Mark Pope "refuses" to blame officials for Kentucky's free throw problems in loss against Georgia

No. 6 Kentucky's coach, Mark Pope, took full accountability after the Wildcats fell 82-69 to unranked Georgia on Tuesday night. Despite a game dominated by whistles—Georgia went to the free-throw line 38 times compared to Kentucky's 19—Pope refused to blame the officials.

"Listen, that doesn’t have anything to do with this game, man," Pope said postgame. "We leave all that stuff. We’re working on the next play. We’re going to go control the stuff we need to control. And we can control enough factors in this game to win the game. That will always be true. So we refuse to be distracted by that."

Mark Pope working on Kentucky's problems

One key factor in Kentucky's loss was Georgia’s ability to spread the ball effectively. The Bulldogs tallied nine assists and had four players score in double figures. Another recurring issue, Pope noted, was Kentucky’s struggles during the middle stretches of each half.

"We’re starting games well," Pope said. "The 12- to four-minute segment has been a little problematic for us. We’re doing some deep dives into tandems that work on the floor, but there’s something in there that’s just been troublesome for us. I don’t know if it’s scheme, flow, lineup. We’re still digging into that, and we’re fine."

Despite the loss, Mark Pope and Kentucky aren't hitting the panic button just yet. The Wildcats have notched wins over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville and Florida this season, showing they can compete with the very best in the country.

Despite this loss, Pope is still optimistic about the team's growth and ability to get through the challenging road ahead.

"Like I said, I thought we made great progress the last game, and it was hard for us this game," Pope said. "That’s certainly been something we’ve seen."

Consistency will be the key factor for the Wildcats as they enter a tough stretch of games. Mark Pope and his troops face ranked opponents in three of their next four matchups, starting with No. 14 Mississippi State on Saturday.