Kentucky fans got what they had been asking for — and it still wasn’t enough.For the Wildcats’ SEC home opener against Missouri, Mark Pope shook things up. He adjusted the starting lineup, tightened the rotation, and gave extended minutes to UK’s “best players,” including designated 3-point shooter Kam Williams. On paper, it was exactly what fans had demanded. But instead of a season-turning win, it resulted in a gut-wrenching 73-68 loss to the Tigers at Rupp Arena.
Kentucky led 66-58 on an Otega Oweh 3-pointer with 4:37 remaining, but managed just one more field goal the rest of the way. Turnovers and missed opportunities allowed Missouri to outscore the Wildcats 15-2 in the final minutes, leaving some fans booing after the final horn in front of 19,085 spectators.
“Our execution down the stretch was poor,” Pope said afterward. “Worse than poor, really.”
The Wildcats’ record — 9-6 overall, 0-2 in the SEC, and 2-6 against quality opponents — reflects a season that feels precarious despite being barely a month in. History shows Kentucky teams can start slow and still turn things around, but with the negativity mounting, the clock feels like it’s already ticking.
The logic behind Pope’s changes was sound. Kentucky started point guard Jaland Lowe and big man Jayden Quaintance, widely considered among the team’s three most talented players along with Oweh. Yet even with both healthy and starting, Kentucky trailed 19-12 early and 33-32 at halftime. Lowe struggled, shooting 2 of 11, while Quaintance scored only one point in his fourth game back from an ACL injury.
Pope shortened the rotation to nine players, giving more minutes to his top contributors. Oweh played 35 minutes, Lowe, Williams, and newcomer Denzel Aberdeen played 28, and power forward Mouhamed Dioubate logged 25. Williams, who had recently hit eight 3-pointers in a win over Bellarmine, attempted seven 3s against Missouri, making only two and missing two critical open shots down the stretch.
Despite having his best players on the court, Kentucky seemed to run out of gas late, being outscored 8-0 in the final 1:14. From the moment they held a 66-58 lead, the Wildcats had nine offensive possessions, yielding three turnovers, three missed 3-pointers, a blocked shot in the lane, a missed layup, and one jumper by Brandon Garrison with 2:17 remaining.
Pope, whose teams are known for modern, pace-driven offense, expressed frustration. “Our pace in the half-court has been like the manifestation, the DNA of who we are on my teams,” he said. “It is incredibly frustrating that we are not finding that right now. That is why we are trying to simplify everything and dumb it down… so we can at least execute with some pace and some decision-making. But we are not there yet, clearly.
The struggles stem from roster construction. Pope’s system relies on big men with slick ball-handling and shooters who can consistently hit 3s. Against Missouri, five of the nine players used were shooting under 25% from beyond the arc, and all three late-game turnovers came from centers attempting passes.
So even when Pope gave fans what they wanted, the Wildcats ended up in the same frustrating spot. It’s still early in the season, but for Kentucky basketball, the clock is already ticking.
