The Kentucky Wildcats are undefeated no more. The team some consider to be the best in the nation couldnât handle the Clemson Tigers, taking their record to 7-1.
Mark Popeâs team led by more than 15 minutes, yet they couldnât hold onto get the win. Clemson escaped with a 70-66 decision, leaving a bittersweet taste in their mouths.
The Wildcats won the battle on the interior, slightly outscoring their opponents in the restricted area. Nevertheless, Clemsonâs grit and grind were too much to handle for Kentucky, according to coach Pope.
Clemsonâs physicality made a difference
âIt was a really physical game. Itâs a credit to them,â Pope said after the loss. âItâs how they play. Their bigs are relentless with their physicality toward working it into the post.â
Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope didn t produce an NBA draft pick during his nine combined seasons as the head coach at Utah Valley and BYU. (Ryan C. Hermens Lexington Herald-Leader TNS
Turnovers hurt the Wildcats, says Pope
It was an uncharacteristically sloppy outing for Kentucky overall. They handed out eleven assists and had twelve turnovers, and youâre not going to win many games with that formula:
âWe tried to â out of the goodness of our hearts and the care for our team â fix a lot of things by ourselves. Itâs just not how we play. Weâre not a minus assist-to-turnover ratio team,â said Pope. âThatâs not who we are, and all the credit goes to Clemson for creating that environment.â
see also
NCAAB News: Louisville star Kasean Pryor suffers gruesome injury
see also
NCAAB News: Duke stars get real on Cooper Flagg's turnover issues
The Wildcats wonât have much time to get back on their feet, as they have an even tougher matchup on deck. They will battle No. 8 Gonzaga in a neutral site on Saturday night, and they will need to clean their act up for that high-flying contest.
