It might be time to panic about Kentucky’s terrible defense
This can’t be the same Kentucky team we saw earlier this season, right? It seems like a lifetime ago that the Wildcats started the 2024-25 season by holding its first eight opponents to 76 or fewer points. At that point, Kentucky had legitimate title hopes, but as Big Blue Nation quickly learned, nothing great lasts forever.
There was a clear breaking point for this Kentucky defense – the game against Gonzaga. In one of the best games we’ve seen all season Kentucky struggled to slow down Gonzaga giving up 89 points, but got the win. In the eight games before beating the Zags, Kentucky’s defense allowed 68.4 points per game holding opponents to 37.6 percent from the floor. Granted most of those early season games were against inferior opponents, but the Wildcats did hold Duke to 39.4 percent from the floor.
Since that game, Kentucky’s defense has completely fallen off a cliff. In their last 13 games, the Wildcats have an 8-5 record (4-4 SEC) and are giving up more than 81 points per game. Opponents are making 45 percent from the floor and 31.9 percent from three. Games against Colgate and Brown are making these numbers look a little more palatable, but college basketball fans should be under no impression that Kentucky has a serviceable defense.
Now if we take a look just at Kentucky’s defense in SEC play, things are much much worse. As previously mentioned Kentucky has a .500 record in conference games and the Wildcats have only held Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee to under 80 points.
The Wildcats rank last or close to last in many defensive categories since the start of the SEC slate. Kentucky ranks 14th in opponent field goal percentage (44.7%), 16th in two-point percentage (57.4%), 16th in three’s allowed per game (10.9), and 16th in points allowed (84.9). There might not be an offense in the country good enough to make up for those kinds of numbers. And let’s not forget about getting steals and forcing turnovers. Kentucky ranks 16th in steals (5.4) and 16th in forced turnovers (8.1). As you can see there isn’t just one problem area for the Wildcats – the defense stinks at all levels.
Final: Ole Miss 98, Kentucky 84
Things are getting dicey for the Cats who have lost 4 of 5. They were never close in this game.
Their defense right now is… horrible. They need Lamont Butler back in the worst way. They’ve allowed over 1 point per possession in 8 of 9.
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) February 5, 2025
Lamont Butler has missed time which explains some of the defensive dropoff, but not all of it. Kentucky has some capable defenders on the roster, including three-time CAA Defensive Play of the Year Amari Williams, but the pieces aren’t working well together. Opposing offenses consistently have wide-open shots everywhere on the court.
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There doesn’t seem to be a quick fix for Mark Pope. Having a completely healthy roster would be a step in the right direction, but it appears that the damage is already done. There is a clear blueprint on how to take down Kentucky. And if the Wildcats are having an off-night shooting, there is absolutely no chance that their defense is capable of stepping up. Mark Pope should be slamming the panic button because if something doesn’t get fixed soon Kentucky isn’t good enough defensively to make it out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
