We all watched it unfold in Gainesville. Turnovers. Rushed shots. Defensive breakdowns. And a physical Florida team that dictated the pace from start to finish.
But when Mark Pope sat down for his postgame radio interview with Tom Leach, he didn’t dodge the moment. He didn’t blame youth or missed shots. Instead, he did something Big Blue Nation respects — he owned it himself.
Pope Owns the Mistakes
When asked about Florida’s three-big lineup and how their guards shot the ball, Pope didn’t hesitate.
“I thought it was the difference in the game,” he admitted. “We took some terrible routes. We need to clean that up. I probably made mistakes on matchups… I felt like their backcut hurt us tonight.
When pressed to explain which matchups he regretted, Pope simply said, “No.”
He refused to single out players publicly. But anyone watching knew where the breakdowns happened. Urban Klavzar repeatedly got open beyond the arc, finishing 5-of-11 from three. Every time Kentucky made a run, defensive lapses let him score.
The Malachi Moreno Silver Lining
The biggest bright spot was freshman big man Malachi Moreno.
In just 20 minutes before fouling out, Moreno posted 11 points and 11 rebounds — a pace that projected to an absurd 22-and-22 over a full game.
“Yeah, he did it in 20 minutes — 11 and 11 is really hard,” Pope said. “The fourth foul was a killer; it was a young play. Ever since getting beat up at Vandy, he’s shown a real presence on the floor.
But that fourth foul changed the game. Florida immediately took advantage once Moreno hit the bench.
Frustration in the Locker Room
“This one stings,” Pope admitted. “The guys are pretty disappointed. Every game is huge right now. We know Florida played really well… we could play so much better, and that is frustrating for us.
The frustration isn’t just for the team — fans feel it too. With six games left, Kentucky needs at least four wins to secure a strong seed and momentum heading into March. It all starts with a home matchup against Georgia, coming off a blowout loss to Oklahoma.
The Cats have to turn accountability into action — because the clock is ticking, and March is coming fast.
