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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Georgia: Postgame Recap and Game MVP

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2 years ago

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UK Athletics

Following their marquee win over Tennessee, the Kentucky Wildcats returned to Rupp Arena in a matchup against Georgia, and to prove they are turning the corner.

Despite having good looks, Kentucky started the game off slow once again, trailing 7-2 to begin the game. As the half went on, those shots began to fall, however, the main problem for the first half for the Cats’ was their defense. The Georgia offense was clearing out and driving on the Wildcats at will, or getting clear cuts to the basket. The Bulldogs’ guards combined to score 27 out of the 42 points for Georgia in the first half. Kentucky trailed 42-34 against Georgia at halftime.

The second half was a totally different story. Oscar Tshiebwe came out of the gates swinging, scoring eight straight points, which was capitalized by a three from CJ Fredrick, giving Kentucky a 46-45 lead. Georgia kept it close until the 8-minute mark, but Kentucky was able to pull away. The Wildcats outscored Georgia by 22 points in the half, led by a video game like performance from Tshiebwe, going on to win 85-71.

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Let’s take a closer look at the game.

Tale of Two Halves Defensively

After limiting Tennessee to a season-low in points (56), this team proved they are much better on defense than what they had shown. However, to start the game against Georgia, they reverted to old habits.

Unable to stay in front of the ball, Kentucky gave up way too many straight-line drives and cuts to the basket, which allowed Georgia to tie their season-high for points in a half (42). On the half, the Bulldogs were scoring an unreal 1.24 points per possession and shooting over 55 percent from the floor.

In the second half, the Wildcats tightened up defensively and increased their intensity. Their activeness is shown most with the 5 blocks and 6 steals in the second half alone. The improved defensive execution is what allowed to Kentucky to pull away, allowing just three made field goals in the last ten minutes.

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Going forward, the Wildcats cannot afford to continue to dig themselves into early deficits due to poor defense, as it will result in them dropping more games.

“The Lineup”

Against Tennesee, there was one lineup where Kentucky found the most success and that was with Wallace-Reeves-Fredrick-Toppin-Tshiebwe. Was it fool’s gold? No.

After not starting the game, Sahvir Wheeler entered the game and quickly had a steal and a pair of assists. However, he followed that up with two out-of-control drives and his size was being taken advantage of by the bigger and more physical guards that Georgia had.

In the second half, Wheeler played just one possession, as Cason Wallace took over point guard duties with the lineup referred to above. The result? The Wildcats scored 51 points and outscored Georgia by 22 points.

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Looking at the final box score, Wheeler had a -9 plus/minus – by far the lowest of the team -and played just 11 minutes. After two games, it is no longer a coincidence. Wheeler is one of the best playmakers in the country and can provide some good off the bench, but Kentucky has found their best five to help them succeed.

Game MVP: Oscar Tshiebwe, is he back?

Without a doubt, Oscar Tshiebwe was the MVP for Tuesday night’s game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Tshiebwe had a career-high 37 points and 24 rebounds during the game, with 23 points and 15 rebounds coming in the second half alone.

Unlike many teams, Georgia refused to double-team Tshiebwe in the post. This led to his explosion in points, primarily coming from post drives and putbacks. With Tshiebwe looking fully healthy following his knee surgery, and Calipari praising how Tshiebwe has gotten back in the gym, Kentucky fans could see Oscar continue to put up a dominant second half of the season.

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Men's Basketball

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

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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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.

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“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 .

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Men's Basketball

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

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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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.

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“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.

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Men's Basketball

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

Published

6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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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.

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“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.

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