Injuries are why we lost to Arkansas

[JohnnyGreen1975]

Don’t you guys get it. We were severely undermanned. The guys that we had on the court gave it their best.

A healthy team and we blow them out. Time to move on and get healthy for our Final Four run.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

Injuries are part of the game, we lost because triple C out coached Pope…..

 

[Fox2monk]

Don’t you guys get it. We were severely undermanned. The guys that we had on the court gave it their best.

A healthy team and we blow them out. Time to move on and get healthy for our Final Four run.

I hope we can, it doesn’t sound good on Butler, Kerr, and Carr looks not healthy as well.

 

[shaudyshaud]

The problem is with what is being reported on the 3 guys we are talking about it sounds like they may never get healthy .

 

[BIG BLUE GURU]

I disagree. Even with all of our players back at full strength i think the way Arkansas played last night they would still win. They shot their asses off lol. We hit several threes too but they will not match that performance again this year. Also after watching Arkansas they are the epitome of a team that is our kryptonite. We are a finesse team who really doesn’t like contact or playing smoothering defense. Arkansas thrives on both. Factor in a career shooting night from the whole team and you get what you had last night.

 

[cbrwalt]

Arkansas has a more talented roster

Arkansas played harder

Cal out coached Pope last night

Those are the 3 main reasons.

I will also add I was surprised to see that Arkansas got a slight benefit from the officials. The refs weren't horrible, but it seemed the got more fouls called from similar contact on each end. I thought being the home team and having Cal as the opposing coach we would get a favorable whistle

 

[UKWildcats1987]

We have had injuries for years. This isn't new.

 

[Bluesnky]

Injuries are part of the game, we lost because triple C out coached Pope…..

BS. I’ve seen Cal try to coach a team with no point guard.

 

[HenryMuto]

Arkansas had injuries too if you are going to blame your losses on injuries you probably shouldn't be playing.

 

[Wonky]

No excuse for that loss. All we can do is move on and, hopefully, learn from it.

At this time, we are still an NCAA tournament team, and Arkansas still isn’t. So I have to chuckle at those saying Cal got the “last laugh”. It was a bad, bad loss… and it wasn’t the only one we’ve had this year. But we all know what this team is capable of.

 

[sk73]

BS. I’ve seen Cal try to coach a team with no point guard.

He did it again last night.
Boogie Fland would have been the best player on the floor if both teams had all healthy players.

 

[G-PIP]

Don’t you guys get it. We were severely undermanned. The guys that we had on the court gave it their best.

A healthy team and we blow them out. Time to move on and get healthy for our Final Four run.

We don't blow them out, regardless of personnel, if they play like their hair is on fire and shoot at an incredible clip (for them) - and neither would any other college team. We were their Super Bowl (didn't Cal admit that was "maybe" true in his postgame?). But you are certainly right that losing both your starting PG AND backup PG AND only real PF is a heck of a lot to overcome, especially for multiple games. It will catch up to you eventually, and sooner rather than later.

 

[Kuhldaddy]

Pope had to put this team together in short time. 3 of our top 8 players are injured. 3 of our top 8! This is too much to overcome on most nites.

 

[BlueTick2]

Pope had to put this team together in short time. 3 of our top 8 players are injured. 3 of our top 8! This is too much to overcome on most nites.

This same team beat Tennessee at their place.
The fans are at fault for this loss. When they booed the former UK player it just gave them more incentive to play out their azz, they did.

 

[kydmb99]

We literally just beat a top 10 team on the road with these same players. Quit making excuses. Pope was terrible

 

[The_Ghost_of_Born_and_Bread]

A healthy team and we blow them out. Time to move on and get healthy for our Final Four run.

Let’s not make excuses. It’s unbecoming of a blue blood.

 

[BIG BLUE GURU]

We literally just beat a top 10 team on the road with these same players. Quit making excuses. Pope was terrible

Did you make a post after the Tennessee game declaring Pope was awesome?

 

[Bluesnky]

He did it again last night.
Boogie Fland would have been the best player on the floor if both teams had all healthy players.

Are you telling me Arkansas didn’t have a point guard last night? The top point guard from the 2024 class?

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Don’t you guys get it. We were severely undermanned. The guys that we had on the court gave it their best.

A healthy team and we blow them out. Time to move on and get healthy for our Final Four run.

No we lost because cal ran circles around pope, and Kentucky can’t guard anybody

 

[Kuhldaddy]

We literally just beat a top 10 team on the road with these same players. Quit making excuses. Pope was terrible

That was my point. On a given nite, like when the other team shoots 45 three's and misses most of them, we can still get a big win. But the lack of quality depth rears it's ugly head over time.

