As we enter the second week of December, the Kentucky Wildcats are just 5-4, off the heels of a 35-point loss to Gonzaga, the worst loss for the program since 1989. A much different position than anyone expected before the season.
Fortunately, the Wildcats’ next opponent is the worst of the season and should not pose much of a threat. North Carolina Central, which is ranked 350th of 365 teams on KenPom, will come to Rupp Arena on Tuesday.
Led by LeVelle Moton, in his 17th season with NC Central, where
he formerly played, the Eagles are looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. Picked to finish 5th of 8 teams in the MEAC, they are 3-8 so far on the season.
Just to provide a benchmark, NC State beat the Eagles 114-66, and North Carolina beat them 97-53. It will be interesting to see how Kentucky responds just days after a historically embarrassing loss.
Let’s take a look at the matchup.
Ball Movement
11.7, that is Kentucky’s average assist number against ranked opponents. For comparison, they average 23.4 assists in their other games this year against mid-major competition.
Yes, part of that is increased competition, but the other part of that is selfishness,
To keep from beating around the bush, I don’t believe that any of these players is going out onto the court with the goal of being selfish or ‘getting their own’, but rather trusting each other and the offensive system, they are trusting their own skill sets more. That can work in specific game situations when a player is good enough, but this team does not have a surefire superstar. The best player (on paper), Jayden Quaintance, has yet to play in a game.
As elementary as it sounds, if this team is going to turn its season around to even a respectable outcome, they have to buy into each other.
Make It Simple
Mark Pope’s offense is centered around reads and decision-making. Up to this point, it’s clear the right decisions are not being made, but the team also isn’t executing. Mark Pope has said that himself multiple times in press conferences this season.
Instead of stopping after the first action, Pope’s offense aims to flow seamlessly from action to action. Ball screens turn into dribble handoffs, which turn into cuts and re-screens, all without pausing to reset. That was seen last year, but not often this season.
One of the biggest issues that has been seen in multiple games is the lack of paint touches. Drives, post feeds, and ball screens force the defense to collapse and open up a myriad of options, but they have to be the aggressor early and get into the paint.
Energy
In Kentucky’s loss to Gonzaga, the two most animated people on the bench were assistant Jason Hart, who lit into the players during a timeout, and Mo Dioubate, who is out with a high ankle sprain.
That shouldn’t be the case. When you are getting throttled, it should be the players on the floor and the head coach.
It’s not who Mark Pope is to cuss at officials or get thrown out of a game, to be Rick Pitino, but the lack of fire when your team is getting throttled is not great for optics.
Against NC Central, there is not going to be a lot of adversity, but positive energy is definitely needed, and it needs to stem from the leaders of the team.
Players to Watch
G Gage Lattimore 6-2, 190 lbs
- 19.5 PPG (Top 50 nationally)
- 3.6 RPG
- 44.9% 3P
F Khouri Carvey 6-9, 230 lbs
- 14.1 PPG
- 6.4 RPG
- 1.3 BPG
G Dionte Johnson 6-0, 190 lbs
- 5.8 PPG
- 5.8 APG
- 2.0 SPG
Kentucky Basketball vs. NC Central Eagles
- Time: 7:00 PM ET on December 9, 2025
- Location: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
- TV Channel: SEC Network
- Online Stream: WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
- Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
- Replay: WatchESPN and the ESPN network (check local listings)
- Rosters: UK | NCC
- Stats to Know: UK | NCC
- KenPom: UK | NCC
- Team Sheet: UK | NCC
- Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for this game, so check back later for those. As far as the metrics, they almost guarantee a win for Kentucky, all 99% or above. EvanMiya gives the Wildcats. a 100% chance to win, followed closely by KenPom (99.8%), ESPN (99%), and BartTorvik (99%).
- Predictions: In relation to the metrics’ winning percentages, they all project Kentucky to win in a landslide. EvanMiya picks Kentucky to win by the largest margin, 95-53. Haslametrics (88-49), BartTorvik (89-55), and KenPom (87-55) follow, all projecting a 32-point or more win. This is the worst team Kentucky will face this season, and barring Kentucky’s roster getting lost on the way to Rupp, will win easily, 101-56.
