Jay Bilas evaluates Kentucky's chances at going on Final Four run

It’s been a roller coaster of a season for Kentucky. After kicking off its debut campaign under head coach Mark Pope with an early win against Duke, Kentucky has struggled to find consistency. During an appearance on SportsCenter Tuesday, ESPN’s Jay Bilas weighed in on the Wildcats’ ceiling this season.

“They’ve got to get healthy,” Bilas said. “Kerr Kriisa has been out, their backup point guard. Lamont Butler has been out. He’s been in and out of the lineup. When you don’t have consistent point guard play, that’s going to be difficult. Jaxson Robinson has had to slide over. He’s had a hand thing. Andrew Carr has been out. So getting everybody healthy is job one.

“But once they do, their offense can compete with anybody in the country. They run great stuff. They’re really hard to guard. They can really spread the floor. They can score a lot of points. I think the problem is they’re just giving up too many and in this league, you can play well and lose. Your defense has to be constant, and that’s an area where they’re still growing.”

Kentucky’s defense has been its downfall this season. The Wildcats are allowing 76.6 points per game, the second-most in the SEC. In comparison, UK is averaging 86.7 points per game, the third-most in the country.

Kentucky found success in non-conference play despite its poor defense, securing wins over Duke, Gonzaga and Louisville. However, there’s no room for weakness in the SEC this season.

While the ‘Cats have some signature wins in conference play, they’re 5-5 in total against SEC foes. Bilas knows that if Kentucky wants to achieve its lofty goals in the postseason it must shore up its defense.

“The analytics tell you what you’ve done, they don’t necessarily tell you what you’re capable of,” Bilas said. “Kentucky is ranked in the 90s in defensive efficiency. If they can trend that and get that down to where they’re in the top 50, then you’re looking at a team that can make the Final Four.”

Kentucky showed some defensive improvement in its latest outing, defeating South Carolina 80-57. The Gamecocks’ 57 points are the least an opponent has scored against Kentucky this season.

On Tuesday, the Wildcats will look to build on their momentum as they square off against No. 5 Tennessee at 7 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.