Entering the game at 0-4 against ranked competition, the Kentucky Wildcats had their backs against the wall vs. the Indiana Hoosiers. If any game could ever be deemed a “must win,” it was this one.

So how did Kentucky respond? Well, to a final score of 72-60, the Cats answered in the nick of (nationally relevant) time.

Crucial Returns

After missing extended time and rotating in and out of the lineup parallel to one another, Jaland Lowe and Mouhamed Dioubate saw the floor for the first time together since Kentucky’s early-season loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

While neither perceived starter entered the game immediately, both left lasting impacts that served as a reminder to fans of what this Kentucky team is supposed to be.

With 4 steals and a double-double off the bench, Dioubate specifically showed out in the crucial battle in a packed-out Rupp Arena.

On top of the returners – now seemingly back in full force – Brandon Garrison made the most of his minutes after spending almost the entirety of the Cats’ last game (a win over NC Central) on the bench.

A big rebound here, outlandish show of energy there and Garrison, who finished with six points, five boards and two assists, more than earned his minutes in the pivotal win.

Limiting the Hoosiers’ Weapons

Not only did Kentucky manage to find a (relative) groove on offense in the second half, but Indiana’s two primary weapons – Lamar Wilkerson and Darian DeVries – couldn’t come up with big buckets when it mattered for Indiana.

While the two scored 15 each, fouls (specifically on Wilkerson) and an otherwise suffocating Kentucky defense held a Hoosiers offense that had just scored 110+ in their last game at bay.

For the first time this season, Kentucky forced a major opponent to play their brand of basketball. Which now, more than ever, appears clear.

Seeing the Vision

Having had little to no identity up to this point on the year, what Mark Pope was attempting to build with this Kentucky roster has become, finally, clear:

A team that fights, scratches, claws; runs, dives and smacks the hardwood. Kentucky looked that way for the first time all year and won in commanding fashion on their home floor.

With a player like Jayden Quaintance, who fits that bill perfectly, still yet to return, the Wildcats could still be approaching full strength.

This massive win was either a one-off or a sign of the times. If the latter is true, Kentucky’s season may just be getting started.

Kentucky basketball hasn’t been trending in the right direction whatsoever. After getting blown out on Friday, Dec. 5 to No. 11 Gonzaga and facing criticism from just about every Wildcat fan, it was evident that a change was needed on the court.

Luckily for Mark Pope, they had an easy one against NC Central (3-9) and got themselves back in the win column with dominant fashion.

One bright spot, maybe one that is long overdue for Big Blue Nation to witness, was Otega Oweh’s performance, who had his first 20-point game on the season and finally played to his strengths with full effort and determination.

Oweh all season has been “lazy” and playing out of his element per se, which has led to speculation that this team “doesn’t like each other” or something more is going on. Visually, the body language and communication has just looked off.

Winning a basketball game can shut all of that up.

Oweh finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds and four steals, shooting 75% from the field and knocking down three of his four three-point shots.

All night, Oweh showed flashes of his old self, diving for loose balls, putting back missed shots with hard slams and playing stellar defense. This type of play is what earned him the Preseason SEC Player of the Year nod, and finally, his expected production came to light.

After the game, the Wildcats’ superstar sounded off about the online chatter with a big smile.

“It ain’t no off the court stuff, it’s all on the court,” Oweh said. “Obviously people going to speculate…we’re the closest group, we all hang out, we all good.”

He also added what he thinks about the team going forward.

“I feel like everything happens for a reason,” Oweh said. “It’s probably going to be one of the most remembered years for all us individually because we’re going to turn it around. It’s going to end up being the best year, but it wasn’t the prettiest start.”

Do you buy the hype? Do you believe what Oweh is saying? As they say, time will tell. Now, Kentucky (6-4) looks ahead to a must-win matchup with Indiana (8-2) on Saturday, Dec. 13.

That game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN from Rupp Arena.

After their 35-point loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs to bookend one of the most disappointing weeks of Kentucky hoops in recent memory, the Wildcats had the weekend to collect themselves before reemerging in front of their home crowd.

In a “gimme” game by all conceivable measures, Kentucky took the North Carolina Central Eagles to task and won by way of a 103-67 final score.

From the jump, one small change had a positive impact on the Cats offense as Coach Pope continues to try and find footing with this roster.

Emphasis on “Home” Team

After inserting Malachi Moreno and Kam Williams into the starting lineup just games ago, Pope once again made a change in swapping Williams for Trent Noah. The hometown hero got some especial love from the (painfully scarce) crowd in Rupp Arena, and it didn’t take long for him to make his first mark.

Noah was responsible for the Wildcats’ first points in the form of a long range dart to begin the game and, from there, would be a consistent highlight on a team full of ups and downs.

The forward would finish with 11 points, a solid effort that trailed the team-leaders in Johnson (22) and Oweh (21). In addition to another bout at the top of the scoring chart, Oweh lit up social media with a reel-worthy jam.

The preseason SEC Player of the Year is finally starting to look the part for Kentucky and, regardless of their win tonight, will need to keep improving if the battered Cats are to stand a chance in ranked and conference play.

Coaching Oddities

Yet as Kentucky ran away in expected fashion with the victory, fans couldn’t help but notice a few coaching oddities from Pope on the sideline.

In addition to Noah’s presence in the starting lineup (and a widely noticed drubbing of Brandon Garrison by Pope going into a timeout), both Jaland Lowe and Kam Williams saw no playing time until nearly the halfway point of the second period.

Lowe’s injury aside, their prolonged absences raises questions about what Pope may have seen in practice between the Gonzaga game and now. With the 7-2 Indiana Hoosiers on-deck, it’s easy to wonder how many, if any, of these changes stick.

A Crucial Opportunity

Either way, with an 0-4 record against ranked and recognizable competition, Kentucky is in a dire must-win scenario against the Hoosiers this weekend. A win sees a team potentially replenished and, at least, ever-so-slightly more respected.

A loss? Well, the Wildcats would be facing much steeper questions than why two players weren’t checked in during the first half.