UK loses to John Calipari and Arkansas in a game the UK fan base really wanted. For the first time as the Wildcats’ coach, Pope faces adversity.

The Wildcats have now given up more than 1.2 points per possession in 5 of their last 9 power-conference games. Since that streak began on Dec. 21, UK has gone 4-5 in such games and has a schedule-adjusted defensive rating that ranks 162nd nationally, per BartTorvik. Can this issue be fixed?

The Wildcats are beating expectations and playing pretty ball in Year 1, but their new coach's link with the fan base is powering the vibes.