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RECAP: Three Takeaways from Kentucky’s 105-96 win over Georgia

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Kentucky Wildcats center Zvonimir Ivisic celebrates with Kentucky fans at Rupp Arena after his impressive debut.
UK Athletics

What a game that was.

The Kentucky Wildcats (14-3 overall, 4-1 SEC) took down the Georgia Bulldogs (13-5 overall, 3-2 SEC) 105-96 in Rupp Arena to secure their eighth win in their last nine games. To the surprise of many, Kentucky was a big favorite heading into the game. The expectation was that Georgia would come in and be competitive, but that lasted for (maybe) five minutes.

BIG Z IS FREE (but the officials tried to lock him up, again)

After John Calipari said it was time to get “aggressive” with Big Z’s eligibility case, Zvonimir Ivisic was declared eligible by the NCAA on Saturday morning, meaning he was able to make his Kentucky debut against Georgia. And what a debut it was.

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Ivisic pulled absolutely every trick he had up his sleeves, making three after three, hitting people with no-look passes, and dunking on people’s heads. He would finish with 13 points on 5-7 (3-4 3PT) shooting while grabbing five rebounds and recording three blocks and two steals. All in just 16 minutes of play. It was a fun night for the #BBN.

However, it must have not been fun for the referees as they would charge Big Z with a flagrant one foul when he had a bit of a shoving match with a Georgia player and then a technical foul whenever he did a chin-up on the rim following a dunk. You may be able to take away the momentum Z had built, but you can’t away this highlight play.

Veteran leadership from Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves

Even though Ivisic was the talk of the night, he wasn’t the only player in blue and white to have a stellar outing. Fifth-year seniors Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves led the way for the ‘Cats on the floor and in the scoring column.

Mitchell scored a team-high 23 points, shooting a remarkable 8-10 from the field. He was also one of four players to grab five rebounds as well. Night after night, Mitchell continues to a solid piece that John Calipari can lean on for productivity. Additionally, with Z’s debut, Mitchell only played 28 minutes on Saturday. That could go a long way in keeping him healthy for the remainder of the season.

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Then, Antonio Reeves did what Antonio Reeves does. Like it was nothing, he put up yet another 20+ point outing, his ninth such game this year and third in a row. Reeves shot solidly from the field, making seven of his twelve shots and two of his four three balls. He also contributed with five rebounds and four assists.

DJ Wagner shines as Rupp Arena was rockin’

Lastly, DJ Wagner may have just had the best performance ever that absolutely no one will remember down the line. Wagner recorded his first double-double as a Kentucky Wildcat, scoring 18 points and recording a career-high 10 assists as well. He too was efficient from the floor, as he shot 8-12 (2-3 3PT) on the night.

Mainly because of the debut of Big Z, there was a ton of anticipation leading up to the game. There was a buzz in Rupp Arena that hadn’t been felt since the Miami game. Even then, this far exceeded the hype for the Miami game. This was a special night. A night that everyone in Rupp Arena will remember for the rest of their lives.

Whether it was an awesome highlight play or an egregious call, Rupp Arena was absolutely rocking. When Z hit his fourth and final three, there were probably some readings of an earthquake in Lexington. What an awesome, awesome night of basketball.

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Next up, the ‘Cats take on the South Carolina Gamecocks (15-3 overall, 3-2 SEC) in Columbia on Tuesday night at 7:00 ET on the SEC Network.

Let’s see what other Globetrotter-esque things Big Z has in store for us.

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Provides Positive Injury Update on Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson

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Kentucky guard Jaxon Robinson watching warmups as he sits with an injured wrist.
Tristan Pharis

Kentucky fans received a bit of good news today as Mark Pope previewed the Wildcats’ rematch with Alabama.

Asked about the status of Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson, Pope had positive news to share rather than the not-so-good news he is growing accustomed to providing over recent weeks.

“Lamont is going to get a little bit of live action today,’ Pope said. “Jax (Jaxson Robinson) is gonna be in some skill stuff today”

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This is a very promising update for Kentucky as they are doing everything they can to get healthy for a run in March. However, it does sound like we are closer to a return of Lamont Butler than we are seeing Jaxson Robinson return.

Although the update did seem promising, it shouldn’t be expected for either player to suit up against Alabama. That said, an injury report will be released around 7 PM eastern tonight.

At this point in time, the most crucial thing is getting Lamont Butler, and Jaxson Robinson back healthy for a postseason run in March. Although Kentucky has had bright spots without Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson, it is clear that they have missed both of these guys. Pope seems more hopeful with each day that we will see these guys back in uniform in the pretty near future.

The Cats will be back in action tomorrow at 6 PM on ESPN against an Alabama team who will be hungry after a road loss to Missouri.

