Yesterday’s loss was a tough one for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Trailing Vanderbilt 41-27 at halftime, the game seemed to be slipping toward a blowout. But the Wildcats came out of the break with renewed energy, hitting 8 of their first 9 field goals and reclaiming the lead. At one point, they built a 58-51 advantage with about 8:30 remaining.
However, things quickly took a turn for the worse. The same turnover issues that plagued the first half resurfaced, and Kentucky struggled to get crucial stops down the stretch, ultimately falling short.
With back-to-back losses now on their record, Kentucky’s outlook is less promising. They sit at 3-3 in SEC play and face one of their toughest tests yet: a Tuesday evening matchup in Knoxville against the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee is likely to be favored in the game, and unless Kentucky pulls off an upset, they will head into Saturday’s clash with Arkansas on a three-game losing streak and a sub-.500 record in conference play.
Things don’t get easier for the Wildcats after that. A trip to Ole Miss for a matchup with a top-25 Rebels team awaits the following Tuesday.
Given the tough road ahead and Kentucky’s struggles in closing out games, plus ongoing concerns over Andrew Carr’s health, is there cause for worry among Big Blue Nation?
There are certainly some troubling trends emerging, particularly with turnovers and late-game execution. But we’ve also seen just how talented this Kentucky team can be, capable of competing with anyone when they’re firing on all cylinders.
It’s probably too early for full-blown panic, but yesterday’s loss was painful, and the Wildcats will need to address a few key issues moving forward.
