NASHVILLE — ‘Tis the season where we tend to believe in the impossible and hope for the best in even the most dire situations.
Unfortunately for Kentucky basketball fans scrambling to find reasons for optimism, the Wildcats’ struggles to score and general offensive dysfunction is making Grinches of them all. The Cats heard boos early and often from the partisan crowd in their 94-59 loss to Gonzaga on Friday at Bridgestone Arena.
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What’s painfully clear is UK has a bunch of role players, that have talents and skills, yes, but none are from the elevated talent bracket who can be counted on to get a bucket when the team has got to have it.
With an experienced coach, trust could be placed that the right moves would be made to break out of a slump, but UK coach Mark Pope hasn’t earned that level of confidence yet. In fact, he may be drawing the ire because he put this roster together.
The most talented player, forward Jayden Quaintance, is still rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee from February when he was at Arizona State. Realistically, Quaintance never should have been viewed as a potential contributor this season considering how long it takes to fully come back from that type of injury. If and when he finally plays, he won’t be the insta-matic star his talent suggests he can be.
Two of the most glaring shortcomings in Pope’s roster construction were in finding a pure shooter to replace Koby Brea and having a plan for a backup point guard.
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Through the first nine games, point guard Jaland Lowe’s absence was brought up as a reason for the slow start. The Cats don’t have another point guard on the roster, and the Pitt transfer played in just two games before missing five straight games with a right shoulder injury.
Lowe returned Friday, the lef-hander played with a brace on his shoulder and was not the panacea he was being made out to be. Lowe was 0 for 5 with an assist and a turnover in 14 minutes of play.
Forward Mouhamed Dioubate missed his fourth straight game with an ankle injury, but his return to the lineup won’t be the offensive boost they need. He was brought in from Alabama to toughen up the Cats defensively.
It was just the latest example of how bleak the season is looking as they dropped a fourth game to ranked competition with Indiana and St. John’s still ahead before SEC play begins.
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The Bulldogs never trailed as UK started the game like it left off the loss to North Carolina on Tuesday night, nearly incapable of making a basket. Kentucky went 2 for its last 16 from the floor against the Tar Heels and missed 13 consecutive at one point.
Against the Zags, the Cats missed their first 10 shots from the floor and had a separate, equally futile streak of eight misses in a row later in the half. They shot 5 for 31 — including 3 for 20 from 3-point range — and trailed at halftime 43-20.
This column will be updated.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at [email protected], follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jaland Lowe return to Kentucky basketball not answer many hoped for
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