Following Kentucky basketball’s 96-88 loss to Louisville, head coach Mark Pope didn’t hold back when reflecting on his team’s uncharacteristic performance during his Thursday press conference.
The Wildcats struggled with turnovers, defensive lapses, and emotional control in their first major road test of the season, falling short in the rivalry matchup despite a late comeback attempt.
“That’s what I am sitting on right now, trying to understand why we were out of character in so many ways,” Pope said
on Thursday. “There are many factors that contribute to that. There was a lot of that for us. I’m not ready to tell the story yet, but at some point, we will talk in detail about our pregame experience at Louisville.
“It was out of character for us. That’s young and new. I don’t want to keep our emotions in check. I want to keep them focused, intentional.”
Pope’s comments hinted at deeper issues behind the team’s pregame mindset, suggesting Kentucky’s inexperience and heightened emotions played a role in the loss.
Despite the defeat, Pope expressed confidence that the lessons learned from the Louisville game will fuel the team’s growth moving forward. And to help aid this, he’s making an adjustment to how the team practices.
“Today will be the first time we’ve had a practice exactly like we’re having today, so we’re gonna learn things,” said Pope.
The Wildcats will have a quick turnaround, returning home to face Eastern Illinois on Friday night at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network Plus, giving Kentucky a chance to regroup and get back on track before diving deeper into the non-conference slate.
