It was one of Kentucky's best games of the entire season, although early in the contest it didn't seem that one would be able to say that. And it wasn't a perfect 40-minute performance without room for improvement. At times I thought Kentucky's defenders could have contested shots a little more. Sometimes the Tigers had looks a bit too open and they were able to step into good shots, making them easy shots. But consider the margin of victory even after a slow start and the offensive potency of the opponent. LSU was bound to score some, and Kentucky held them in check as well as you could ask them to overall.
Several things stood out.
Tyler Ulis was his usual magnificent self with the basketball. Ulis finished with 14 assists and in both the first and second half he simply shred the LSU defense. I was not impressed with LSU's defense at all, nor was most anybody going into the game. But the extent of Ulis' mastery over the Tigers' defense was truly a sight to behold. If you throw a weakness at Ulis he's going to find it, shine a light and magnifying glass on it and show it to the whole world, and he really made all their problems very clear.
But truth be told some of Ulis' assists were rather easy, and much of the credit for that goes to Skal Labissiere. It was one of Skal's top couple of performances all season. His 18 points came on 8-10 shooting, he snatched down nine rebounds, he blocked six shots and was even credited with two assists. It was the kind of stat sheet-stuffing that most of us expected when Labissiere picked Kentucky.
Jamal Murray was extremely quiet in the first half with just one field goal attempt (seventh on the team). Second straight game you barely heard his name in the first half. His second half against LSU was nearly identical to his second half against Florida, and the Cats' elite scoring guard finished with 22 points on just 12 shots, another performance with through-the-roof efficiency.
Just as I was impressed with Labissiere's overall performance (not just his scoring), it bears mentioning that Murray is filling up the stat sheet's columns with more than points, too. His rebounding has never been better and he's making winning plays as a passer more than at any other point this season, save perhaps at the very beginning of the season when he was more of a hybrid/quasi-point before the definition of the team's current roles with Ulis as the head.
The Cats cruised to win in spite of Ulis and Isaiah Briscoe combining to shoot a very low percentage from the floor.
It wouldn't be fair to finish this wrap without mentioning Marcus Lee and, of course, Alex Poythress (save him for last).
Marcus Lee's resurgence hasn't gotten the same publicity as Labissiere's, but that says more about our expectations of the two than anything in reality. Marcus Lee was aggressive, impressive in slashing to the rim, active on the boards, and played with the kind of energy he's got to for the Cats' front court to be a part of a championship run.
Against Florida, Skal, Poythress and Labissiere combined for 26 rebounds. They combined for 22 today, making one wonder, legitimately, whether the corner has been turned. It seems as though the bigs have made peace with their roles as glass cleaners.
But how about that same trio of tall guys finishing 20-24 from the field? Truly unexpected, and it was one of the best games of the season for Kentucky's front court.
I'll throw in a plug to Derek Willis for a very quiet but efficient return to action, scoring six points in only 14 minutes. He was integrated back into the offense seamlessly and without disrupting the progress already taking place before his return, which is more important than his scoring or efficiency.
So, Poythress. It wasn't a performance for the ages. Don't take this the wrong way, but had Poythress exploded for 25 and 10 in his Rupp finale I think in hindsight that would almost not be desirable. Beyond not being necessary for a respectable finale, that would probably only remind everyone of that same, tired, old narrative about his inconsistency. I thought it was fitting that Alex Poythress' finale in Rupp was a humble outing. A very good outing, particularly in the second half, and he finished with 12 points on 6-7 shooting.
But isn't it truly fitting, unlike the scenario some might have hoped for involving a Poythress explosion, that this four-year first-star often labeled as Mr. Inconsistent, finished with a quiet but steady, efficient and almost deferential 12 points. It wasn't too high, it wasn't too low. We're all tired of talking about Poythress' highs and lows. This one was just solid, and that's what folks have wanted for so long. Fitting indeed.
