Kentucky drops the hammer on Tennessee in Rupp Arena beatdown

After hammering a good Tennessee team, there is no doubt that Kentucky is a legitimate national championship contender.

In the 107-79 win, the Wildcats flashed its elite offensive potential as the team was red hot from multiple spots on the floor and just gutted one of the best defenses in college basketball.

KSR is live on the scene and has instant takeaways from Rupp Arena. Kentucky can make some major noise over the next two months.

Kentucky is elite on offense

In the win, Kentucky scored 107 points in 69 possessions with 1.55 points per trip. The Wildcats shot 71.1 percent from two, 61.1 percent from three, and 95.2 percent from the free throw line. Kentucky had an assist rate of 50 percent and scored over 50 points in both halves.

That will get it done.

Over at KenPom, Kentucky is up to No. 4 overall in offensive efficiency. The Wildcats have finished higher than that just once (2012) in John Calipari’s tenure. Currently, we’re watching one of the program’s best offensive teams in recent memory.

Enjoy the ride as Kentucky seems to have a special group on offense in 2021-22.

Sahvir Wheeler is the secret sauce

Oscar Tshiebwe is a legitimate All-American and Player of the Year candidate. TyTy Washington is one of the best rookies in college basketball. That gives Kentucky a great duo, but neither is the draw that stirs the drink.

Sahvir Wheeler is the engine that drives this Kentucky basketball team.

After missing nearly three entire games once exiting the lineup in the road loss to LSU, the junior point guard returned to the starting lineup against Tennessee and had a whale of a ballgame.

Wheeler scored 20-plus points for just the second time this season and made a three-point shot for the first time since November. The shotmaking is a nice addition, but it’s not necessary.

The Georgia transfer is key in helping Kentucky push the pace, and his availability allows John Calipari to stay with three-guard lineups. Elsewhere, his energy gives the Wildcats a major lift on the floor, and the team just looks different with the lefty point guard in the lineup.

The defense still needs some improvement

The offensive production will rightfully get most of the attention after the latest win over the team from East Tennessee, but the defense wasn’t stellar.

In SEC games, the Vols rank 10th in offensive efficiency, but Tennessee did have a ton of success against Kentucky. Tennessee scored 79 points, posted 1.10 points per possession, and poured in 11 makes from three-point range.

For the season, Kentucky has now slipped to 30th in defensive efficiency. The Wildcats are third in the conference in SEC games, but the defense must make improvements as the season progresses.

Producing more turnovers would help, and Kentucky did that with a 27.8 percent turnover rate against Tennessee.

Transition basketball equals winning basketball

Part of the reason Kentucky had so much success against a defense as good as Tennessee is because of the terms of the game. The Vols were unable to get the Wildcats locked into a half-court battle. That was due to Kentucky’s determination in getting into transition.

Kentucky scored 27 points in transition and was never really forced to grind out scores. The game only featured 69 possessions, but that did not matter because the Wildcats were pushing it ahead whenever possible.

That is a style change from John Calipari and a right one. With Wheeler running point, the Wildcats can put pressure on defenses immediately as tempo can be pushed when stops are made.

Kentucky must continue to play fast as it’s the best way for this team to win games.

It’s officially national championship or bust

Entering the season, expectations seemed hard to set for this Kentucky team. The addition of multiple transfers made this one of John Calipari’s oldest teams but how the pieces fit was still to be determined.

Mix in the coaching staff changes and lack of top-10 talent from the recruiting class, and it all added up to be a wait-and-see approach for the Wildcats this season.

That is now out the window after 17 games. Kentucky is good enough to win the entire thing.

The Big Blue has a potential Player of the Year at the five, a strong point guard running the show, and plenty of offensive firepower surrounding them. Davion Mintz gives the team some legit scoring punch off the bench, and Jacob Toppin provides defensive versatility.

All the pieces are in place for the team to go on a deep run in March. Kentucky can win the whole thing in 2022.