John Calipari marvels at late contributions of Justin Edwards, Rob Dillingham in comeback vs. Arkansas

It took a late burst for Kentucky to snag a win over Arkansas, 111-102, on Saturday afternoon. And Wildcats head men’s basketball coach John Calipari raved about contributions from a pair of freshman guards in the win.

Both Justin Edwards and Rob Dillingham earned high praise from their head coach for how they played a role in the comeback. First up was Edwards, who hit a pair of shots on back-to-back possessions with fewer than two minutes to play to ultimately give the Wildcats a nine-point lead.

“What about what Justin Edwards did today?” Calipari said postgame. “Now think about it. I looked at him and said, ‘Are you OK to go?’ ‘Yeah, I’m good.’ He showed unbelievable confidence in himself. And it didn’t come from me. The kid lives in the gym. That pull up, that 3, I mean that was the game. And I hadn’t played him for a lot of minutes.”

Edwards got a start on Saturday and played just 13 minutes, finishing with 10 points, many of them scored in critical, late moments.

As for Dillingham, his contributions continue to come off the bench. On Saturday, that included 15 points and a strong defensive effort against Razorbacks guard Khalif Battle in 24 minutes.

“Robert Dillingham, had to take him out. He held the ball, took some crazy shots. He comes back and plays the right way and finishes off the game,” Calipari said. “And I put him on No. 0. I said, ‘No, Robert’s going to guard him.’ Put him on No. 0, he kind of slowed him down. He still got some buckets but they weren’t the same way. And he stole the ball. So that’s the kind of stuff.”

Kentucky got a big piece back on Saturday

Tre Mitchell (shoulder) was available for Kentucky on Saturday against Arkansas after missing four games with injury, according to KSR ahead of opening tip.

Mitchell has been dealing with a shoulder injury since Kentucky’s Feb. 13 win over Ole Miss. He left that game, was deemed questionable to return at the time and hasn’t played since. He collided with Rebels center Moussa Cisse and hit his left shoulder on the play.

While his ailments have held him to participating in two games during February, Mitchell averaged 12.3 points per game along with a team-leading 7.6 rebounds on average before his injury. At the time of his departure, Mitchell had five points and six rebounds, which has brought his average down a bit.

In his absence, Kentucky big man Ugonna Onyenso has come into his own as a shot-blocking post presence for John Calipari’s squad during his true sophomore year. Whether Calipari decides to keep Onyenso as the main big, or returns Mitchell to his starting role is ultimately up to how Mitchell fares in this Kentucky lineup after the success the Wildcats have seen over the last four weeks.

Still, Kentucky is now at full strength for what they’re hoping is the first full game during the 2023-2024 season. Barring any injuries, this will be the first complete look at what Kentucky has to offer this year despite the regular season finale being just a week away.