Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide

Three takeaways from Kentucky’s 102-97 loss to Alabama in an SEC basketball game at Rupp Arena on Saturday:

1. No shame in this loss

Yes, this was an SEC loss, Kentucky’s second compared to three wins in conference play. Yes, this was Kentucky’s first loss at Rupp Arena this season, the first under new coach Mark Pope, who appeared particularly disappointed in his postgame press conference.

“I’ll be a lot better in the postgame four hours from now,” the Kentucky coach said.

Still, as Alabama coach Nate Oats said, “This wasn’t a bad loss for Kentucky. We’ve got a good team.”

A team that made the Final Four last season. A team that boasted the preseason SEC player of the year in Mark Sears. A team that was ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25. A team that played poorly in a 74-64 home loss to Ole Miss on Tuesday night.

“Disgusting,” was the word Oats used after Bama committed 21 turnovers in dropping to 3-1 in conference play after that loss to the Rebels.

So you had to know that the Crimson Tide would be ready to play Saturday in the same arena it lost 117-95 a year ago. And Bama was more than ready. Tide forward Grant Nelson scored 15 points in the previous three games. He scored 19 in the first half Saturday. Sears has been struggling with his shot. He scored 24 points against the Cats.

Kentucky hung in there. There were segments in the second half when you were sure the Cats were on their way to a double-digit loss. Pope’s club fought to the end. Right now you’d have to say that Alabama is the better team. Not by much, however. And that could change between now and March. We’ll see.

2. Alabama did a better job defending the 3-point line

Kentucky and Alabama both entered Saturday’s noon shootout with the reputation of being prolific 3-point shooting teams. In reality, both teams entered the SEC showdown among the best teams in the nation defending shots beyond the arc. Kentucky ranked seventh nationally in that category, holding opponents to 27.9% from downtown. Alabama ranked 12th at 28.4%.

So how did it shake out Saturday? Kentucky was 11-for-27 from 3-point range for 40.7%. Alabama was 13-for-34 for 38.2%. The numbers didn’t tell the entire story. For most of the game, Kentucky couldn’t create the 3-point shots it wanted. Meanwhile, Alabama was 7-for-15 from 3 in the second half, and made key 3s when it mattered.

Sears and Auburn transfer Aden Holloway hit 3s to help spark a 11-2 run that gave the Tide a 67-60 lead with 11:40 remaining. Later, with the score tied at 81, Alabama went on a 9-0 run that was capped off by back-to-back 3s from Chris Youngblood and freshman Labaron Philon.

3. Kentucky’s bye week comes at a good time

Next week is the one week that Kentucky does not have a midweek SEC game. Every school in the league enjoys that luxury once during the conference season. The Cats’ next game is Saturday, Jan. 25, against Vanderbilt in Nashville. And for Pope and company, the bye week could not come at a better time.

Lamont Butler could barely raise his arm during the pregame meal. He played anyway. (“He’s a tough kid. I love the way he plays,” Oats said of Butler.) Andrew Carr has been battling a bad back for a couple of weeks. He’s been playing anyway.

“We need to get healthy,” Pope said when asked about next week.

That includes Kerr Kriisa, the backup point guard who has been out for nearly a month after undergoing surgery on his foot. That’s no knock on freshman Travis Perry, who has filled in admirably. But Kriisa is a terrific passer and has tons of experience. His return will be welcomed.

Kentucky will also welcome a stretch in which it doesn’t have to play a ranked team for a bit. Saturday was UK’s third straight home game against a top-11 team and sixth game this season against a top-15 team. The Cats are now 5-1 in those.

But then after Vanderbilt comes a trip to No. 6 Tennessee on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Vanderbilt upset No. 6 Tennessee 76-75 on Saturday. Such is life this season in the SEC.

No. 4 Alabama puts Kentucky away in final minutes. Pope suffers first loss in Rupp Arena.

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He was once a hot name to become UK basketball coach. He’ll likely be a bother for years.