KSR Today: A Kentucky Rout at Rupp Arena
After two embarrassing performances to tip off December, Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena and did what they needed to do against an inferior foe, pulling away for a 103-67 victory over NC Central.
The Wildcats did not live the entire night on easy street. It was 10-7 at the first media timeout. The Eagles cut the deficit to eight after a Brandon Garrison turnover. Mark Pope didn’t like what he saw and immediately called a timeout and let Garrison hear his thoughts. A switch was flipped, the Wildcats went on an 18-2 run, and never looked back.
It was the best game of the season for a couple of Cats. Jasper Johnson had a career-high 22 points on 6-10 shooting from the floor, while Otega Oweh was an efficient 9-12, scoring a season-high 21 points. While some may have loved to see him knock down three three-balls, this was my favorite two.
Garrison wasn’t the only player who sat
For weeks, BBN wondered when Kentucky would get its point guard back. For a half, that point guard stayed on the sideline, despite a healthy shoulder. Jaland Lowe and Kam Williams logged zero minutes in the first half, paving the way for Trent Noah‘s second start of the season, while Brandon Garrison did not leave the bench in the second half.
“We just have a standard we have to live up to, and we’re not, and we have to,” Pope said when asked if he was sending a message to some of his players tonight. “So, we keep fighting until we do.”
A Friendly Kentucky Basketball Postgame Interview
Typically, losses are followed by criticism. Usually, it’s pointed toward specific moments of execution. Kentucky fans have spent the last week asking, “Do these guys even like each other?” It felt like they were trying to answer affirmatively in the moments after the game. While the SEC Network chatted with Oweh, the entire team crowded around him and had a little harmless fun.
“We’ve just all got to continue to pump confidence into each other, regardless of the outcome,” Oweh said while someone put a towel on his head. “Obviously, in the last game, we didn’t have the outcome we wanted, but it’s still so early. So me being an older guy, I’m just continuing to preach that. It’s early, and we can flip the script. We’ve just got to show up every single day.”
More from the Kentucky Win
Cats Remain Optimistic for Best Year of Their Basketball Lives
Oweh Shoots Down Off-Court Issues
Trent Noah sunk threes and threw down dunks as a starter
Zach Tow had an emotional pregame speech, then hit his first field goal
KSR’s Top Takeaways
Mark Pope wants to see more from Jasper Johnson
Highlights from the Kentucky Win
A Frustrated Mark Pope Postgame Press Conference
What the Players said after the Win
Kentucky’s Next Opponent is Ready to Put Up More Fight
New Heights for Craig Skinner
The Kentucky volleyball coach stood on a desk to ask Kentucky volleyball fans to pack Historic Memorial Coliseum. He upped the ante each week, moving to the rafters of Rupp Arena, to the top of the tallest building in Lexington. Ahead of the final weekend of home matches, with a Final Four on the line, Skinner climbed even higher into the sky.
Once you get your tickets to the game, arrive early for the UK Volleyball “Block” Party. The King Alumni House on Rose Street will be hosting the pregame event from 2-3:30 PM ET.
Top 10
- 1
UK 103, NC Central 67
Cats roll
- 2Trending
Brandon Garrison
Pope on BG's benching
- 3Hot
Otega Oweh
says no off-court drama
- 4Hot
Takeaways
from UK's win over NCC
- 5Trending
Zach Tow
hits first FG as a Cat
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Ty Bryant Earns All-SEC Honors
The Kentucky Wildcats won’t get a ton of postseason accolades following a 5-7 campaign, but Ty Bryant deserves his flowers. The Kentucky safety was a Second Team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches after the Lexington native picked off four passes, more than any other player in the SEC. He was UK’s only All-SEC selection.
A Closer Look at Will Stein’s First Days in Lexington
The cameras were rolling when Will Stein arrived on campus last week for the first time. Take a behind-the-scenes look at how the new Kentucky football head coach spent his first days on the job.
Want more Kentucky football intel? Join KSR Plus for access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.
What’s Next for Kentucky Football?
Will Stein is in the process of assembling his staff, and there were a couple of wrinkles on Tuesday. We expected Derek Shay to remain with the program as the tight ends coach. That changed when he got a similar offer from Texas A&M.
Not long after that news broke, we learned that Jabbar Juluke was a candidate to coach the UK running backs. A veteran with serious recruiting chops in the SEC, Kentucky is not the only one in the mix. Texas has also entered the fray, complicating the issue. Where do things stand now? We’re talking about it all this afternoon at 1:30 PM ET on 11 Personnel.
A Crazy College Basketball Comeback
The Jimmy V Classic produced a classic at Madison Square Garden. Clemson had a 22-point second half lead when BYU came storming back. AJ Dybansta scored 28 points, but it was Robert Wright who made the shot that capped off the largest second-half comeback in BYU history.
In the nightcap, Florida had a chance to pull off another late comeback against UConn, the team it eliminated in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament. After trailing for most of the contest, Boogie Fland tied it with 13 seconds to play. The Gators forced a turnover to set up a game-tying field goal attempt. Then the script was flipped, and they turned it over on a 5-second violation. UConn survived 77-73 in a battle between the last two National Champions.
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