Cats turn page following loss to Razorbacks

LEXINGTON (KT) — Kentucky is already looking ahead following a disappointing 89-79 loss to Arkansas on Saturday night.

The Wildcats (15-6, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) will take on Ole Miss on Tuesday night in a bounce-back game in Oxford. Kentucky has compiled a 4-1 mark in games following a loss this season but dropped its previous contest following a loss at Vanderbilt that resulted in a rare two-game losing streak.

“We have done a great job so far this year about trying to turn the page and understand that it’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems,” Kentucky forward Andrew Carr said. “You go through so many different emotions throughout a season. We feel like we know how good we are, regardless of how it goes. At this point, we’ve just got to continue to get better and we know that.”

Kentucky, which fell two spots to No. 14 in this week’s Associated Press Top-25 poll, has lost three of its past four games, while dealing with injuries. Starting point guard Lamont Butler has missed the past two contests, while Carr has played 16 minutes in the past two games and has scored just seven points in the last three games he’s played.

“We are dealing with some roster changes right now that are complicated,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said. “We are really good team. We have guys that are really, really competing. We've got some guys that are growing and actually in the process, because they need to step up and be better for us and have guys in the process doing that. We are doing it all while playing great teams and having two or three successes and having some setbacks and it's awesome. You know, this is a journey for us. This is not a coronation, this is a journey.”

The team’s injury woes have also resulted in an increase in turnovers and has led to inconsistency issues on both ends of the court, the coach said.

“I don't think that's an anomaly,” Pope said. “I think everybody in the league is dealing with stuff like that. And it's a challenge for us, certainly, but it's a challenge for everybody. That's somewhere we will continue to make progress.”

Without Butler and its starting lineup intact, Kentucky has struggled with turnovers. The Wildcats have committed 43 miscues in the past three games, including 13 each in a win over Tennessee and the 10-point setback to Arkansas.

“I’m trying to figure out how to navigate,” Pope said. “We have a bunch of guys that are stretching right now to figure out how to play out of position and to make it work. Credit to our guys, man, they are really stretching. And we will get better at it. It's almost like we started a new season. We are two games into a new season a little bit for our team and we are going to learn some new ways to attack this and we will get better at it.”

The Rebels (16-6, 5-4) are coming off a 92-82 loss to top-ranked Auburn. Ole Miss defeated Alabama on Jan. 14 but has suffered setbacks in four of its past five games.

Despite the Rebels’ recent struggles, Carr said Ole Miss will pose a challenge for the Wildcats.

“They’re a super talented team,” Carr said. “Their defense is a little unorthodox. They switch everything and are super aggressive to the basketball — a little unpredictable. Offensively, they’re one of the better iso-type teams we’ve played against. It’s going to be a big test for us.”

Gametracker: Kentucky at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., Tuesday. TV/Radio: ESPN, UK Radio Network.