Kentucky Finds Its Identity in the Paint - and It Starts with a Film Room Meltdown
Sometimes, the most important stat on the box score isn’t a flashy point total or a shooting percentage. Sometimes, it’s grit. And in Kentucky’s win over Indiana, that grit showed up in the form of fourteen offensive rebounds - a number that didn’t just help them win the game, it defined it.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a night where the Wildcats were lighting it up from the field. They shot just 38% overall, hit only 20% from deep, and left points at the free-throw line, converting at a 66% clip.
But when the shots weren’t falling, Kentucky didn’t fold - they fought. Those 14 extra possessions turned into 18 second-chance points, and in a game where every bucket felt earned, that was the difference between a disappointing loss and a season-altering win.
And according to head coach Mark Pope, this shift didn’t start on the court. It started in the film room - with a blow-up from assistant coach Cody Fueger that Pope said was years in the making.
Fueger "Lost His Mind" - and Kentucky Found Its Edge
For weeks, the Kentucky coaching staff had been quietly frustrated with the team’s lack of physicality on the glass. It wasn’t just a concern - it was a growing problem.
The Wildcats track what they call “wedges,” their term for establishing inside position on rebounds. And the numbers weren’t where they needed to be.
Eventually, Fueger - the coach responsible for that area - reached his breaking point.
“Coach Fueger… lost his mind in the film session,” Pope said. “I mean lost his mind like I’ve never seen him. I’ve been with him for like 60 years and he just lost his mind.”
That moment, as unfiltered as it may have been, sparked something. The message was clear: effort on the glass wasn’t optional - it was non-negotiable.
The Response: Relentless Rebounding
When the Wildcats took the floor against Indiana, they didn’t just crash the boards - they attacked them like the season was on the line.
Otega Oweh led the charge with four offensive rebounds. Brandon Garrison added three more.
Mo Dioubate chipped in two. And it wasn’t just the bigs - guards were flying in from the perimeter, throwing themselves into the fray, doing whatever it took to secure extra possessions.
It wasn’t pretty basketball, but it was winning basketball. And for Pope, it was about more than just numbers - it was about a change in mentality.
“It’s fun to see these guys embrace the idea that we wedge to win,” Pope said. “We don’t wedge to do a job or fulfill a quota, we wedge to win.”
That’s a major shift - from checking a box to chasing a purpose. And on a night when Kentucky’s offense couldn’t find its rhythm, that mindset became the story.
A Win - and a Way Forward
This wasn’t just a rivalry win over Indiana. It was a blueprint.
When the shots aren’t falling, when the offense stalls, when the crowd gets tight - Kentucky can still win. They just have to do it the hard way.
The Wildcats didn’t just out-rebound Indiana. They out-worked them.
They out-fought them. They found a way to win that had nothing to do with shooting percentages and everything to do with effort.
And now they’ve got something they can take with them the rest of the season: an identity.
They wedge to win. And as long as they keep doing that, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.