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Men's Basketball

Koby Brea on Making Big Plays At Kentucky: “It’s Stuff You Dream of as a Little Kid”

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Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea (4) reacts to the action from the bench in Rupp Arena.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Among a wave of feel-good storylines in the wake of Kentucky’s ranked home win over Tennessee last week, completing the season sweep, Koby Brea’s playmaking towards the end of the second half was the nail in the Volunteers’ coffin.

On back-to-back possessions, Brea led the charge with a depleted Wildcats offense, following the re-aggravation of Lamont Butler’s shoulder injury and the continued absence of Jaxson Robinson and Kerr Kriisa.

First, “Fuego,” as he’s been lovingly dubbed by the Big Blue Nation, executed a clutch step-back triple to extend Kentucky’s lead to six, 68-62. Then, after a defensive stop, Brea slashed into the lane and threw a no-look-lob to Otega Oweh that essentially sealed the deal.

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Kentucky led 70-62 with just over a minute to go, and would ultimately get out with a double-digit win, 75-64.

Bucket List Buckets

Asked about the deciding stretch after the game, Brea emphasized staying calm, and how the moment is the stuff of childhood dreams.

“I play hard throughout the game on both ends,” he said. “When it’s time for me to shoot, I have to just relax a little bit. That’s the one moment in the game where I’m just going to take my time and breathe a little bit.”

Brea finished the game with 11 points and shot a scorching 50% metric (3/6) from the three-point line. Whatever he’s doing, he’s doing it right.

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“It felt good,” he said regarding his third, and most crucial, triple. “To hit shots like that in such a big moment, in such a big game, it’s stuff that you dream of as a little kid.”

“It made me feel really good, and it just goes to show all the work that I’ve put in, and how confident I am in that moment, and how confident my team is in that moment with me as well… they knew I was going to go to work, and that meant a lot to me as well.”

With both Robinson and Butler likely to remain out against Texas on Saturday, Kentucky will likely rely on Brea to start, and produce, once more. No matter how tough the SEC has proven to be, this Kentucky team has responded every time; the “next man up” mentality in Lexington is like no other.

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Amari Williams With Historic ‘Perfect’ Game as Kentucky Blows Out Vanderbilt at Home

In a must win game at home, Amari Williams didn’t miss a shot, spurring Kentucky to a double-digit victory.

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Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams (22) dunks the ball in Rupp Arena.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

The “get-back” game, as they call it. After losing to Vanderbilt in Nashville last month, Kentucky evened the season slate between the ‘Cats and Commodores at home in an 82-61 win, including a chasmic 41-21 advantage in the second half.

Picture Perfect

While the Wildcats will take away much positivity from the win, the most glaring highlight is Amari Williams’ perfection from both the field and the free throw line; he tallied 17 points on 6/6 and 5/5 splits. For perspective, Williams is the first basketball player in college or the NBA to have such a stat line since Hall of Famer Pau Gasol in 2010.

Williams’ strong performance is only the latest in a long line of memorable games for the senior transfer. In January, he became only the fourth Wildcat in program history to log a triple-double, doing so on the road in the loss to Ole Miss.

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In addition to that flawless performance, Collin Chandler rose to new heights in what was undoubtedly his best performance of the season thus far, too.

Chandler entered the game early as the first substitution off the bench, sinking a three on his first possession and not once looking back. In 15 minutes, Chandler scored seven points, grabbed six boards, and added two assists and steals, to boot.

It Takes A Team

Despite standout individual performances, Kentucky’s pivotal victory took the entire team, battling through their persistent injury issues (which cost them three players tonight) ahead of an ominous, ever-brutal SEC schedule.

“Kentucky was on a high level today,” admitted Commodores’ head coach Mark Byington following the game.

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“I thought Pope put them in a great spot to be successful, and those guys executed… I thought Kentucky was great tonight.”

As far as what Coach Pope himself had to say, he made sure to give his guys flowers.

“I thought Collin gave us a massive boost tonight, energy-wise… the plays he made today, he’s been making in practice, and he is going to help us in a huge way down the stretch. I was really proud of him tonight,” he said.

And Amari? “Amari decided he wasn’t passing the ball tonight,” Pope joked.

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“Amari right now is top 5 all-time in the SEC in terms of PAR (points plus assists plus rebounds)… that’s insane what we’re witnessing him do. I thought he was brilliant tonight.”

“He’s grown so much, and he’s taken on so much, and he’s just like “Give me more.””

With their backs against the wall, Kentucky continues to battle until the bell rings. Now 18-8 (7-6) on the year, the ‘Cats have five more games before the madness begins. Their next test comes in the form of fourth-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa this Saturday.

But for the time being, Vanderbilt was a must-win, and win Kentucky did.

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