KSR Today: Kentucky deals with another loss to Tennessee

adamluckettksr

Kentucky’s defense is a problem. A massive problem. John Calipari’s program was hit across the face with a two-by-four with that problem on Saturday. For the fourth time in nine seasons, Rick Barnes and Tennessee left Rupp Arena with a win on Saturday night.

Kentucky (15-6, 5-4) is now three games back in the loss column in the SEC race with nine games to play and has fallen outside of the top 25 in KenPom for the first time this season. The Wildcats are 1-3 with two double-digit losses since Zvonimic Ivisic was declared eligible. This team is currently spiraling.

There are still important games to be played, but Kentucky is heading in the wrong direction to begin February. KSR Today is starting off this Sunday by taking a look back at the third home loss of the season.

Kentucky cannot stop anyone

Speaking of KenPom rankings, Kentucky has slipped all the way to No. 102 in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Wildcats do not force turnovers and allow teams to shoot solid percentages from two (49.1%) and three (32.6%). Kentucky’s rebounding numbers (70.4% defensive rebound rate) also are not great. To put it simply, this team is not good at anything on defense and that is leading to disaster on the floor.

The defense is sinking the team.

“I don’t know what it is right now, but we’ve just got to find that fight in ourselves and stop letting teams come in and do whatever they want,” Kentucky forward Adou Thiero said. “… We have yet to play with our full team, but not making excuses. We’re going to figure everything out and find that fight within ourselves. We’re a group of competitors, we don’t like losing. We’ll get it figured out.”

In SEC games, Kentucky is 13th in the league in adjusted defensive efficiency. Conference foes are making threes and creating plenty of second chance opportunities via offensive rebounding. This group has a chance to go down as the worst defensive team in recent Kentucky history.

Using KenPom data that goes back to the 1996-97 season, Kentucky’s No. 88 finish in adjusted defensive efficiency from 2012-13 was the program’s low mark. This team is on pace to clear that with relative ease.

Top 10

View All

Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning

Kentucky has a massive defensive problem. Tennessee took advantage of that weakness by scoring 103 points (just under 1.4 points per possession) with 12 three-point field goals and 18 offensive rebounds. Calipari and his coaching staff have a sizable problem to fix. The Wildcats still have five more games against top-35 offenses left on the regular season schedule.

Things could actually get worse.

KSR recaps Kentucky’s loss to Tennessee

Need some morning reading after the tough loss to Tennessee on Saturday night? KSR has everything you need to know from last night’s dreadful performance. This team can score with anyone, but the defense simply cannot stop any offense with a pulse.

Smash those links.

College Basketball’s excellent weekend continues

We have our first Sunday without the NFL since August. That means college basketball will get some more shine the weekend before the Super Bowl. After a thrilling day filled with marquee matchups on Saturday, there are some more huge games on Sunday.

Purdue and Wisconsin are battling for first-place in the Big Ten, Providence-Villanova is a huge bubble game in the Big East, and Illinois hosts Nebraska in another good Big Ten game.

KSR has your full television schedule.