Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats are shaping up to be one of the biggest disappointments of the season already. They don’t have a single win against a ranked opponent, and the offense just isn’t clicking. For the most expensive roster ever assembled in college basketball, backed by a massive $22 million NIL budget, the Wildcats have been seriously underwhelming. And the schedule isn’t getting any easier from here.

Next up for Mark Pope is a familiar opponent in the Gonzaga Bulldogs, another ranked team, and Pope admits that while it is a must-win game for the Wildcats, it won’t be easy by any means.

“I’ve been battling (Few) for what seems like 100 years. If he’s not the best in the biz, he’s one of them. They play incredibly fast, they’ll dominate you on the glass, they’ll kill you with paint points,” Coach Pope said, fully aware that the Bulldogs are no pushover. And who better to understand just how good the Gonzaga side is than Pope himself?

Before joining Kentucky, Pope saw plenty of Gonzaga during his time at BYU. He faced the Bulldogs nine times in the West Coast Conference, but came away with just one win. He also coached Utah Valley State against Gonzaga in a buy game to open the 2016-17 season, and that ended in another loss to the Bulldogs.

Pope had a 1-9 record against Few’s Bulldogs before finally breaking through last season with a close 90-89 overtime win, a game where Kentucky came back from 18 points down. It was one of the bright spots of his first year in charge. But right now, the atmosphere around Big Blue Nation is filled with frustration and growing anger.

For a blue-blood program like Kentucky, being 1-7 in their last eight ranked matchups is simply not acceptable, and the patience is wearing thin.

Eight games into the season, Kentucky sits at 5-3, and all three losses have come against the only ranked opponents they’ve faced, each in its own frustrating way. They spent most of the Louisville game trailing by double digits, got humiliated by Michigan State 83-66, and then went a stunning 13 minutes without scoring against a struggling North Carolina team.

When Kentucky hired Pope two years ago, the one thing the Wildcats were supposed to be able to count on was an efficient offense full of skilled playmakers and floor-spacing shooters. That’s what Kentucky basketball has always been known for.

When you think of Kentucky, you think of guards like Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey, and so many others. But this year has been different. Pope prioritized length, athleticism, and defensive upside when building his roster, and so far that shift has turned into the team’s biggest catastrophe.

Mark Pope’s decision to build the roster with only one true point guard has backfired badly, with Jaland Lowe still sidelined by injury. Ahead of the Gonzaga game, Coach Pope did give an update on Lowe’s status.

Mark Pope provides Jaland Lowe update

While this season hasn’t gone the way Coach Pope hoped, he does have his share of sympathizers. Projected lottery pick Jayden Quaintance is still out as he rehabs from an ACL injury. Mo Dioubate is sidelined again with a high ankle sprain that could keep him out for all of December. And then there’s starting point guard Jaland Lowe, who has played only two games this season before going down.

Missing three starters has obviously played a big role in these struggles, but when you spend $22 million, you expect to have real depth, and that simply hasn’t shown up yet. That said, fans are eager to know when their floor general will return to steady the ship.

“He’s been a little bit on the practice floor, he’s gonna try and practice a little bit today,” Pope said. “He did some live stuff yesterday, so he’s kind of working his way back in and we’ll see how that goes. Today we’re gonna let him kind of — you guys can all come and take a shot at it if you want, just roll in. We’re gonna see what happens. I don’t know (about Gonzaga), we’ll see. Don’t know, I’m not sure.”

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It’s almost certain that Lowe will miss the game against Gonzaga, which will make things even tougher for Kentucky. But the Bulldogs might also be low on confidence after a brutal 101-61 loss to Michigan. If there’s ever a moment for the Cats to prove they still mean business, this might be it.

Can they do it? ESPN thinks the Bulldogs have the edge, giving them a 53.2% chance to win. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!