Kentucky
Kentucky is not ready for a deep postseason run
The Kentucky Wildcats were no-shows in Columbia last night as the South Carolina Gamecocks knocked off the Cats for the second straight season.
How did they do it? Well, the tape speaks for itself.
Lamont Paris had his squad prepared and executed their game plan to perfection, playing physically with the Cats at the point of attack and making sure that Kentucky could not put up any volume from 3. That ultimately led to the season low in points scored at 62 for this UK team.
Now, the question that will linger throughout the fanbase is this: Can this Kentucky team make a deep postseason run?
Obviously, the answer to that question has fluctuated throughout the last few weeks, but it all comes down to this: Offensively, they can beat anyone, but defensively, they struggle to stop any team. The stats back it up.
Let’s first start with a statistic from just conference play. According to Corey Price of the UK Sports Network, this is the first time that the Kentucky program has allowed more than 77 points in each of their first six conference games since they joined the league 91 seasons ago.
This is the 91st season that Kentucky has played in the SEC. This is the first time ever that Kentucky has allowed at least 77 points in each of their first 6 SEC games of a season.
— Corey Price (@coreyp08) January 24, 2024
To add more fuel to the fire, KenPom has also shown Kentucky’s regression on the defensive end of the court as well. In the KenPom defensive efficiency stat, here is where the Cats have ranked in the last five seasons, including this season:
- 52nd in 2019-20
- 35th in 2020-21
- 36th in 2021-22
- 68th in 2022-23
- 94th to this point in 2023-24
The regression speaks for itself when looking at the numbers. Here is the thing, though: It won’t shock anyone if the Cats come out the rest of the season and get back to their 90+ scoring games.
Ultimately, at Colonial Life Arena, the BBN saw the worst of both worlds. The defense wasn’t great, and the offense couldn’t get going, which is the recipe for disaster against anyone.
This team could beat anyone in the country, but there are also quite a few teams that can beat this team on any given night.
Are they set up for a deep postseason run? While the offense is up to par, the defense is too much of a liability right now to see Kentucky winning 4+ games in the NCAA Tournament. Until it gets better and this team shows it can play more physically, it’s hard to see this team making it past the second weekend of March Madness.
Even in the era of the transfer portal and NIL, fans of a team will still focus on and care about recruiting. That’s especially the case with the Kentucky Wildcats. Fans are already up in arms about Kentucky’s recruiting for the class of 2026, or, in their case, lack thereof.
Only one player is signed for the class of 2026, after 4-star point guard Mason Williams announced his commitment to play for the Cats on Friday. On the board. Still work to do.
Chris Washington Jr., an Alabama decommit and top-35 senior prospect, is a new target for Mark Pope and UK ahead of the spring signing period in mid-April. The staff reached out to his AAU coach, Bobby Maze, to gauge the athletic wing’s potential interest. This is all according to Kentucky Sports Radio.
Washington is a 6-9, 195-pound forward who originally committed to Alabama, but decommitted in November. Kentucky is now included among the likes of Tennessee, Oregon, Oklahoma State, USC, and SMU that are interested in Washington.
“It’s a good program,” Washington said of Kentucky while adding, “Honestly, I just want to go where I’m wanted — and the play style. I got to go where I fit in and where the coaches really want me. (My recruitment is) open. Whenever the time is right.”
Only four players ranked ahead of him remain available in 2026, including No. 1 Tyran Stokes. That tells you just how big of a prospect Washington will be in the spring signing period.
Kentucky has swung and missed in recruiting a lot recently. But there is still time to get things moving in the right direction this spring on both the high school front and in the transfer portal.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WKRC) — A Kentucky man was arrested Thursday after police said he was riding a horse while intoxicated, reports WBKO.
Bowling Green police said they found 48-year-old Jorge Luis Hernandez on a horse, partially slumped over, as it walked along a road. He and the horse then began traveling on a sidewalk, according to an arrest record.
Police said Hernandez had a “strong odor of alcoholic beverage” and had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and delayed movements. Hernandez said he had just left the liquor store and had a liquor store bag tied to the horse’s saddle.
Hernandez was arrested and charged with operating a non-motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants.
Kentucky
Kentucky Newsmakers 3/29: Senate Candidate Charles Booker; Kentucky League of Cities Pres. Mayor Paul Sandefur
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – On the latest edition of Kentucky Newsmakers, WKYT’s Bill Bryant talks with Kentucky Senate candidate Charles Booker and Beaver Dam Mayor and Kentucky League of Cities President Paul Sandefur.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Sunday Puzzle: Vowel Renewals
Red Rooms makes online poker as thrilling as its serial killer
Over 2 dozen children among 33 bodies pulled from Kenyan mass grave: authorities
Scathing report claims nation’s oldest labor union ‘betrayed’ MAGA members through ‘shocking’ spending
Cases of ‘white plague’ rising in US as doctors warn of ‘rebound effect’
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Scathing report claims nation’s oldest labor union ‘betrayed’ MAGA members through ‘shocking’ spending
Republican US lawmaker demands Congress vote on any Iran troop deployment
So you went to a No Kings protest. Now what?
JD Vance says he was ‘obsessed’ with UFOs, believes aliens are actually ‘demons’
The EU's recipe for trade deals : easy on beef, tough on wine
-
Sports1 week agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico7 days agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Miami, FL3 days agoJannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Ab-Revealing Post Amid Miami Open
-
Tennessee6 days agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Minneapolis, MN3 days agoBoy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube job scam text: How to spot it fast
-
Politics1 week agoSchumer gambit fails as DHS shutdown hits 36 days and airport lines grow
-
Science1 week agoRecord Heat Meets a Major Snow Drought Across the West