Will this Kentucky basketball team's effort issues get fixed anytime soon?

Kentucky has struggled mightily with their effort on the court lately, showing no signs of care at all.

Dec 2, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his players during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

This Kentucky basketball team has gotten embarrassed in all of its four marquee non-conference games this season, but none top the mopping that Gonzaga gave the Wildcats on Friday night, as the rolled over this Kentucky team, leaving Nashville with a 35-point win, leaving Kentucky and its fans with yet another embarrassing loss.

Following the game, many national media not only questioned this team's talent, but mostly their lack of effort. This Kentucky team has a tendency to get punched in the mouth early in games, and once they get hit, they just don't respond. Fans were even booing their own team in Nashville on Friday, not because they were losing, but how they were losing. This Kentucky team didn't show effort when they were down, and it seemed like no one took ownership to try and get this thing back on track.

For Kentucky fans, it was really sad to see their team give that type of effort. It took Kentucky nearly 9 minutes to even score its first field goal, and that should tell you all you need to know, but there's more to the story that is Friday's game in Nashville. Kentucky had a very clear effort problem, and you could even tell by the players' body language. If you don't believe these words, take it from a video that explains just how bad the team's attitude and effort was.

….. enough is enough. pic.twitter.com/HOP6aIiEX7

— Berkley’s Pops ™️ (@BrandoAKing) December 7, 2025

This isn't something new. Kentucky's lack of flow on offense has now translated to its lack of energy on defense, and Friday was just the latest example, and it was so bad, everyone was laughing, even the commentators questioned their lack of effort and energy. Aside from the effort, which had something to do with every which way Kentucky was poor in on Friday, and spoiler, it was every part of the game. After the embarrasment against Michigan State, Mark Pope said his message had not been resignating with the players. Now, nearly three weeks later, it doesn't look like it has yet. CBS Sports' Matt Norlander was just one of the many national media blasting this team's effort, saying they have no heart, and continued blasting the team's issues on his latest Eye On College Basketball podcast. The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman also called their on-court product a "shit-show." Goodman's colleague, Rob Dauster, had plenty to say too on his immediate analysis, really going into the team's lack of effort, and he ultimately boils it down to "mercenaries trying to find their next check," as this Kentucky team is known for being the highest-paid in the sport, which many have already mocked the Wildcats over after their abysmal start this season. Dauster was one of the many who were griping about these observations with a lack of effort, even calling out one player in particular.

"It really bothers me when you get paid that amount to do a job, and you don't show up to even try, you go through the motions and you have horrible body language," Dauster said of this Kentucky team and its $22M NIL payroll. "The guy that I specifically called out was Otega Oweh. There were moments where he was demonstrative in throwing his hands up if his teammate made a mistake and putting his head down if something didn't go his way. There were multiple instances where he didn't even try defensively. He would jog back on (defense), wouldn't pay any attention to his man. It would be a backdoor cut and you would get a dunk out of it and he's just paying no attention at all. I don't even think he cared. ...I don't know if entitlement is the right word, but it feels like a lot of these guys are almost mercenaries out trying to find their next check."

That is just one of the many harsh, but very, very fair observations on this Kentucky team right now. Whatever the actual reason, if it's really about the money the players have gotten or not, Kentucky does in fact have a major effort problem, and right now, the observation that it looks like they don't care on the court is exactly right, because they don't, and Mark Pope and his staff have to get their message across to the players, and fast. Right now, there's not any glimmer of hope for things getting turned around in any of their next big matchups.