 

[ukwazoo]

Boy, we have the excuses down pat

 

[sk73]

Are you telling me Arkansas didn’t have a point guard last night? The top point guard from the 2024 class?

I am telling you that Wagner was used primarily as a 2 guard for Arkansas until Fland was injured.

 

[9timeChampion]

wagner was 2023 not 2024. fland was 2024. Wagner is a better pg than fland though. Fland has been awful in sec play.

 

[catlogic15]

Regardless, there were some head-scratching coaching decisions last night.

 

[G-PIP]

We literally just beat a top 10 team on the road with these same players. Quit making excuses. Pope was terrible

Pope may have been terrible. And I agree that UK should have had enough to beat Ark. (putting aside for the moment how out of their minds they played). But teams can often come together and play incredible in a one game scenario when they lose a top player. I mean we see that happen so much it's routine (e.g., us, TN yesterday, us last season, and on-and-on). But you're not going to continue beating SEC caliber teams without your starting PG, your backup PG and your only real PF. If that scenario doesn't change, we're not far off from Pitino's 1st team in what we should expect - which is that every win from here-on-out will be a pretty big accomplishment.

 

[crestcat]

We literally just beat a top 10 team on the road with these same players. Quit making excuses. Pope was terrible

Well I guess Pope was pretty good when we beat that top 10 team.

 

[JFCats22]

Arkansas had 8 players available. Every team has injuries. Auburn lost the NPOY for multiple games and carried on with no issues

 

[Rockfly78]

It was a combo of things. The thing that has bothered me the most all year is that we do not hustle and play hard enough. That is unforgivable. I love pope but come on man. I hope we don’t have this issue in the years to come. I mean, arky just wanted it more. Unbelievable

I’m very bummed about the injuries because I don’t think those guys are coming back. Just reading the tea leaves, it doesn’t seem good. That being said, I’m afraid we may have peaked.

 

[ukfan1622]

I disagree; the same players just won at UT. We lost because this team shows up against weak teams thinking the win is already in the bag and our fans booed 3 former players and motivated them EACH to have their best game of the year.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

Injuries are part of the game, we lost because triple C out coached Pope…..

Just like he outcoached Oakland and Saint Peter‘s

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

We got our asses kicked plain and simple. Pope didn’t have a good game. Arkansas has more talent, more athleticism. They wanted it more and played harder and more determined. We just sucked ass last night. Fully healthy we still lost that game last night.

 

[rick64]

Injuries were a contributer but not THE reason for the loss.

 

[FirewithFire]

Injuries are part of the game, we lost because triple C out coached Pope…..

Dude, we agree on a lot of things, but this ain't one of them. Arkansas played out of their minds last night. They could have beaten any team in the country playing like that. You put a healthy Butler on the floor and DJ isn't doing jack crap.

I will say that Amari should have been the offensive focus more, but we are beat up and it doesn't look good going forward.

 

[W1LDCAT22]

Arkansas had injuries too if you are going to blame your losses on injuries you probably shouldn't be playing.

This right here

 

[megablue]

I am telling you that Wagner was used primarily as a 2 guard for Arkansas until Fland was injured.

This is definitely accurate ^^^

 

[Blue Bigfoot]

We literally just beat a top 10 team on the road with these same players. Quit making excuses. Pope was terrible

So, the same coach that beat Barnes, got outcoached by Cal?
Or maybe just maybe, Arkansas played out of their ass?
Which is more likely?
I'll give Cal credit for motivating them to 'fight for cal's honor' or whatever it was, but that where it ends.

 

[NociHTTP]

IKR, a healthy team of cats with their hands at their sides on defense, and standing in the corner waving at the guy with the ball, is all we need!

What we need are cats like THIS that play real defense.

 

[Butters' Dad]

Everyone has injuries. Tennessee just beat Florida by 20 points without 2 players including Ziegler. The difference is we don't have the depth to overcome them.

 

[crestcat]

So, the same coach that beat Barnes, got outcoached by Cal?
Or maybe just maybe, Arkansas played out of their ass?
Which is more likely?
I'll give Cal credit for motivating them to 'fight for cal's honor' or whatever it was, but that where it ends.

If Arky shoots their season average from three, we win.

 

[RexShepcat]

Don’t you guys get it. We were severely undermanned. The guys that we had on the court gave it their best.

A healthy team and we blow them out. Time to move on and get healthy for our Final Four run.

Fland, their best or second best player is out due to injury as well.