QUICK TAKES: Kentucky 63, Tennessee 56
Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe congratulated teammate Jacob Toppin after a play in Saturday's game at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. (Randy Sartin/USA Today Sports)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
In our regular postgame feature, the Cats Illustrated staff offers its first impressions on Kentucky's 63-56 win over No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville...
TRAVIS GRAF:
Words can’t describe exactly how big this win was for Kentucky’s season, the fans, and the program. To beat the best team they’ve played all season long on the road with their starting point guard out and Cason Wallace being at about 50% is one of the biggest statement wins in recent memory. CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves provided what you expected them to all season long. Oscar Tshiebwe struggled defensively, but came up with a lot of big plays. Tennessee wanted to play physical and Kentucky answered the call and dominated the glass. Also, John Calipari out-coached Rick Barnes, who has had his number recently. Big win for Kentucky with three very winnable games ahead before Kansas comes to town.
JEFF DRUMMOND:
There's a line in the holiday classic "Christmas Vacation" in which Chevy Chase's exasperated Clark Griswold character says, "Surprised, Eddie? If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn into the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am right now." That's me in the aftermath of this game. Although I have long maintained that the Cats are their best when the fan base is down and out, I didn't have any confidence that UK would leave Knoxville with a W today. NONE. In fact, I wrote that it might have been the first game in my lifetime that I didn't think the Cats had a remote chance to win. Well, sports. That's why they play the games. We could break this down from a dozen different angles, but I'm going to keep it simple: the Cats played with intensity, played together, and looked like they were having fun for 40 minutes. That's what the fans have been looking for all season. Also loved how John Calipari used lineup combos that featured CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves on the floor together. He's got to lean on that more from this point forward.
DAVID SISK:
Has there been a more timely win in the last couple of years? Kentucky showed a great amount of grit and heart today that the fan base quickly embraced. This was an old-fashioned, smashmouth type of game between two coaches who love that style. Kentucky did what it had to do in this type of game. They outrebounded Tennessee 43-23. The much maligned defense gave up just 40.4% shooting and 14.3% three-point shooting. The Cats also got the games out of Antonio Reeves and C.J. Frederick that they need to have a chance to be successful. They combined for 31 points. Granted, Tennessee’s style plays to Kentucky’s strengths. It was a scrum in the paint. Not only did UK win, maybe they found a blue print in their lineup and playing style that they can use going ahead.
JUSTIN ROWLAND:
I really didn't see this coming, but you have to tip your cap to Calipari having this team ready to play. It looks like with all the drama around the program and the athletics department, they dug deep and found a way to play for each other. I really can't say enough good things about how they responded after that 8-0 start. Just absolute poise, focus, and incredible toughness to play Tennessee and beat them at their own game. This changes Kentucky's tournament resume in a significant way. Kentucky just has to find a way to free up shots for CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves. If that's the focus and they are as deliberate and methodical as they need to be in making it happen, then this team could still be very interesting. The defense and rebounding were exceptional.
