Kentucky head coach Mark Pope changed his starting lineup in Friday’s 88-46 win over Loyola Maryland, inserting freshman center Malachi Moreno and sophomore guard Kam Williams with regular starters Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, and Collin Chandler.
This adjustment to the starting five contrasted with the previous four games, which featured a starting frontcourt of Mouhamed Dioubate and Brandon Garrison, and a backcourt consisting of Aberdeen, Oweh, and Chandler. After the Wildcats’ win over the Greyhounds, Pope explained his lineup change during the postgame press conference.
Kentucky Coach Mark Pope Deploys Brandon Garrison Off The Bench Amid Fan Outrage
Garrison was removed from the starting lineup after three lackluster games against Louisville, Eastern Illinois, and Michigan State. He averaged 3.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in that stretch. Fans were enraged with the situation, prompting Pope to shake up his roster.
The second-year Wildcats coach addressed the situation by starting the 7’0″ Moreno at center while giving the junior forward a key role off the bench. The change worked well for the Wildcats. The freshman had 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and four blocks in his first start. Garrison added six points, 11 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 20 minutes of action.
Pope spoke during a postgame press conference and expressed satisfaction with how Garrison responded to the demotion.
“Maybe the best story of the night, the story you look for is BG’s response,” Pope said of 6’10” forward. “I mean, he’s an 11-rebound guy. I don’t think he’s done that all season, has he? Has he been an 11 rebound guy starting? And so that’s the beautiful thing.”
The Wildcats coach applauded Garrison’s effort off the bench, saying that the player who made massive progress from last season is back after an uninspired game against Michigan State.
“Well, BG was an incredible example tonight of learning of holding on to that lesson at least for one night. It’s like, ‘hey, coach decided not to start me. I’m going to go be unbelievable in my 20 minutes off the bench,'” Pope said. “He wasn’t perfect, but his effort was great.”
Pope Speaks About Malachi Moreno and Kam Williams Complementing Each Other
The Kentucky coach immediately shifted gears, spotlighting new starters Moreno and Williams. He highlighted how Dioubate’s ankle injury forced lineup changes, while Garrison slid to the bench, opening the door for Moreno’s debut as starting center.
Building on the coach’s decision, Williams shared scoring honors with Chandler, finishing with 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. At the same time, Moreno came in two rebounds shy of a double-double and shone on defense, returning four Loyola-Maryland shot attempts back to sender.
Following these standout performances, Pope hailed Williams’ ability to make significant contributions across the board, filling up the stats. He was also reminded of his former player, Koby Brea, in terms of physicality.
“He’s got a little bit of Koby Brea, a kind of vibe where Koby, early in the season was reluctant to get downhill and actually get into the dirty work of the physicality of the game and the paint,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pope emphasized that he wants to pair Moreno with Williams, as he believes both will complement each other better than Garrison at power forward. Kentucky hopes the roster shakeup will help it secure more wins during the nonconference phase.
The team will take the court next on Nov. 26 against Tennessee Tech at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
