Kentucky makes Allen Fieldhouse its own in blue blood blowout
Allen Fieldhouse is one of college basketball’s meccas. A must on every fan’s bucket list. Everyone talks about it, but it’s hard to understand what the Phog is like until you’re there. A stone-clad airport hanger with a hodgepodge of red and blue bleachers and chairs crammed into every possible spot, the building is made to be loud. And it is. The Jayhawks set a Guinness World Record for “Loudest Roar” in 2017, beating Rupp Arena’s previous mark, one of many blue blood brags the two programs swap back and forth.
Tonight, the Cats made the Phog theirs, in every possible way.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. College GameDay came to town, their first on-campus show since the pandemic began. What better spot, right? In front of a strong showing of fans, Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg, and LaPhonso Ellis raved about the Phog and its history. There was a buzz around Lawrence all day long, with fans of the two winningest programs proudly strutting around town in their gear. The stands filled well before tip, and the “Rock Chalk” chant brought it all to a crescendo. Kentucky is good, yes, but this is Kansas and the Jayhawks are damn near impossible to beat at home.
Then, Kentucky took the floor.
“GO BIG BLUE, GO BIG BLUE, GO BIG BLUE!”
After the Cats went on an 8-0 run to take — and keep — the lead for the rest of the game, the chants got louder. “C-A-T-S CATS CATS CATS” at every break in the game. “GO BIG BLUE” at the next time out.
At first, Kansas fans seemed amused; as Kentucky’s lead lengthened, that quickly turned to frustration. The man behind me soundly booed after each chant. When the Jayhawks’ second-half run fizzled, resignation set it. The boos turned into grumbles. When fans hit the exits — at the Phog! — the BBN twisted the knife.
“Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye!”
The woman behind me gasped, picked up her coat, and dragged her husband to the aisle. Kansas fans left the game to “We Want Shaedon!” chants, a reminder that they just got blown out by a team that has the No. 1 recruit in his class just sitting on the bench.
Final score: No. 12 Kentucky 80, No. 5 Kansas 62. Walk in your Phog and take over your Phog.
A healthy Kentucky? Watch out
The BBN’s energy is a perfect reflection of the team’s performance. Kentucky came into this game ranked No. 12. We all knew the Cats were good, but admit it, you were a little nervous. TyTy Washington and Jacob Toppin were banged up. Kentucky looked excellent in the blowout vs. Tennessee a few weeks back, but injuries prevented us from seeing how they’d truly perform against a top-tier team on the road. Without Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington in stretches, the Cats lost at LSU. Without TyTy and Sahvir in stretches, they lost at then-No. 2 Auburn. Going into a game vs. a top-five team in an environment like the Phog? There’s a reason almost everyone picked Kansas.
Like the chants, Kentucky’s confidence grew to a deafening roar. Remember that relief you felt when you found out TyTy was playing? Turns out Kentucky didn’t need his points. TyTy finished with two points on 1-9 shooting, but also had five assists, three rebounds, and three steals. What Kentucky needed more from TyTy and Sahvir Wheeler was distribution. With a healthy backcourt, it was Keion Brooks‘ time to shine. The often inconsistent junior thrived under the brightest spotlight, scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing eight rebounds. That kind of production could be the key to a championship run.
“I told (Brooks) while we were on the bench I said, ‘You won this game’ cause we were dying and you made stuff out of nothing,” John Calipari said.
With Sahvir and TyTy running the show, everyone fell into their roles perfectly. Kellan Grady hit threes. Oscar Tshiebwe cleaned the glass, finishing with 17 points and 14 rebounds, his 15th double-double. Jacob Toppin brought energy on the inside. Lance Ware brought the fight when Oscar needed a breather. The only guy that played that didn’t score was Davion Mintz, but he had three assists.
“You see today when we have a full roster and a team, it is dangerous for who we’re going against,” Oscar said after the game.
“See what happens?” TyTy Washington said in the locker room. “Went out there and handled business. We’ve got Granddad [Kellan Grady], KB doing their thing. Big O rebounding. Sahvir doing what he do.”
“That’s a team that we played tonight that could win it all,” Bill Self said. “They played Auburn at Auburn and those of you that follow Kentucky know, the other day, they were better than Auburn for a vast majority of the game; the score didn’t really indicate it.”
Tonight’s does. And college basketball should take notice.
Go. Big. Blue.
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