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Postgame thoughts from Kentucky's loss to UNC Wilmington

Two stock fallers from Kentucky's loss to UNC Wilmington

Here are two stock fallers from the Wildcats' loss to UNC Wilmington.

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Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats
UNCW Seahawks
UNCW Seahawks

The Kentucky Wildcats faced off with the UNC Wilmington Seahawks in Rupp Arena and lost 80-73. 

This loss was a painful one as the Cats had so much momentum going after the big blowout win over the #8 Miami Hurricanes. 

This so often is how upsets come about; a team is fresh off a big win and looks past an opponent or doesn't have their best showing. 

This happened to the Cats as they dropped a heartbreaker to the Seahawks on the brand-new court. 

Let's take a look at two Cats who didn't have their best showing in this basketball game. 

Rob Dillingham

Nov 28, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) passes the ball during the first half against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Rob Dillingham has been a star so far for this Kentucky basketball team, but he didn't play well against UNC Wilmington. The freshman ball handler was 1-9 from the field, only scoring two points. Dillingham turned the basketball over four times and made some silly freshman mistakes we really haven't seen from him this season. One thing I know is Dillingham will be okay and has a lot of good basketball ahead of him in blue and white. He will be a star in college basketball and, someday soon, the NBA. He will score a ton of points next Saturday against Penn, as he will want to get the taste of this performance out of his mouth. 

Adou Thiero

Nov 6, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Adou Thiero (3) returns to the bench during the first half against the New Mexico State Aggies at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Adou Thiero has been a junkyard dog for this Kentucky team, rebounding the basketball and getting and-one baskets around the rim. Thiero struggled in this game, but the numbers weren't bad. He was 2-4 from the field, scoring seven points. He also had six boards against UNC Wilmington. The issue for Thiero was his +/-. He was a team worst -18 in this game, meaning the Cats were worse when he was on the floor. This is usually not the case, as Thiero has been a huge part of this team's success early in the season. Like Dillingham, Thiero has a big season ahead of him, and one bad performance is not something to be concerned about. The sophomore still has a lot of bright spots ahead of him during the 2023-24 season. 

Takeaways from Kentucky's 80-73 loss to the UNC Wilmington Seahawks

Takeaways: Sloppy play and poor shot selection leads to a Kentucky loss against UNC Wilmington

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