Historic turnover struggles doom Kentucky in loss to Iowa State
By Adam Spencer
Published:
ST. LOUIS — Basketball is a simple game.
To score points, you need to have the ball in your hands. Having the ball in your hands allows you to take a shot, which leads to 1, 2 or 3 points (depending on where you shoot it from).
The Kentucky Wildcats did not have the basketball in their hands very much on Sunday afternoon in St. Louis against 2-seed Iowa State. And when the Wildcats did have possession, they were quickly relieved of it by an aggressive, stifling Cyclones defense.
None of the current Kentucky players were alive the last time the Wildcats committed 20 turnovers in an NCAA Tournament game. For that, you have to go back to 1993. (Interestingly, Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek was an assistant on that team under Rick Pitino.)
Kentucky beat Florida State in that game back in the 1993 Elite Eight, committing 20 turnovers while winning 106-81.
When the Wildcats actually did manage to take shots, they did pretty well. Kentucky shot 21-of-45 from the floor (46.7%), and 9-of-25 from 3-point range (36%). They actually were more efficient offensively than the Cyclones, who took 61 shots, making 28 of them (45.9%), and going 9-of-28 (32.1%) from deep.
But this game will be remembered for the turnover discrepancy, which saw Kentucky commit 20 while Iowa State only gave the ball away 7 times. The Cyclones had 25 points off turnovers. The Wildcats only managed 12.
What makes the Iowa State defense so tough to play? Both coaches had some thoughts.
“They exert a ton of pressure, they’re very disruptive and certainly they were disruptive with us,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said. “They played hard and they played well.”
“These guys are relentless competitors,” Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger said after the game. “They work for it every day. They’re connected defensively and offensively. … They’re an unbelievable group.”
Kentucky jumped out to a hot start and led 18-6 with 12:48 left in the first half. That’s when the wheels fell off for the Wildcats, who were outscored 76-45 the rest of the way.
Denzel Aberdeen set the tone for Kentucky offensively, scoring 20 points. Otega Oweh had another great all-around effort, posting 18 points and 8 rebounds. But the 2 seniors were the only 2 Kentucky players to score in double-figures.
Tamin Lipsey had the game of his life, scoring a game-high (and career-high) 26 points to go with 10 assists, posting his first double-double of the season.
Iowa State advances to the Sweet 16 to face the winner of Tennessee vs. Virginia. Kentucky ends the season with a record of 22-14.
Cynical Kentucky fans and fans of rival teams will be quick to note the irony of a team with a reported $22 million roster winning 22 games.
“Twenty-two million for that?” an Iowa State band member chirped in the tunnel after the Cyclones’ win.
Many Kentucky fans are thinking the same thing. So were some media members after the loss. Pope was asked about the roster he and his staff assembled this year.
“We’ve heard so many numbers go around that it’s just… we live in a really interesting world,” Pope said. “I think we were disappointed that we never got to run with the roster that we thought we had. These guys did an amazing job adjusting. You think about how (Aberdeen) came here with one responsibility in mind and one framework for a team, and had to transition through the whole course of the year to be a player that he did not come here to be, and that goes with a lot of guys on our team.
“We didn’t get to play the way we planned to. We didn’t get to play with the personnel we planned to. All of that changed, and I think our guys raised up and they made the very, very best of a complicated situation roster-wise and health-wise, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
What does the future hold for Mark Pope and the Wildcats? As Pope’s seat continues to get hotter, he’s confident he can find the right guys to wear “Kentucky” across their chests in 2026-27 and beyond.
“I think our focus is finding guys that want to be at Kentucky because of what Kentucky is,” he said. “This is the greatest place in the world to play basketball. It comes with all the tuff. It comes with all the pressure and the scrutiny.
“These guys won games in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. At any other school, that would be good. At Kentucky, the uniqueness of Kentucky, that’s. not the answer. …
“We’ll find the guys. There’s no place like this. But it’s got to be the right fit for guys and they’ve got to want it. At the end of the day, it’ll be all those things that are important.”
Everyone on the current roster other than Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen, who are out of eligibility, are able to return to Kentucky next year. How many will go? How many will stay? Will Mark Pope be around to oversee the operation?
This offseason has some major question marks hanging over it for Big Blue Nation.
Can the Cyclones keep this strong postseason run going all the way to Indianapolis for the Final Four? Here’s what the Kalshi market thinks of Iowa State’s Final Four chances:
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
