One of Kentucky’s most famous one-and-done stars is echoing the growing frustration of the program’s fan base.
The Wildcats have lost back-to-back games and three of their past five after an ugly 94-59 loss to No. 11 Gonzaga on Friday night in Nashville, Tenn.
Fans booed No. 18 Kentucky off the court at halftime while trailing, 43-20.
DeMarcus Cousins, who has been out of the NBA since 2022, made his displeasure with the current take of the program on X.
“Can’t lie…this uk team has no heart!,” wrote Cousins, whose 2009-10 Kentucky team when 35-3 and lost in the Elite Eight. “This is hard to watch smh.”
Someone even joked with Cousins that he has three years of eligibility left if he’s interested in coming back to save the program, which got a response of the eye emoji from the four-time All-Star.
Kentucky coach Mike Pope was asked about Cousins’ comments and was understanding of both his and the fanbase’s frustration right now after the Wildcats fell to 5-4.
“As a former player, I’m pissed at the coach too, and that’s just all deserved,” Pope told reporters. “There’s nothing inappropriate about what he said at all.”
Pope, who took over for the fired John Calipari, had a successful first season in Lexington, going 24-12 and reaching the Sweet 16.
But the team’s offense has struggled this season against quality teams, scoring 66 points against Michigan State and 64 in a tight loss to North Carolina.
Friday was no different: Kentucky missed its first 10 shots and its first seven from 3-point range.
The Wildcats shot 26.7 percent overall and 20.6 percent from behind the arc in an ugly performance.
“All the boos we heard tonight were incredibly well-deserved, mostly for me, and we have to fix it,” Pope said.
The Wildcats, who play former coach Rick Pitino and St. John’s on Dec. 20 in Atlanta, will look to bounce back against NC Central on Tuesday.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
