Games are 40 minutes for a reason.
Yeah, this is true. I've made a half-time post this season- one of my first ever, and it actually turned out to be very accurate. It was at the half of the Gonzaga game, which went from bad to worse. And we were missing several key players in that one who would have made a significant difference. And we can all see that now.
However, as a rule, it is usually a mistake to make a halftime post, especially one that takes a very pessimistic view of the team and makes final predictions and judgments about a game, and, in this case, an entire season.
I'll admit, back when Gonzaga was destroying UK, I was struggling to see how Jaland Lowe, Mo Dioubate, and Jayden Quaintance could possibly make that big a difference. Without those 3, the team looked helpless. But looking back now and having seen the importance of those players, I've changed my mind. Those 3 are all starters for a reason. Quaintance might be the most talented guy on the roster. Lowe is by far the best point guard on the team and the offense is night and day better with him on the floor. And Dioubate is the strongest, toughest, rebounder I've seen since Tshiebwe. So, it's not a stretch to say those 3 guys completely change the outcome and the ceiling of this team.