Kentucky faced off against #4 Alabama in their fifth game of the season against an AP top 15 team, and their third-straight at home, which marked the first time

Mark Pope and Kentucky fell at home to Alabama 102-97 in quite the basketball game in the SEC. The No. 8 Wildcats brought a lot to the table but the No. 4 Crimson Tide were just a little bit better. Pope threw that word out during the postgame presser though.

One of the best games of the college basketball season took place on Saturday as Nate Oats and No. 4 Alabama went on the road to Rupp Arena to take on Mark Pope and No. 8 Kentucky in Lexington. The two teams battled back and forth in a high-scoring affair before Alabama eventually made a few more plays to come out on top 102-97.

Kentucky basketball had another top 15 matchup in Rupp Arena, this time against #4 Alabama, and while the Wildcats hung around, the final minutes were the story

No. 4 Alabama marched into Lexington and beat No. 8 Kentucky in a thrilling 102-97 showdown between SEC powerhouses. The Crimson Tide and Wildcats showed exactl

“Alabama right now is, of course, they’ve always been so potent, demanding shooting guards’ space, their pace is elite, ” Pope said. “I don’t know if the metrics change every but they are one of the fastest-playing teams in the country.”

Lately, especially in SEC play, fouls have been an issue for this Kentucky team, and it reared it's ugly head against Alabama as the Crimson Tide got to the free-throw line 34 times, essentially at will.

Pope inherited a team that had zero returning players from the previous season’s rotation and was tasked with filling out an entire roster through the transfer portal as well as