College basketball insider Jon Rothstein believes the answer to getting on the right track for Kentucky starts with the Wildcats' backcourt.
Rothstein mentioned Zoom Diallo, Mason Williams, and Alex Wilkins as three players who could determine how far Kentucky goes this season. At least one of them needs to take a major step forward if Mark Pope's team wants to finish in the top half of the SEC and earn a quality seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“The one thing that needed to happen for Kentucky to be a team that finished in the top half of the SEC and earned a quality seed in the NCAA Tournament was that one of Kentucky's guards, Zoom Diallo, Mason Williams, or Alex Wilkins, was going to need to play at an all-caliber level,” Rothstein said. “Right now, you don't see any rhythm, and you don't see any chemistry on the perimeter.”
“This team and Mark Pope are built on the idea of playing seamless basketball. Like Pope did at BYU.”
Kentucky is coming off an embarrassing 89-69 loss to Kansas earlier this week. The Wildcats struggled to take care of the basketball, committing 15 turnovers that led to 22 Kansas points. They also made just four of their 21 attempts from beyond the arc.
Diallo led Kentucky with 24 points, while Williams finished with four and Wilkins added eight. Diallo showed he can score against quality competition, but the Wildcats need more consistent playmaking and better chemistry from their guards.
Pope's offensive system relies on ball movement, spacing, and players making the right decisions. When the perimeter lacks rhythm, the entire offense can become stagnant. Kentucky cannot afford to have that problem continue.
The Wildcats should have an opportunity to get back on track Friday against Northern Arizona. A victory would move Kentucky to 3-1 entering next week, but beating a struggling opponent won't erase the concerns that surfaced against Kansas.