Kentucky closed out BBN United Tipoff Classic against Eastern Illinois on Friday night with another convincing defensive performance. As this early stretch of the season continues, the Wildcats are beginning to reveal both their strengths and weaknesses.
Defense Leading the Way
Let’s start with what’s become the defining trait of this team: defense. It’s becoming clear that Mark Pope’s group has the potential to be legitimately elite on that end of the floor.
Louisville may have been an outlier: nerves, rivalry pressure, season opener energy, whatever it was. Outside of that, Kentucky has been playing elite defense. Excluding the Louisville game, the Wildcats have held opponents to 51, 59, and 53 points. Regardless of the competition level, that’s amazing defensive consistency. So great that the Wildcats are ranked 7th in defensive efficiency, according to kenpom.
Is Everything Okay with Otega Oweh?
One emerging concern that is starting to gain traction is Otega Oweh: If I told you that a month ago, you would have thought i was lying.
Some fans pushed back last week when I mentioned his body language seemed off, but that feeling hasn’t gone away, and other fans have begun to recognized the same thing. Whether it’s lingering effects of his turf-toe injury that sidelined him for much of the summer, or adjusting to not being “the guy,” or simply the difficulty of driving when Mo Dioubate shares the floor with him, something isn’t clicking, and it needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.
Oweh is too talented to stay in this slump, but he is more than capable of fixing this.
Mo Dioubate’s Impact and Fit
Speaking of Mo Dioubate: he’s special. He plays hard, he competes, he rebounds, he defends, and he gives Kentucky an edge they don’t have elsewhere.
However, pairing him with Oweh offensively isn’t helping either of them when you have others guy that complement each other better. Neither player stretches the floor, and it shrinks spacing in a very noticeable way way. Still, Dioubate’s presence is going to win Kentucky games. His production speaks for itself, and he’s quickly becoming a very important piece to this Kentucky team.
The Point Guard Picture
One of the biggest storylines right now is how will the point-guard situation look with another likely absence of Jaland Lowe in the near future?
Denzel Aberdeen is proving he can be a sustainable lead guard, whether it’s for the entire season, or until Jaland Lowe returns from injury. He’s steady, poised, and doing exactly what Pope needs from him.
The bigger concern? There’s no clear reliable backup option.
Collin Chandler has to stay on the wing, he looks ten times more comfortable there and is shooting over 50% from the beyond-the-arc after four games. That leaves Jasper Johnson as the likely backup ball-handler. Nothing against Jasper: he hasn’t been bad, but relying on a freshman point guard to steady you against elite high-major teams is a tough ask for anyone. He’s going to need to grow quickly if Lowe remains sidelined.
This, however, does not discredit the phenomenal night that Jasper Johnson had. He ended with 8 points (3/7 FG, 2/4 3PT), 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Not too shabby? It would be nice to have that some kind of production on Tuesday when Kentucky faces Michigan State, but we’ll see.
The Frontcourt Trends: Brandon Garrison and Malachi Moreno
Brandon Garrison started the night strong with six early points… and then never scored again. Four turnovers didn’t help either. His ceiling remains high, but consistency continues to be the issue.
He was here last year. The system isn’t new. The inconsistency is a concern that fans worried about last season too.
Meanwhile, Malachi Moreno continues to look outstanding in contrast. He’s confident, playing efficient, and rebounding at a high level. Pope likely won’t replace Garrison in the starting lineup yet, but when Jayden Quaintance returns, Moreno may sneak his way into more meaningful minutes.
Role Players Rising
Kam Williams quietly had a strong night, going 2-for-4 from three. With his 7-foot wingspan and defensive upside, all he needs is consistent shooting to become a major rotation piece. Nights like this matter for a guy like him.
Trent Noah also looked solid in his first full run this season, scoring eight points, and knocking down two early threes. If he continues to hit shots at the elite level we heard about this summer, it’s going to be hard for Pope to keep him off the floor.
Andrija Jelavic might be the most quietly impressive newcomer so far. He’s defending every spot from 1 through 5 comfortably, handling the ball well, and he’s making smart decisions. Even with the three turnovers tonight, he has just four total this season. He’s shooting only 20% from three (2/10 3PT), but the confidence hasn’t decreased. Once the shot starts falling, he’s going to look like an entirely different weapon. Considering how late he arrived compared to the rest of the roster, his progress is extremely encouraging.
About Mark Pope
Yes, some of Pope’s postgame quotes lately have raised eyebrows recently. He hasn’t quite sounded like himself. But there’s no sense in overreacting. This team is learning, growing, and figuring out its identity. Pope still has a long runway to get this right.
The Big Picture
This team has a very, very high ceiling
Real evaluations will come next week, when Kentucky faces Michigan State in the Champions Classic: a team has already beat another SEC team in Arkansas. They’re disciplined, well-coached, and capable of exposing weaknesses. That game will tell us much more about who the Wildcats truly are.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading — and buckle up. We’re about to learn a lot more about this group.