It was also fitting inasmuch as Poythress had always demonstrated, over four years, that he was never about himself before the team. There would never be a question about Poythress being at peace with Labissiere perhaps stealing the show in his own 'Freshman Day,' if he does leave for the NBA. No, Poythress has never been at odds with who he is and what he's been, even if so many fans and pundits have never reconciled their expectations with reality. He's probably just fine with being just one of UK's many individual parts during a big season-ending win, even if Skal gets more of the glory. That's just the most apropros finish to his UK career, at least at Rupp, that I can imagine.
One last point about Skal. He can get those shots whenever he wants. I am so impressed that Skal's resurgence has not been an awkward, clumsy, inefficient and mind-boggling, hand-wringing matter of him forcing the issue outside of the offense. If that were to have happened it would look awful, like a player making one last selfish audition with his last chance to impress scouts. That is the exact opposite of what's happened. The tweak, at least for Labissiere, has not revealed that he's truly ready for all aspects of NBA life. It's simply put him in a position do to the few things he is already really good at. Effectively, Ulis and Calipari are focused more on empowering Labissiere and setting up his strengths than they are with forcing the ball to Murray, even if you know he can score 35.
So far it's working to perfection. Murray's still getting his points -- maybe a few less, not many -- and he's doing it with fewer shots. Meanwhile, everyone else on the court looks more comfortable, more confident and even better on offense themselves, as they're actually running the offense with the purpose of finding the best look, even if it's their best look, rather than doing something that results in Ulis and Murray taking 65-percent of the shots.
Folks, this team still makes me scratch my head. At least it has, even recently. But this is two games in a row for Skal Labissiere. Derek Willis is back. Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee's stock is rising. Tyler Ulis has always been a facilitator, but amazingly enough, his assist numbers now are putting all his assist numbers in the past to shame. And Jamal Murray is still an elite scorer without being a volume shooter.
What's the end game for this team? For the first time in a very long time I actually do believe they're one of the top handful of legit contenders for the national championship, even accepting their limitations and history of crashing down at inopportune times. Too many things are going right, too many guys are climbing/peaking, and when you throw this Skal Labissiere and this Marcus Lee with the best backcourt in the country -- wow.
Several things stood out.
Tyler Ulis was his usual magnificent self with the basketball. Ulis finished with 14 assists and in both the first and second half he simply shred the LSU defense. I was not impressed with LSU's defense at all, nor was most anybody going into the game. But the extent of Ulis' mastery over the Tigers' defense was truly a sight to behold. If you throw a weakness at Ulis he's going to find it, shine a light and magnifying glass on it and show it to the whole world, and he really made all their problems very clear.
But truth be told some of Ulis' assists were rather easy, and much of the credit for that goes to Skal Labissiere. It was one of Skal's top couple of performances all season. His 18 points came on 8-10 shooting, he snatched down nine rebounds, he blocked six shots and was even credited with two assists. It was the kind of stat sheet-stuffing that most of us expected when Labissiere picked Kentucky.
Jamal Murray was extremely quiet in the first half with just one field goal attempt (seventh on the team). Second straight game you barely heard his name in the first half. His second half against LSU was nearly identical to his second half against Florida, and the Cats' elite scoring guard finished with 22 points on just 12 shots, another performance with through-the-roof efficiency.
Just as I was impressed with Labissiere's overall performance (not just his scoring), it bears mentioning that Murray is filling up the stat sheet's columns with more than points, too. His rebounding has never been better and he's making winning plays as a passer more than at any other point this season, save perhaps at the very beginning of the season when he was more of a hybrid/quasi-point before the definition of the team's current roles with Ulis as the head.
The Cats cruised to win in spite of Ulis and Isaiah Briscoe combining to shoot a very low percentage from the floor.
It wouldn't be fair to finish this wrap without mentioning Marcus Lee and, of course, Alex Poythress (save him for last).
