The Kentucky Wildcats took the floor in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, looking to extend their four-game winning streak with an upset road victory against a top-15 Alabama team.
Coached by the crafty Nate Oats, #14 Alabama always presents a unique challenge for an opposing defense, and this season will be no different. The Crimson Tide’s attack is even more challenging to guard on their home floor. The game plan for Bama will always be to get up a ton of three-point shots, and boy, were they hoisting them
on Saturday in Coleman Coliseum.
UK had no answers in the first half for the impressive ball movement and doubled down by not showing the kind of grit that the BBN craves.
Mark Pope appeared to press the right buttons at halftime, because his players clawed back and chipped away at Alabama’s big lead. However, the Tide’s Aden Holloway made big shot after shot, thwarting any chance Kentucky had at completing a comeback. Alabama would come away with an 89-74 victory, handing the Cats their fifth loss of the season.
Here are five things to know from this one.
Disappointing First Half.
If you were on pins and needles this holiday season, impatiently waiting to watch your Cats take the floor after a 10+ day break, it probably didn’t take you very long to become frustrated and maybe even disgusted by what you saw.
The Crimson Tide would surrender the first five points of the game before going on a nine-point run and never looked back. Fueled by their home crowd, Nate Oats’ squad dialed in and punished UK in nearly every facet of the game. Kentucky trailed by as many as 21 points, and the 16-point deficit at the break felt like the nail in the coffin before the second half even started.
It’s understandable to have trouble guarding an Alabama team that can light it up, but the lack of focus and determination was as concerning as the lopsided score. After a long wait to see them play, the first 20 minutes of action were undoubtedly deflating for the BBN.
Where’s the sustained fight?
I’ll try not to make a complete generalization of Mark Pope’s short tenure as the head coach at Kentucky, but the consistency with which his teams don’t bring any juice for a full 40 minutes is alarming. In many instances, hustle and determination could offset the lack of execution this team continues to show.
On Saturday, the Cats had stretches of hard-nosed play, but it was never sustained enough to complete what would have been a historic comeback. UK’s big run in the second half proved they have what it takes when the effort is there.
Things aren’t going to get any easier in terms of the opponents with SEC play officially underway. If Mark Pope’s group can’t lock in and play as hard as they can for full games, this season could get even uglier.
At 9-5, Kentucky must now dig deep and decide how the rest of this year will go.
Oweh Shines.
If there was one bright spot in Saturday’s frustrating loss, it was the stellar play of Otega Oweh. After a slow start to the season, it was great to see Oweh look like the player that all of us expected to see this season when #00 was racking up a slew of preseason awards.
It wasn’t just the stat sheet that stood out in terms of what Otega Oweh showed against #14 Alabama; he clearly had that extra gear that the Big Blue Nation has been waiting to see. Oweh was playing the passing lanes on defense, leading to several big slams, and seemed as loose as he has all season, all while playing in the hostile road environment.
If you’re looking for strands of hope as to how this team can position itself as a real contender in the SEC, it’s the emergence of Otega Oweh that could tip the scales over the course of a long conference schedule.
Jayden Quaintance Watch.
If the months of November and December taught Kentucky fans anything, it’s that this team is going to need an extra bit of spunk to ultimately develop into a major threat by March Madness. This roster was seemingly built to have collective capability, but has lacked the star power needed to push things to another level.
Jayden Quaintance was the obvious candidate to provide that spark.
In his first two games against St. John’s and Bellarmine, the 6-10, 255-pound showed flashes of utter dominance, giving hope to the idea that JQ was Mark Pope’s missing ingredient, and now it was time to cook.
Quaintance looked lost at times in the first half at Alabama, but he would end up putting his stamp on the game before it was over. It’s a major positive to see him come off the bench and play 20+ minutes, signaling he’s healthy and ready
It’s important to remember how much time Quaintance has missed and be patient with how Pope will integrate him into the flow.
The Cats need to win the next two at home.
Missouri will come to Lexington on Wednesday, January 7th, and it’ll be crucial for Kentucky to do whatever they can to secure what would be their first SEC win of 2026. UK will be favored to win with ESPN’s matchup predictor, which gives the Cats an 81.9% chance of victory.
Next up will be Mississippi State, also at home, in a game where they’ll be favored. It’s incredibly important to get these two wins under the belt.
Now, let’s dissect this loss.
