The Disappearing Act: Where was Kyle Kuric?

Kyle Kuric played 38 minutes against Kentucky. That would be hard to believe if you looked at the stats without looking at the minutes. His stat line consisted of just two points on 1 for 4 shooting, two rebounds, and one assist. Watching the game it appeared the senior’s performance just plain lacked effort. He disappeared for long stretches and I often forgot he was even on the floor. His name was seldom called by the announcers and he made little to no attempt to become involved in the offense, let alone make a play. Any given Louisville possession you could catch Kyle resting in his favorite corner. He watched his team struggle offensively and often seemed uninterested in the game.

Just as bad, if not worse than his offensive performance (or lack thereof) was his defensive performance and lack of rebounding. Kuric recorded just two rebounds in 38 minutes of play, while his matchup brought down 19 rebounds including 6 offensive boards. It wouldn’t be fair to say Kuric was to blame for all of the rebounds that were given up to Kidd-Gilchrist, but he definitely gave up more than his fair share. But not only did he get destroyed on the boards, he was also caught with his hands down on more than a few possessions on defense. Kidd-Gilchrist hit two big three pointers while Kyle slept on defense.

This is not an attempt to point fingers, but as a senior Kyle Kuric is expected to make big plays or at least attempt to make big plays in big games. Maybe three or four plays here or there from Kuric would have made a difference in the Cards 62-69 loss Saturday afternoon. The thing that bothers me and UofL fans like me the most is the lack of effort. Siva went 2-13 from the field, but at least it looked like he tried. Chris Smith had a disappointing shooting night going 1-10 from the floor…..But at least he tried. Kuric attempted only four shots in 38 minutes. Kentucky’s defense certainly played a part in that, but only four attempts is awful. He did not display the qualities of a leader when it counted. This game may not be very meaningful for the players since it’s on the non-conference schedule, but I would expect Kyle to understand how meaningful it is to the fans. He simply didn’t show up.