Marcus Lee's resurgence hasn't gotten the same publicity as Labissiere's, but that says more about our expectations of the two than anything in reality. Marcus Lee was aggressive, impressive in slashing to the rim, active on the boards, and played with the kind of energy he's got to for the Cats' front court to be a part of a championship run.
Against Florida, Skal, Poythress and Labissiere combined for 26 rebounds. They combined for 22 today, making one wonder, legitimately, whether the corner has been turned. It seems as though the bigs have made peace with their roles as glass cleaners.
But how about that same trio of tall guys finishing 20-24 from the field? Truly unexpected, and it was one of the best games of the season for Kentucky's front court.
I'll throw in a plug to Derek Willis for a very quiet but efficient return to action, scoring six points in only 14 minutes. He was integrated back into the offense seamlessly and without disrupting the progress already taking place before his return, which is more important than his scoring or efficiency.
So, Poythress. It wasn't a performance for the ages. Don't take this the wrong way, but had Poythress exploded for 25 and 10 in his Rupp finale I think in hindsight that would almost not be desirable. Beyond not being necessary for a respectable finale, that would probably only remind everyone of that same, tired, old narrative about his inconsistency. I thought it was fitting that Alex Poythress' finale in Rupp was a humble outing. A very good outing, particularly in the second half, and he finished with 12 points on 6-7 shooting.
But isn't it truly fitting, unlike the scenario some might have hoped for involving a Poythress explosion, that this four-year first-star often labeled as Mr. Inconsistent, finished with a quiet but steady, efficient and almost deferential 12 points. It wasn't too high, it wasn't too low. We're all tired of talking about Poythress' highs and lows. This one was just solid, and that's what folks have wanted for so long. Fitting indeed.
It was also fitting inasmuch as Poythress had always demonstrated, over four years, that he was never about himself before the team. There would never be a question about Poythress being at peace with Labissiere perhaps stealing the show in his own 'Freshman Day,' if he does leave for the NBA. No, Poythress has never been at odds with who he is and what he's been, even if so many fans and pundits have never reconciled their expectations with reality. He's probably just fine with being just one of UK's many individual parts during a big season-ending win, even if Skal gets more of the glory. That's just the most apropros finish to his UK career, at least at Rupp, that I can imagine.
One last point about Skal. He can get those shots whenever he wants. I am so impressed that Skal's resurgence has not been an awkward, clumsy, inefficient and mind-boggling, hand-wringing matter of him forcing the issue outside of the offense. If that were to have happened it would look awful, like a player making one last selfish audition with his last chance to impress scouts. That is the exact opposite of what's happened. The tweak, at least for Labissiere, has not revealed that he's truly ready for all aspects of NBA life. It's simply put him in a position do to the few things he is already really good at. Effectively, Ulis and Calipari are focused more on empowering Labissiere and setting up his strengths than they are with forcing the ball to Murray, even if you know he can score 35.
So far it's working to perfection. Murray's still getting his points -- maybe a few less, not many -- and he's doing it with fewer shots. Meanwhile, everyone else on the court looks more comfortable, more confident and even better on offense themselves, as they're actually running the offense with the purpose of finding the best look, even if it's their best look, rather than doing something that results in Ulis and Murray taking 65-percent of the shots.
Folks, this team still makes me scratch my head. At least it has, even recently. But this is two games in a row for Skal Labissiere. Derek Willis is back. Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee's stock is rising. Tyler Ulis has always been a facilitator, but amazingly enough, his assist numbers now are putting all his assist numbers in the past to shame. And Jamal Murray is still an elite scorer without being a volume shooter.
What's the end game for this team? For the first time in a very long time I actually do believe they're one of the top handful of legit contenders for the national championship, even accepting their limitations and history of crashing down at inopportune times. Too many things are going right, too many guys are climbing/peaking, and when you throw this Skal Labissiere and this Marcus Lee with the best backcourt in the country -- wow.
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