Mark Pope believes Kentucky's best basketball is still to come this season

Will this Kentucky team continue to improve?

Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts to the action on the court during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

A lot of things have not gone the way of the Kentucky Wildcats this season when it comes to the injury bug. In the Blue-White Scrimmage, Jaland Lowe injured his shoulder, which was an issue for months until he finally was ruled out for the rest of the year.

Jayden Quaintance fought back all offseason in hopes of returning from his ACL surgery and after only playing in a few games, he has been held out for weeks now with knee swelling. It doesn’t sound like he will be back on the floor anytime soon, after Pope gave an update saying he is on full shutdown.

Kam Williams broke his foot in a game recently, which will likely keep him out for the rest of the season. The injuries just keep stacking up for this ball club, and Coach Pope is trying to find ways to win despite the struggles.

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope after winning a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On his radio show, Coach Pope was asked about the injuries and how they have affected the season. Here was Coach Pope’s response, “Despite the diminishing roster, I do think our best basketball is ahead of us. I have so much faith in these guys. We've taken some hits for sure, but these guys have shown a resilience and a commitment to each other."

It is great that Coach Pope is still holding out positivity for the rest of the season, but it is hard to see a world where this team gets much better with all of these injuries. The big reason why I say this is because the Wildcats don’t have a true point guard with Lowe out for the year. Kentucky could continue to improve on the defensive side of the floor, but the offense could struggle down the stretch.

One player who could help with this problem would be Jasper Johnson. If the Kentucky native can continue to improve during his freshman season, it would be really helpful for the offense.

Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Jasper Johnson (2) reacts after forward Andrija Jelavic is fouled during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Wildcats have a tough stretch of the season coming up, with some difficult to win SEC games on the horizon. If Pope and the Wildcats are going to peak at the right time, they need to find some better ball movement on the offensive side of the floor. The showing against Vanderbilt was atrocious, and if this continues, the Wildcats will lose a lot of games down the stretch.

Confidence is important in this game, and it is hard to say the Wildcats are going into the Arkansas game with a lot of it, but if they win, it would be a big boost in this department.