QUICK TAKES: Kentucky vs. WKU
Kentucky's TyTy Washington defended WKU's Camron Justice during Wednesday's game at Rupp Arena. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
In our regular postgame feature, the Cats Illustrated staff offers its first impressions from Kentucky's 95-60 win over Western Kentucky on Wednesday night at Rupp Arena...
TRAVIS GRAF:
These last couple of games have been a ton of fun for Kentucky fans to watch. It seems like these performances have been what Kentucky fans had been yearning for the longest time. Oscar Tshiebwe had his NPOY moment, Kellan Grady had a coming-out party, and TyTy Washington had a very impressive performance. The ball moved very fast on the perimeter, and open shooters and finishers were found consistently. When the shots are falling, the Cats can beat any team in the country. If Jacob Toppin can give what he gave tonight on a nightly basis, this just takes this team to another level.
DAVID SISK:
I said before the game I hoped to see more of the same from the North Carolina game forwarded to tonight. We got that. I can’t think of any part of the game where Kentucky was not the better team. The scoring was balanced. They dominated the rebounding battle. There were 27 assists. Oscar Tshiebwe had 28 rebounds. Kellan Grady had 23 points on six three-pointers. Ty Ty Washington had 20 points. The only negative was 16 turnovers. Everything else was there for Kentucky to begin a serious run toward the Southeastern Conference Championship.
JUSTIN ROWLAND:
What a game by Kentucky. Two blowouts in a row. After the UNC game there was a part of me that wondered if it was mostly a case of the Tar Heels responding poorly and failing to compete at the level Kentucky played at. Doing this to a solid Western Kentucky team tells me it's more about UK. That's a good thing. I'm not saying they'll make the Final Four or even the Elite Eight but at this point in the season, you have to say they look like contenders. Grady is a totally different player and they play so hard. Toppin makes them better when he's on the court. Throw in vastly improved ball movement leading to high percentage shots. You could go on and on really. This looks like the mature, dangerous team we expected before the season. I think it's one of the most interesting teams in the country right now.
JEFF DRUMMOND:
Identity is my word for the day. This Kentucky team seems to be zeroing in on its identity right before SEC play begins. Clear roles are starting to materialize, and the players seem to be much more comfortable no matter which lineup combination John Calipari chooses to utilize. Cal seems to have a better feel for his roster and its strengths and limitations. The passing today may have been the best of the season. Every pass seemed to have a purpose (27 assists on 38 buckets). Kellen Grady is the biggest beneficiary of that, posting his best performance as a Wildcat (23 points, 7-10 FG, 6-9 3PFG) coming off his big effort against North Carolina. His shooting ability really elevates UK's ceiling. And what can you say about Oscar Tshiebwe? The man outrebounded WKU 28-27 today. I've never seen that in my life as a 50-year-old follower of the Cats. Incredible.
