Keion Brooks Jr. did not mince words Friday when asked what he sees when he watches his Kentucky squad on film.
“We look like a team that can’t get it done in the last four minutes of the game," the Wildcats' sophomore forward said. "Too many breakdowns, mental errors, too many times we don’t come up with a very crucial ball. Stuff like that.
"It sucks because I know we’re capable of doing it. We’ve done it a couple times this year. We’ve just lacked consistency and being able to close people out in close games. Watching the film, it shows what we’re not doing, and we’ve got to go out there and correct it.”
Kentucky (5-11, 4-5 SEC) is running out of time to fix its problems. Now the offensively challenged Cats seek a breakout game against one of the nation's top defensive clubs. When No. 11 Tennessee (12-4, 5-4 SEC) visits Rupp Arena for an 8 p.m. ET tipoff on Saturday, the Volunteers will boast KenPom's No. 1 ranked unit for defensive efficiency.
Rick Barnes' team has held eight of its opponents to 56 or fewer points this season. They'll be facing a UK team that ranks No. 108 nationally in offensive efficiency.
The Vols face some of the same challenges in this matchup. UT ranks No. 69 nationally in offensive efficiency and is coming off an ugly 52-50 loss at Ole Miss. They'll have to contend with a UK defensive unit ranked No. 13 nationally.
“They’re trying to stop us; we’re trying to score on them and vice versa," Brooks said. "It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be won down there in the trenches. Whatever team is tougher will come out with a win.”
The end of games has been a particularly bad time for the Cats, who have lost five times by five or fewer points and watched several others slip away down the stretch. UK is plus-17 against opponents in the first 36 minutes of games but a minus-39 in the final four minutes of regulation this season.
“I think it’s a mixture of we’ve got a little bit of bad luck, a little bit of we’re turning the ball over, and we also don’t get the best shot we can get late, down the stretch," Brooks said. "But we’re getting at it. It’s just something we’ve got to continue to work at, keep pushing through, and hopefully this weekend we can play better the last four minutes and come out with a W.”
Kentucky coach John Calipari said almost the entirety of Thursday's practice was dedicated to situational basketball in the final four minutes of the game. He said he thinks the Cats are close to breaking through but they need something good to happen in order to build confidence.
"If you do it, you'll expect to do it the next time," he said. "And if you don't do it, you start expecting that to happen the next time."
Asked if a lack of a "go-to guy" made those situations more difficult, Brooks said UK still has enough talent to figure it out.
“I mean, we’ve just got to get it done by committee," he said. "Even when a team has a go-to-guy, their other teammates still step up and make plays and do what they can to help him out. So, everybody has to step up and play their role, play their part and do what they have to do to help us win.”
