Kentucky was annihilated on its home floor on Friday night.
During a 94-59 loss to the No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs, Kentucky fans made their displeasure with the No. 18 Wildcats known, as there was rampant booing throughout the night – and Kentucky head coach Mark Pope understands the frustration.
“All the boos that we heard tonight were incredibly well-deserved, mostly for me, and we have to fix it,” Pope said after the loss. “We’ve kind of diminished a little bit into a bad spot right now that we have to dig ourselves out of it, and it’s going to be an internal group thing, and we feel the responsibility we have to this university and this fan base.”
Kentucky shot 26.7% from the field, 20.6% from behind the arc and was out-rebounded by Gonzaga, 40-27. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs shot 57.1% from the field and 50% from behind the arc. Gonzaga forwards Graham Ike and Braden Huff combined for 48 points. Moreover, the Bulldogs were coming off a 101-61 loss to the No. 7 Michigan Wolverines.
The loss dropped Kentucky to 5-4, with all four losses being against ranked opponents: Louisville (96-88), Michigan State (83-66), North Carolina (67-64) and Gonzaga (94-59).
“As you roll through life,” Pope said, “you just have your response, and our response so far has not been adequate, and we have to fix it.”
Kentucky can correct course as it plays two more ranked out-of-conference matchups before SEC play begins, as it hosts No. 22 Indiana on Dec. 13 and No. 23 St. John’s on Dec. 20.
Pope is in his second season at Kentucky, with the Wildcats going 24-12 and earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season before later losing to Tennessee in the Sweet 16.
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