The Kentucky Wildcats are undefeated no more. The team some consider to be the best in the nation couldn’t handle the Clemson Tigers, taking their record to 7-1.
Mark Pope’s team led by more than 15 minutes, yet they couldn’t 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, Clemson’s grit and grind were too much to handle for Kentucky, according to coach Pope.
Clemson’s physicality made a difference
“It was a really physical game. It’s a credit to them,” Pope said after the loss. “It’s how they play. Their bigs are relentless with their physicality toward working it into the post.”
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 you’re not going to win many games with that formula:
“We tried to — out of the goodness of our hearts and the care for our team — fix a lot of things by ourselves. It’s just not how we play. We’re not a minus assist-to-turnover ratio team,“ said Pope. “That’s not who we are, and all the credit goes to Clemson for creating that environment.”
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The Wildcats won’t 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.
