Connect with us

Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Florida: Postgame Recap

Published

2 years ago

on

© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Florida was coming off an upset win against No. 2 Tennessee on Tuesday night and had a large amount of confidence afterward. However, that would not make it any easier for them in Rupp Arena on Saturday night.

Kentucky got off to a great start on defense in the first half only allowing 22 points to the Gators and being the faster and better team for the entire half. While they were struggling shooting on offense at 38 percent, they were making use of their second-chance opportunities to give themselves a 33-22 lead at the half.

However, the second half would get much harder for the Cats even after going up by 14 at the under 8-minute timeout in the second half. Toward the end of the game, Kentucky tried to grind the clock and struggled to make shots, which allowed Florida to back into the game, cutting it to just three with under a minute to go.

Advertisement

In the end, the Wildcats were able to knock down some big free throws and hold them off in a close 72-67 win, making Kentucky now 7-3 in conference play.

Let’s take a closer look.

Point Guard Play

Cason Wallace played as efficient of a game as you will see in college basketball. Scoring twenty points, Wallace only needed 10 shot attempts and shot 70% from the field, and did so in just 27 minutes.

Five of those points came during the most important stretch of the game. With under three minutes to go, after Florida cut it to five, Wallace hit a tough layup and a three to give Kentucky a cushion heading into the final minutes.

Advertisement

Wallace also impacted this game on the defensive side tallying three blocks and a steal. Including this one, that had Rupp Arena going crazy.

With that said, Cason Wallace wasn’t the only point guard that played well, as Sahvir Wheeler played his role of backup point guard to perfection.

Off the bench, Wheeler has his fingerprints all over the game, tallying 8 points, 2 assists, 2 steals. and 0 turnovers. During his time on the floor, he was exceptional at pushing the ball in transition. Multiple times, Wheeler was able to beat the defense back and either find the open man or take it himself.

After the game, John Calipari was sure to note Wheeler’s performance and tell the media, “Sahvir. Without him, we (Kentucky) don’t win this game.”

Advertisement

Improvements on Defense

The defense looked far better in this game, especially in the first half. Every shot at the basket was contested and there were no easy buckets. Which is an area that Kentucky has struggled against, giving up straight-line drives.

The second half came with some breakdowns, especially in the pick-and-roll game where Kentucky has struggled all season. Florida also started hitting contested jumpers in the second half, fueling their comeback.

When Kentucky needed it most up three on the last possession of the game, they got the stop to win the game. There are still improvements to be made, but the Cats are building upon each performance and showing improvement.

Daimion Collins

Coming into this season, Daimion Collins was tabbed to be a potential breakout player for the Wildcats this season. After seeing his performances in the Bahamas and reports from early practices, that looked as if that would be the case.

Advertisement

However, just days before the start of the regular season, tragedy struck as his father, Ben Collins, passed away. Last week, John Calipari provided insight into just how much the loss affected him.

“His dad passed away. His dad was his best friend, would have been the best man in his wedding,” Calipari said on Daimion’s relationship with his dad. “All of a sudden he loses 16 pounds and we’re playing other people.”

In the last two games, Collins has stepped up in limited action and on Saturday, he made two of the biggest free throws of the game. Coming back to the bench, Collins was greeted with a hug from Calipari that all of Big Blue Nation could feel, and a deserved ovation from the Rupp Arena crowd.

Advertisement
Related Topics:
Advertisement

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

Published

3 days ago

on

November 18, 2024

By

Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
IMAGN

The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

Advertisement

“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

Published

5 days ago

on

November 16, 2024

By

Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
IMAGN

John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

Advertisement

“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

Published

6 days ago

on

November 15, 2024

By

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
ESPN

Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

Advertisement

“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending