Kentucky steamrolls Marshall in historic offensive performance
There was no post-Thanksgiving hangover for the Kentucky Wildcats. No sluggish play after eating that extra slice of pumpkin pie. The team entering the matchup averaging 89.6 points with 11.6 made threes per contest somehow made those numbers look conservative in a historic offensive performance. They flirted with them in the first half alone, dropping 69 at the break, the most points scored inside Rupp Arena and fourth-most in program history.
And then the second half started, the Wildcats hitting their season average with 13:34 to go and the century mark with eight minutes and change remaining. That would pave the path for a 118-82 finish, good for the most points scored in a single game since 2001.
Just one of those nights for a team that’s seemingly having a lot of those nights here to open the regular season.
Joey Hart sets the all-time scoring record
Want to know just how insane Kentucky’s performance was? Joey Hart broke the program’s all-time scoring record under John Calipari.
Launching and drilling a 3-pointer with 40 seconds to go, Hart’s shot gave the Wildcats an absurd 118 points on the night, topping the team’s 115-point winning effort vs. Arizona State in the Bahamas back in 2016. That group wound up averaging 84.9 points per game, good for tenth-best nationally by year’s end.
Kentucky is now averaging 94.3 points per game on 50.6% shooting and 42.5% from three through six games. Want to know how many times the Wildcats hit the 80-point mark a year ago? Eight.
They’ve done that in all six games to open the season.
Poetry in motion offensively
It wasn’t just a high-volume beatdown, either. The Wildcats finished the day shooting 60.8% from the field and 59.3% from three on 74 total shots and 27 3-pointers. Six different players joined the double-figure club, two hitting the 20-point mark.
And it wasn’t iso-heavy ball, dudes just taking the game over as individuals. It was 27 assists on 45 total makes with just nine turnovers overall. They’re now averaging 20.0 assists per game compared to just 8.2 turnovers on the year.
“I like good basketball. They’re playing the way you should, it’s fun,” Marshall head coach Dan D’Antoni said of Kentucky’s offense. “It’s entertaining, good for the fans. Win or lose, it’s fun to watch.”
Consider DJ Wagner broken through
Remember just a few games ago when John Calipari said his prized freshman had the weight of the world on his shoulders and his breakthrough was coming? Wagner followed that up with a 22-point, six-assist effort in a win over Saint Joseph’s, 17 of those points coming in the second half and overtime. And then a game later, a career-high 28 points on 10-14 shooting, 2-5 from three and 6-7 at the line to go with five assists, three steals and just one turnover in 26 minutes.
Yeah, I’d say he’s broken through just fine.
“I knew he would – it’s nothing new for him,” Reed Sheppard said of Wagner. “He’s a really, really good player.”
The five-star freshman is just happy his efforts came in a historic victory for the Wildcats.
“I wasn’t really focused on the way I played individually. That’s never the focus,” Wagner added. “I was just happy that we were able to win the game. Everybody could see how good of a team we’ve got. We still do. I’m confident in my teammates and they’re confident in me.”
Bradshaw returns to practice, Ivisic back to the doctor
As Kentucky rolls through the competition, it’s sometimes hard to fathom how three additional 7-footers could be on the way. But they are, and one could be joining the fold sooner rather than later.
John Calipari confirmed Aaron Bradshaw had returned to practice after breaking his foot back in the spring. He remains limited to non-contact work, but it’s progress nonetheless. The five-star signee got to show off his shooting touch for the first time prior to the opening tip, going through an individual workout with assistant coach John Welch.
“Aaron’s been practicing, just not live,” Calipari said. “He’s been with us five-on-zero, drill work, all that kind of stuff. Just not competitive.”
As for Zvonimir Ivisic, his buzzard’s luck continues to open his time in Lexington. First, it was cramps and general soreness. Then, it was food poisoning. Now, the 7-2 freshman is dealing with a 104-degree fever, an illness that obviously kept him off the bench and away from the team on Friday.
And how about a new update on Ugonna Onyenso? Calipari added that he’s back to “running and jumping,” a step in the right direction regarding his potential return.
When could that come? He’s not quite ready to say, but he knows he needs at least one of them back.
“We’ve got to have one of these big guys back,” he said. “Will they be back for Tuesday, one of them? I don’t know. I don’t know, I’m not pushing on any of it.”
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