By Loveth 
Kentucky had a rough night in the SEC Tournament, suffering a crushing 99-70 loss to Alabama—the worst in the program’s tournament history. Now, they have to wait and see what their NCAA Tournament future holds.
After the game, Kentucky’s head coach Mark Pope, along with players Andrew Carr and Amari Williams, spoke to the media about what went wrong.
What the Players Said
Andrew Carr emphasized that despite the loss, the team isn’t giving up. “We didn’t come this far to just stop now,” he said, making it clear that their focus is shifting to the NCAA Tournament.
Amari Williams admitted that missing Lamont hurt the team, but he didn’t use it as an excuse. “We’ve played without him before,” he said, downplaying the impact of his absence.
When asked about Alabama’s defensive pressure, Williams acknowledged it but wasn’t fazed. “I’ve seen this all season,” he said, though he admitted the team struggled to execute offensively.
After Otega went down in the first half, Carr said the team tried to stay focused, despite the adversity. “Nothing new for us,” he noted, emphasizing their resilience.
Coach Mark Pope’s Take
Pope started by giving Alabama credit for playing a great game but didn’t hide his frustration. When asked about Lamont’s status, he gave a somewhat positive update, saying his injury wasn’t as serious as feared and that he should be back for the NCAA Tournament.
On whether this loss would be tough to shake off, Pope was blunt: “I hope it’s really hard. This is not okay for us.”
Regarding turnovers, he admitted the team was stagnant offensively but still praised Alabama’s defense. He also mentioned that Travis Perry played significant minutes due to Lamont’s absence, calling him the next best option at point guard.
Kentucky’s poor three-point shooting (5-for-19) was another concern. Pope acknowledged the team struggled to generate open looks and lacked the offensive sharpness needed to compete.
Looking ahead to the NCAA Tournament, Pope believes the brutal SEC season has prepared his team, saying, “It’s either going to tear you apart or make you better.”
Moving Forward