UK head coach Mark Pope addressed the game in his Thursday press conference.
“What we didn’t do well at Vandy, there were a bunch of things that jumped on our back, and we couldn’t kind of keep our focus in the moment,” Pope said. “So, we ended up having these weird, anomalous things.”
How can the Cats take what happened on Tuesday night in Nashville and build on it?
“So, the challenge for us is, can you just be focused on right now?” Pope said. “Can you drown out all the noise, drown out the play that just happened, to play that is about to happen, and just be currently in this one? And when we do that, we’re really good. So, that will be our job.”
The challenges keep on coming for Kentucky, as the Cats visit Arkansas on Saturday night at Bud Walton Arena (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Hogs, of course, are coached by former UK head man John Calipari, who beat Kentucky last season in Rupp Arena. That factor, in addition to it being a game against a ranked opponent, bring a little extra juice to this game. However, Pope pointed out that most of Kentucky’s games are the same way.
“We’re on the emotional roller coaster. It’s just what this year is for us right now,” Pope said. “I think mostly every game is charged for us. Every game is so big, and this one is for all the reasons.”
Kentucky hopes that the emotional roller coaster is on its way back up, beginning on Saturday night in Fayetteville.