Kentucky falls to North Carolina: 3 things to know and postgame boos

The Kentucky Wildcats lost again, this time to the North Carolina Tar Heels on Tuesday night in Lexington by a score of 67-64.

The Cats got off to a strong start as they appeared ready to go from the tip, but they came crashing back to earth fairly quickly after the second unit checked in. The teams traded blows after that point, but the scoring slowed and it ended up being a low-scoring first half. The game was tied 31-31.

The highlight of the first half (and game) had nothing to do with basketball, however. That was the introduction of new head football coach, Will Stein. Stein came out as the “Y” during a TV timeout and Rupp Arena exploded. It was a surreal moment for Kentucky’s new coach.

After the break, Kentucky fought, and they forced themselves into the lead. Defense was the name of the game in this one as both teams locked in. However, it got ugly. The Cats went more than 10(!) minutes with a field goal. They couldn’t hit water if they were shooting off a boat, and that was their undoing.

Kentucky has now lost 7 of its last 8 games against ranked teams. This was North Carolina’s first win in Rupp Arena since 2007.

Next up, the Cats will travel to Nashville to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs, another ranked opponent, on Friday night.

Rebounding is a significant concern

Kentucky has been a really good rebounding team thus far this season. However, they struggled mightily against the Michigan State Spartans, and it was more of the same in this game.

The Cats have dominated the glass in all of their wins. They beat the Louisville Cardinals on the glass, but it was a high-scoring game against a team with no inside game. The Spartans simply bullied the Cats into submission, and the Tar Heels did the same.

Kentucky dominated this game in most categories as they shot it well from the field (not from deep), they scored off turnovers, and they slowed down Caleb Wilson, but UNC got rebound after rebound, specifically on the offensive end, and UK had no answers.

If we see more of this, it doesn’t matter how good Kentucky improves 0n offense or defense because, unless you play perfectly everywhere else, it’ll be hard to win games getting dominated on the glass.

Defense and transition is where this team can thrive

Mark Pope has begged this team to find its identity. They shoot a lot of threes, but they’re not shooters. They act tough, but they’ve been punked by the only two decent teams they’ve played, and they were dominated on the glass again tonight. They’ve shown flashes on defense, but no consistency.

Tonight, I think Pope and Co. got their answer. This team can thrive on defense and in transition. The Cats forced turnovers and pushed the pace, and they looked much more comfortable doing so.

The offensive identity of this team was built around Jaland Lowe, and the defensive identity was built around Jayden Quaintance. Kentucky’s obviously been without both guys, and that’s no excuse, but that shifted what this team could be.

Right now, UK is at its best when Otega Oweh, Collin Chandler, and Denzel Aberdeen are off and running. Those three also happen to be UK’s best three individual defenders (and players). All three of them are good at jumping passing lanes and they’re hard to stop when they get a head of steam.

Mo Dioubate has been out hurt, but he is a lot like the other three. Kentucky’s identity may change again when JQ and, potentially, Lowe may make their way back, but that’s no guarantee. They need to embrace who they are and focus on that going forward.

Break out the Jelly

I’m not talking about grape or strawberry jelly. I’m not talking about PB&J. I’m talking about Andrija Jelavić, AKA Jelly.

The sophomore forward from Croatia isn’t your typical newcomer, as evidenced by his sophomore stature. Jelly hasn’t played college basketball, but he played extensively overseas and is 21 years old. He’s shown flashes in his limited minutes, but it wasn’t until tonight that he finally blossomed.

Jelly isn’t the most agile, but he played great going up against Wilson for much of the night. He took advantage of mismatches down low, but he didn’t force the issue. And he played poised, which was so important in a game like this.

I think AJ is a really important part of this team going forward. When JQ and Mo D come back, I think we’ll see more of Jelly and less of Brandon Garrison, and that’s HUGE. His continued progression is crucial.

In the end, the Cats couldn’t finish, and that’s all that matters. Another loss in a disappointing second season so far for Mark Pope. The noise is starting to get louder about Pope. This is concerning.