Kentucky showed a handful of cracks in its first loss of the season against Clemson last night. For the third game in a row, three-point shooting was not in the Wildcats’ favor. But Kentucky also struggled to stay out of foul trouble, being heavily overloaded in the first half and failing to score in the final period when points were needed. Great Britain showed a fight in the second half that inspired the head coach Mark Popebut his players just couldn’t hit enough shots.

Clemson’s packed home crowd created an atmosphere unlike any this group (albeit a veteran group) of the Wildcats had experienced. They’ll see an even more intense and larger fan base this Saturday in Seattle against No. 7 Gonzaga. In the intervening days, Kentucky will dive into the film to see what went wrong against Clemson and how it can be fixed against the Bulldogs.

For the fifth year guard Jaxson RobinsonIt wasn’t even an hour after the final buzzer sounded and Clemson fans stormed the field that he decided to put the loss aside and mentally turn his attention to Gonzaga. There are larger goals at stake in allowing this loss to continue for too long. It’s time to get back to the gym.

“Honestly, I’m excited to play Gonzaga,” Robinson said after the game. “I feel like our guys handled things really well, even though we didn’t win the game. I think that’s a good testament to the team and the people we are. We’re all itching and excited to get back to work. Work starts tomorrow, it doesn’t start on Saturday. I’m just getting back to the drawing board.”

“Everyone is still confident,” Robinson continued. “A defeat does not define our season. The ultimate goal is to win a national championship, and this is just one step toward it. I’m just making sure we get back home and recover.”

That’s the beauty of it being the beginning of December – there is that a lot Basketball that still needs to be played. You’d rather absorb and learn from some hits now rather than during the tournament. Kentucky simply can’t allow one loss to turn into two, three or four.

“I feel like our guys are mature enough, even the younger guys, because they know it’s just another game,” fifth-grader Center said Amari Williams said.

Looking at the bigger picture, a loss to Clemson likely won’t have a significant impact on the Wildcats’ resume. But how well or poorly Kentucky responds against Gonzaga a few days later could be telling.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features and exclusive content.