Kentucky basketball: Mark Pope's Cats shred Tennessee's vaunted defense in victory

Kentucky basketball: Mark Pope’s Cats shred Tennessee’s vaunted defense in victory

Posted by author January 31, 2025 Basketball

The Wildcats made 12 3-pointers against Tennessee, the nation’s best 3-point defense.
Coach Mark Pope is hopeful point guard Lamont Butler can return for Saturday’s game against Arkansas.

LEXINGTON — It’s nothing for Kentucky basketball to knock down 10 3-pointers in a game. Or to reach that tally efficiently.

The Wildcats lead the SEC in 3-pointers made per game at 10.2. They’re also tops in the league in percentage at 37.4. They surpassed both those figures Tuesday at Tennessee, sinking 12 triples in a 78-73 win in Knoxville, Tennessee. And UK posted a 50% conversion rate (12 of 24).

While to the eye it might appear to be merely an average game for the Wildcats’ lethal 3-point shooters, that’s not putting it in proper context.

First: Tennessee wasn’t only the most stingy 3-point defense in the league; entering Tuesday, it led the nation in that category, permitting opponents to cash in only 25.4% of their attempts. UK nearly doubled that mark.
Second, and perhaps most impressive: The Wildcats authored the performance with their top two point guards sidelined by injury. Backup Kerr Kriisa has missed nearly two months after suffering a foot injury in a victory over Gonzaga. Starter Lamont Butler sat out Tuesday with a bothersome shoulder.

With Butler and Kriisa out, Kentucky strung together a patchwork effort against Tennessee’s stout defense. Despite its primary creators unavailable, UK still had more assists (14) than turnovers (13). Three Wildcats had three-plus assists: center Amari Williams (a team-best four), followed by forward Ansley Almonor (three) and guard Koby Brea (three).

Williams’ showing, especially, delighted UK coach Mark Pope.

“Amari Williams is like a one of one,” Pope said. “I’m asking him to do an impossible job right now. … Amari brought the ball up against the press, probably more than anybody else on our team. Like, I’m telling you, this kid is special, man.”

And noteworthy.

“I don’t think there’s a center in the country that’s had to carry a load like the way he had to carry it tonight,” Pope said. “It was incredible.”

Here are other tidbits about the Wildcats, where this week, we’ll look at the present and ahead to the future of Kentucky basketball.

During his weekly radio show Wednesday night, Pope said Butler wouldn’t have been cleared to play if Kentucky had a game that day. But Pope remains hopeful Butler’s health will improve enough he’ll be able to take the floor Saturday, when UK hosts Arkansas (and ex-coach John Calipari) at 9 p.m. at Rupp Arena.

“I’m an eternal optimist, so every media timeout, I was checking with (senior athletics trainer) Brandon Wells to see if (Butler) was ready to go yet,” Pope said after Tuesday’s win. “He never gave me the thumbs-up. But Lamont is the heart and soul of this team, as you know, and so, if and when we get him back, we’re going to be elated. We certainly need him.”

Big man Malachi Moreno, a member of the Wildcats’ 2025 signing class, earned a spot in this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game, which is scheduled April 1 in Brooklyn, New York.

Moreno, who stars at Great Crossing High in Georgetown, is the 79th McDonald’s All-American to sign with UK since the game’s inception in 1977. He’s only the sixth player from the Bluegrass State to sign with the Wildcats and also become a McDonald’s All-American honoree, joining Dirk Minniefield (1979), Winston Bennett (1983), Rex Chapman (1986), Rajon Rondo (2004) and Reed Sheppard (2023).

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.