Le Journal

We have talked about the biggest issue facing Kentucky Basketball right now: the slow starts. It happens nearly every game. The Wildcats find themselves down 10 points or more way too often. In the last two games alone, they fell behind by 18 to LSU and 17 to Tennessee. While they were able to pull themselves out of the hole on the road both times, you can’t depend on a miracle comeback every single time you take the floor. And yet they find themselves in that position far too often. Sooner or later, you have to go out and play 40 minutes of good basketball. They have yet to do that this year. There have been flashes or spurts. But against a Power 5 team, there is not a full 40 minutes where you can go, “That’s it, that is what we need more of.” When asked about why it is happening, newly inserted starter Andrija Jelavic didn’t really have an answer. He said, “I don’t really have an answer to that, I’m not going to lie… I don’t really have an answer to that.” But Mark Pope isn’t just sitting around watching it happen over and over; he is trying new things to wake this group up during the first half. “We’ve actually talked to the team about changing the way we do our 40 minutes before tip,” Pope told reporters this week. The head coach didn’t reveal exactly what that entails, whether it is a change in the warm-up drills, the locker room speech, or the timeline of their arrival, but it is a clear acknowledgment that the current setup isn’t working. A lot of fans point back to Auburn last year to notice the difference in the warm-up speeches from Bruce Pearl and Mark Pope. You can see the difference for yourself: I keep going back to that Auburn vs. Kentucky game last year, where Mark Pope brought almost no energy, the players were just sitting there barely clapping, meanwhile Bruce Pearl had Auburn fired up, players yelling, chanting, and huddling up as a team.I just want to see Pope… pic.twitter.com/ezZtLBN9Q2— Chris Beasmore (@CBeasmoreSports) December 6, 2025 Mark Pope is a more cerebral guy; he is not going to do a lot of yelling and jumping. He has told BBN that burning white hot is only good at times. But maybe this team needs some more of that. Whatever it is, we will see if we notice any change in the energy level tonight as the Cats take on Texas. Kentucky can not keep digging themselves 20 point holes in mid-January, and beyond, that’s for sure. ___________________________________________________________ Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion

Wildfires burning across south-central Chile have pushed the confirmed death toll to 20, with authorities keeping red alerts, a state of catastrophe, and a night-time curfew in parts of the Biobío and Ñuble regions as crews continue to battle multiple active blazes.

The Kentucky Wildcats return to Rupp Arena tomorrow night as they look to keep their winning streak alive against the Texas Longhorns. Texas comes into Lexington playing some good basketball in their own right, as they look to pick up a signature win for their tournament resume. Meaning, Sean Miller will have his squad ready to go. The Longhorns will also have their full roster healthy and ready to take the court, as once again Kentucky is hampered by injuries. Earlier on Tuesday, Mark Pope broke the news that sophomore big man, Jayden Quaintance would once again be out. That was confirmed tonight in the SEC availability report. Now missing four games in a row, the staff is hoping for a return to the court soon for JQ. As you have likely heard a bunch by now; anytime you can return a future lottery pick to the floor, it is a good thing for your team. Especially when you are flirting with the bubble line. The wait and hope game continues for the BBN to hopefully see Quaintance back on the court. Let’s hope some good news comes soon.

The Kentucky Wildcats have won three straight games in SEC play and are now 3-2 in league play. Last week, they earned hard-fought road wins at LSU and Tennessee. Kentucky is now 29th in the AP Poll, having received the fourth-most votes of teams just outside the Top 25. Unfortunately, the Wildcats will have to continue winning without big man Jayden Quaintance. Head coach Mark Pope announced on Tuesday that Quaintance will miss Wednesday’s matchup with the Texas Longhorns. “He will not play tomorrow night, but he’s making progress,” Pope said at his Tuesday press conference. “We’re super optimistic (about Quaintance playing again this season), and he’s kind of going through the process, and hopefully he’ll be back soon. I know that’s not very descriptive, but I’m trying to be protective of him also.” It’s great that there is optimism that Quaintance can return this season. He does add something to this team, and that can matter in February and March. Quaintance is a really good rebounder and shot blocker. His presence makes Kentucky’s defense better. However, he’s not much of an offensive threat just yet. He can become one, and his defensive prowess is really intriguing. Kentucky put up a valiant effort against Tennessee on the board Saturday with Quaintance out. That shows this team can win even as Quaintance deals with swelling in his knee, which has kept him out since the Missouri game. The Wildcats host Texas on Wednesday, a team that averages over 86 points per game. Kentucky weathered the storm without Quaintance on Saturday against a big Tennessee team. They’ll have to do so again on Wednesday against the Longhorns, and likely Saturday as well when they host Ole Miss.