Must Become a Defensive Team
With the offense failing to materialize, Pope has placed renewed emphasis on the defensive end of the floor. The issue? Kentucky hasn’t shown the consistency required to hang its identity there, either.
There have been flashes. In the second half against St. John’s, the Wildcats communicated, jumped passing lanes, and rotated with purpose. The defense was aggressive without becoming reckless — exactly what Pope wants.
But those moments have been far too rare. In games like the loss at Alabama, defensive communication completely unraveled. The Crimson Tide routinely found open shooters as Kentucky missed rotations and failed to talk. Alabama made the Wildcats pay, knocking down 15 of 38 attempts from beyond the arc. Kentucky, meanwhile, hit just four threes.
That 33-point gap at the three-point line is a death sentence — and it’s a recurring theme this season.
The troubling part? There’s little evidence the shooting issues are going to magically fix themselves.
Why the NOAH Numbers Haven’t Translated
Pope has repeatedly pointed to NOAH shooting data, which tracks arc and entry angle and rewards shots that pass cleanly through the center of the rim. During the preseason, several Kentucky players graded in the 90s, leading Pope to believe the shooting would eventually normalize.
As recently as last week, he still held that belief. Now, it appears he’s finally backing away from it — and rightly so.
Last year’s roster had a clear offensive identity: spacing, shooting, and constant pressure on defenses. This season, Pope took a different approach, assembling a roster built on versatility and athleticism rather than shot-making. So far, that gamble has backfired.
The Reality Going Forward
If Kentucky is going to survive this season, the formula is painfully clear. The Wildcats must defend at a high level, rebound with consistency, and win the small, gritty battles they’ve routinely lost.
Pope has admitted the offense isn’t coming to save them.
Now the question becomes whether the defense can.
