The Kentucky Wildcats were riding high on a seven-game winning streak until December rolled around, bringing their first clash of the month against Clemson. The loss to the Tigers was a setback, but Mark Pope’s squad bounced back quickly, securing three straight wins. Unfortunately, their recent matchup with Ohio State ended in an upset, as the unranked Buckeyes toppled them, shaking things up. Now, head coach Pope isn’t holding back as he has addressed their shortcomings.

Pope recently interacted with media where he expressed frustration regarding team’s insufficient shooting attempts that he really wants to see Wildcats improving. “I’m frustrated that we’re not shooting more threes,“ head coach told Kentucky Today.  “It just eats at my heart. I’m like, man, we should be shooting the ball more. We’re working on that. We’re working on that and we’re going to get there.” 

Kentucky’s game against Ohio State ended in a disappointing 85-65 loss. The Wildcats struggled significantly from beyond the three-point line, making only 4 of their 22 attempts—well below their usual performance early in the season when they frequently surpassed 25 threes. As a result, Pope’s boys ended the game with a dismal 18.2% shooting percentage from deep.

Jaxson Robinson and Koby Brea were the only players to successfully sink three-pointers, each contributing equally to the team’s total. Meanwhile, key players like Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh attempted shots from beyond the arc but couldn’t get any to fall.

A similar scenario unfolded in their earlier loss to Clemson this month. In that game, they attempted 27 three-pointers but managed to convert only 11, resulting in a shooting percentage of 25.9%. However, shooting isn’t Pope’s only major concern; he’s also emphasized the need for improvement on the defensive end.

Defensive struggles highlight Wildcats’ other areas for improvement

“Defensively, we gave up 15 points on rejects alone. It’s just so uncharacteristic for us, just going away from where we’re leading the ball screen, right? I had made a huge emphasis about pushing our bigs up to try and get a little bit more of a presence at the point of the screen. When you let teams reject, it’s the worst thing to do, to push up the bigs. Out of seven possessions, it was 15 points — all twos and an and-one, a perfect field-goal percentage,” Pope said to Kentucky Today.

Kentucky managed just 19 defensive rebounds compared to Ohio’s impressive 28, highlighting a clear gap. On top of that, Ohio’s defense stepped up, forcing the Wildcats into 10 turnovers, while Kentucky could only force seven from their opponents. To make matters worse, the Buckeyes were on fire offensively, shooting 56% overall and an incredible 68% from inside the arc.

Mark Pope’s team aims to hold opponents to under 39% shooting but has struggled recently, with five of the last six teams surpassing that mark. “There was a lot we didn’t do well. A lot of things that are going to help us get better, and get better faster,” Mark Pope acknowledged. With plenty of games ahead, the team has an opportunity to adjust their approach and improve. Up next, they’ll take on Brown Kentucky on New Year’s Eve.