KSR Today: Another "roadkill" win for Kentucky; WBB back in action

Good morning, folks! I have a feeling a lot of you all woke up with some easy money in your pocket. Entering Saturday’s game as a 2-point underdog, No. 5 Kentucky won a defensive slugfest against Alabama down in Tuscaloosa, 66-55.

Neither side shot the ball particularly well, which is an understatement in regards to the Crimson Tide. UK shot 40 percent from the field and 4-11 (36.4 percent) from beyond the arc — respectable numbers, but not anything that will run up the scoreboard. Alabama, on the other hand, shot just 28.1 percent from the floor and a pitiful 3-30 (10 percent) from distance. It was one of the worst outside shooting performances from a Power 5 program in at least a decade, and probably one of the worst ever considering how the development of that shot has grown so much in recent years.

Credit is due to Kentucky’s defense though, which continues to look just a smidge better with every passing game. This isn’t one of John Calipari’s typical shot-blocking units, but they all do a terrific job of working together on a string, moving in sync with each other as opposing offenses whip the ball around. Teams can’t seem to move the ball fast enough to break down the Wildcat defense as UK has shown it can defend the third, fourth, and even fifth pass from a fast-paced offense. Alabama tried to outrun and outshoot Kentucky, a recipe that played right into how the ‘Cats want to execute.

On offense, it was a collective effort from Kentucky with a much-needed bounce-back game from TyTy Washington. The freshman point guard finished with 15 points (his most since Jan. 15) in 32 minutes played as he was able to finally find a groove after dealing with a minor ankle injury. Four other Wildcats finished with exactly 10 points on the night: Keion Brooks Jr., Oscar Tshiebwe, Kellan Grady, and a surprise outing from Daimion Collins.

Perhaps the most enticing aspect of this Kentucky team is that it can win by scoring 65 points just as easily as it can scoring 95.

Next up on the schedule for UK is another road matchup, this one coming on Tuesday against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Now let’s dive into some postgame links and highlights from Saturday.

Postgame links

• Defense Dominates the Day as Kentucky Defeats Alabama 66-55
• KSR’s top takeaways from Kentucky’s road win at Alabama
• Daimion Collins was the next man up against Alabama
• John Calipari, Kentucky know how to bounce back after being swept
• Alabama died by the 3
• John Calipari gives his team another big compliment following Alabama win
• Kentucky defense flexes muscles in road win over Alabama
• TyTy Washington broke a 3-point slump while defending Alabama into one
• Sources Say: Kentucky earns impressive 11-point road win at Alabama

John Calipari postgame press conference

TyTy Washington postgame press conference

Highlights

WBB back in action after week off

After a severely needed break, Kentucky Women’s Basketball will look to bounce back from a bad few-week stretch.

UK has won just one out of its previous seven outings as the roster deals with depth issues, multiple injuries, and a multi-game suspension to second-leading scorer Dre’Una Edwards. The ‘Cats are just 2-6 in the conference and 9-9 overall. A berth in the NCAA Tournament is looking very unlikely as of right now, but all hope is not lost.

Part of Kentucky’s downfall in the month of January was a tightened schedule. UK was regularly playing three games in five days and doing so with only six or seven available players. Granted, three of those six losses came against top 15 opponents, but Kentucky also fell to Vanderbilt and Auburn, which are a combined 4-15 in SEC play.

All this being said, a new opportunity to get back on track will arise later today. Kentucky will host Texas A&M, which is just 2-7 in the SEC so far, at noon on ESPN2. The Aggies are having just as disappointing a season as the ‘Cats are so far, and both teams could desperately use the win. UK hasn’t played in seven days though and looked much better in its most-recent loss to LSU with Edwards back in the lineup.

Today’s threads 💖#CommitToIt x #Play4Kay pic.twitter.com/z8tWgPYo3X

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) February 6, 2022

Read up on Grant Grubbs’ preview right here for more on today’s matchup.

WATCH: This long CJ Fredrick interview

Kentucky guard CJ Fredrick recently sat down with Zach Schumaker for an in-depth interview that went nearly two hours long. The two sides discuss a variety of topics, including Fredrick’s injury, growing up in Cincinnati, playing at Iowa, and how his time at Kentucky has gone so far.

Since there’s no NFL on today, you might as well spend your time getting to know Fredrick.