The Kentucky Wildcats were blown out by the Auburn Tigers in Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon by a score of 94-78. It was the Tigers’ first win in Lexington since 1988 — a truly bad first for Mark Pope.

The Cats got off to an ultra-slow start, and it didn’t get much better. Kentucky clawed its way back time and time again, but they couldn’t break through. After some questionable calls that really turned the game on its head, the Cats found themselves down 49-34 at the half.

After the break, Kentucky just fell apart. Between the end of the first half and into the second half, Kentucky went 12 minutes without scoring. They were sloppy and were taken to school by the No. 1 team in the country. This game, along with the Bama games, really serves as a reality check for the potential of this team.

Next up, the Cats will take on the LSU Tigers on Tuesday night in Lexington.

Robinson remains out

Jaxson Robinson made his long-awaited return to the court on Wednesday night, but he was back on the bench before you could blink.

Robinson apparently reaggravated his wrist injury, and it’s now unclear when he’ll return. Kentucky badly missed him in this one. Koby Brea got the start in his place alongside Lamont Butler, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr, and Amari Williams.

I’m not sure J-Rob would’ve made much of a difference in this one. It was unfortunate not to have him, but Kentucky was lost from the jump. Auburn is the better team, regardless of health.

Brea gave Kentucky a lot in Robinson’s place. He started out a bit slow, but he played really well in the second half.

One Wildcat really came to play

This was an utterly embarrassing and unacceptable performance, but one single Wildcat at least came to play. Amari Williams had his way with the Tigers, which included National Player of the Year favorite Johni Broome.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter, but Williams made sure that the Tigers would not forget him. The Tigers were unable to guard him or keep him off the glass. He also absolutely shut down Broome.

Aside from the turnovers (see more below), it was a really impressive game from Williams, despite the ultimate outcome.

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers

The name of this game was turnovers for the Cats. Kentucky didn’t protect the ball, and it doomed them from the start.

Whether they were just sloppy mistakes or the Tigers’ pressure, it was one after another. It was really bad early in the second half when Auburn effectively ended the game. Auburn, on the other hand, didn’t turn it over at all, and as usual, Kentucky didn’t force any bad plays.

Butler and Williams were especially bad, combining for double-digit turnovers. Williams gets a pass because he played well otherwise, but Butler was pretty bad all around. Butler’s return to form is crucial for this team to have any chance of making it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

Now, let us hear your thoughts.