I’ll be the first to say it: I was wrong, and I am happy to be wrong.
Heading into the Arkansas game, I didn’t think Kentucky Basketball had the mental togetherness to pull it off. I thought the team would
continue to fracture and infight and lose. After watching this team get absolutely punched in the mouth by Vanderbilt, I expected a hangover. I expected them to reel from the hit.
Instead, they took that punch, wiped the blood off their lip, and came out swinging. And they hit first.
Mark Pope summed it up perfectly when he talked about the “epic” competitive spirit this roster has found over the last seven games. He admitted that for a while, it felt like they were struggling to bring that fire into the actual games. But something has shifted.
Pope called this stretch a mix of “self-destructiveness and incredible resilience.” That is the most honest assessment of Kentucky basketball right now. They aren’t perfect, far from it, but the “refusal to stop” is becoming this team’s identity.
The New Baseline
Against Vanderbilt, the players looked shell-shocked. Against Arkansas, they looked dangerous. Moving forward, this has to be the standard. Every night, they need to play in the exact same way. Now, you probably won’t make 10 of 11 to start a game, but you can start with the intention and emotion.
In the SEC, you’re going to take hits. You’re going to have nights where the shots don’t fall or the whistle isn’t going your way. Losing is part of the game, but losing meekly is no longer acceptable.
As Pope said, this team’s character is “inspiring.” If they continue to play with this level of resilience, they aren’t just surviving the season; they’re becoming a team nobody will want to see in March.
Bottom line: You can lose a game, but you’d better lose it swinging. This team finally found its hands, and I’m happy to eat my words because of it.
Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion
