QUICK TAKES: Kentucky vs. LSU
Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe was fouled on his way to the basket in the Wildcats' 71-66 win over LSU on Wednesday night at Rupp Arena. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
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@JDrumUK
In our regular postgame feature, the Cats Illustrated staff offers its first impressions from Kentucky's 71-66 win over LSU on Wednesday night at Rupp Arena...
JUSTIN ROWLAND:
Where there's a will, there's a way. It appears to be true for this team. Overwhelming effort and force of will has defined Kentucky's last two wins, which certainly appeared to be against the odds when you consider the two first half deficits. This deficit seemed more daunting to me than when they trailed Alabama because you could see Will Wade turning the game into a grind with his very good defensive squad. But once again Kentucky went on a run and the only thing that slowed them down was an inability to handle an LSU press down their top two guards. We're going to be looking at lots of numbers on resumes in the coming weeks but I won't forget what Kentucky did against the odds in these two games. That looks like a one seed. How about Bryce Hopkins?
DAVID SISK:
The late game implosion probably puts a cloud over this one that shouldn’t be there. But Kentucky found a way to win a game without TyTy Washington and Sahvir Wheeler that was dominated by LSU in the first half. After a shaky start Kentucky guarded well all the way through. Offensively, the Cats shot 60% in the second half. They also out rebounded LSU 37-23. UK only made a pair of three-pointers, but they were the more physical team. They got to the rim and Oscar Tshiebwe ended up with 17 points and 16 rebounds. On the negative side, John Calipari will seize on the meltdown versus the press as he is always about the process. On the flip side the odds weren’t great that they could beat Alabama and LSU without it’s two starting guards. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the much needed boost from Bryce Hopkins. The freshman who has barely played ended up with 13 points and 4 boards in 16 minutes of play. Now it’s on to Arkansas and a road battle against another tough defensive unit.
JEFF DRUMMOND:
I gotta be honest: When the Cats got down double digits against LSU, I had some serious doubt about whether they would be able to come back the way they did against Alabama. LSU is a different animal on defense, and they were making it tremendously difficult for the Cats to score in the first half. This is a resilient UK team, though, and once again they showed the patience and focus to mount a comeback. Bryce Hopkins was a huge spark off the bench with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and some huge offensive rebounds. What an amazing addition to the rotation he could be if he manages to build on this effort. How Kentucky got the lead up to 15 -- without Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington and playing against the No. 3 defensive squad in the nation -- is beyond me. It's a real testament to both the Cats' determination and John Calipari's coaching ability. I'm not sure any coach in the nation has three more impressive wins than Cal has with the blowout at Kansas and the last two shorthanded wins over LSU and Bama. Let the National Coach of the Year talk begin.
TRAVIS GRAF:
Kentucky ended up making the game harder on themselves than it had to be in the last couple of minutes, but they’ll take the result considering how terribly the first half went. The Cats have officially figured out the four spot, and it’s safe to say that one of Keion Brooks, Jacob Toppin, or Bryce Hopkins will step up on any given night depending on matchups. That position is no longer considered a weak link in my eyes. At the end of the day, Kentucky beat one of the more impressive defensive teams in the country without their top two creators and press breakers. Another quadrant one win without two of your key players is beyond huge.
