KSR's takeaways from Kentucky's beatdown of Auburn

Consistency (or lack thereof) has been the name of the game for Kentucky this season. Brilliant stretches of play followed by head-scratching lapses, strong leads disappearing in favor of nailbiting finishes and momentum-crushing losses. Every player on this team has shown flashes of individual greatness, but rarely have the Wildcats been able to do it as a collective unit over the course of a game. One half or the other, maybe, but never a full 40 minutes. At one point or another, for whatever reason, the foot never failed to ease off the gas pedal.

The scenario again presented itself in Kentucky’s head-to-head battle vs. Auburn inside Rupp Arena on Saturday. Down one with 5:24 to go in the first, the Wildcats closed out the half on a 16-4 run, scoring eight straight in the final 1:34 to take a 40-29 lead going into the break. UK was shooting 55.6% from the field, 83.3% from three and 83.3% at the line while holding AU to zero field goals in the last 2:53 and just one make in their final nine attempts overall.

A terrific finish, no doubt. And considering Kentucky’s struggles closing out halves this season, it was certainly a step in the right direction. But again, we’ve seen runs quickly flip to ruts, then deficits. An 11-point lead was hardly settling. The second-half response was all that mattered.

After allowing a quick bucket to Auburn on its first offensive possession, Kentucky would rattle off a 9-0 run to go up 18 points with 15:18 to go. That lead would balloon to 25 with 7:51 to go, 31 with 5:14 remaining, then 40 at the 2:30 mark. Insert Ugonna Onyenso, Brennan Canada, Walker Horn and Kareem Watkins for the victory formation, 86-54 final.

Four straight wins for the Wildcats, this not only being the biggest statement of that stretch, but the entire season. The tempo, shot-making, playmaking, athleticism, rebounding, forced turnovers and camaraderie, everything we loved about this team when it curb-stomped the competition in the Bahamas and in random limited spurts throughout the season, it all came together against the Tigers. Two 40-plus-point halves while holding Auburn to fewer than 30 points in either and 54 total, its third-lowest scoring output on the year.

As a team, Kentucky shot an absurd 56.1% from the field (32-57), 61.5% from three (8-13) and 93.3% at the line (14-15) while holding Auburn to 33.9% shooting (19-56), 33.3% from deep (7-21) and 64.3% at the line (9-14). The Wildcats won the rebounding battle 41-23 while scoring more points off turnovers (23-16), second-chance points (14-7), fast break points (27-17) and points in the paint (36-22). UK spent almost 37 minutes with the lead, less than three for AU.

The beatdown of all beatdowns, a 32-point home win with just two games to go in the regular season. On the outside of the NCAA Tournament field exactly two weeks ago following back-to-back losses vs. Arkansas and at Georgia, Kentucky has not just played its way back in, it is now a team no one wants to see in the Big Dance.

And once again, a John Calipari-coached team is playing its best basketball going into March. Go figure.

How did it all come together against Bruce Pearl and the Tigers? KSR has the takeaways from Rupp Arena.

Antonio Reeves goes nuclear in the second half

Calipari wants dagger throwers? He’s got his Great Throwdini in Antonio Reeves.

(Google says that’s the fastest and most accurate knife thrower in the world, 44 records or something. Just go with it.)

The senior bucket-getter scored 21 points total, 18 coming in the second half alone, the biggest spark during Kentucky’s insane 46-17 stretch after intermission. He converted a ridiculous and-one layup to put the Wildcats up 16, the start of a seven-point run by himself. Then, back-to-back deep jumpers, followed by another 3-pointer just a few minutes later to go up 21. And then for good measure, one final 3-pointer to put the nail in the coffin, forcing Bruce Pearl to take out his starters down 36 with 3:47 to go.

“I knew that – the first three I had, and then I had a wide-open three after that. I already knew I was gonna knock that one down,” Reeves said after the win. “After that, I already knew every shot I put up was gonna go in, so like, it was just one of those days for me.”

His 21 came on 8-13 shooting and 4-7 from three to go with one rebound and a steal with zero turnovers in 36 minutes. Reeves has now made 15 of his last 31 3-pointers and has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 15 games, seven games overall with at least 20 points.

Oscar Tshiebwe refuses to miss shots

The records are what they are at this point, a new one shattered every time he steps on the floor at this point. Tonight? 22 points and 17 rebounds, giving him his 16th double-double of the season and 44th in 61 games as a Wildcat. That’s good for No. 3 in Kentucky basketball history. It was also his fifth 20-15 game of the year and his 12th at Kentucky. Pretty neat.

But let’s not gloss over the fact that Tshiebwe has now made 20 of his last 23 shots overall, an absurd 87% over the course of two games. 12 of 13 shooting at Florida, followed by tonight’s 8 of 10 effort while also converting all six free-throw attempts in the win. In a head-to-head battle vs. Auburn big man Johni Broome — the team’s leading scorer — the Wildcat star took some early punches, but quickly recovered and proceeded to take his opponent out of the game completely. Broome finished with nine points on 4-6 shooting in the first half, but just three on 0-4 shooting and 3-4 at the line with zero rebounds, one turnover and two fouls in the second half.

“Can you see he’s getting his confidence back?” Calipari said of his 6-foot-9, 265-pound center.

The easy answer: yes. There was a transition period following his return from offseason knee surgery where he clearly wasn’t the same player we saw dominate the college basketball world a year ago. It didn’t help that he was force-fed offensively, a one-man show that was often a pain to watch. Trapped constantly with no outside shooting or off-ball movement, typically late in the shot clock. Simply a mess.

Then the ball started moving and shots began falling, the Wildcats making teams pay for their harassment of Tshiebwe down low. Get healthy, add some defensive spacing, build confidence and Oscar is looking like Oscar again.

Jacob Toppin deserves his flowers

It’s been a hell of a year for senior forward Jacob Toppin, for better and for worse. He hit rock bottom in Kentucky’s game at Missouri, played off the floor in a blowout loss, one in which he admitted afterward he took plays off and couldn’t stay engaged on either end of the floor.

“I’ve been in a rough patch that I needed to get out of,” he said at the time.

Since then, a turnaround unlike anyone on the team. Toppin has put together 12 consecutive double-figure scoring nights, 14 of his last 16. Tonight, an impressive 13-point, 12-rebound, 5-assist effort in 33 minutes, giving him his seventh double-double on the year and second in a row. It was a performance that earned him a standing ovation from the Kentucky faithful as he fouled out with his team up a million, a small, but well-deserved gesture after a season of ups and downs.

“He is playing so well,” Calipari said of Toppin. “I’m just saying, why would you want to be that other guy? This guy, he’s one of the best players in the country.”

At his best, Toppin is a versatile face-up scorer capable of scoring at all three levels. He’s good for a few highlight plays around the rim, a couple of pull-up jumpers, and lately, a keep-you-honest 3-pointer — he’s now hit 11 of 20 attempts from deep in SEC play, including seven of his last 10. And when he’s engaged defensively, he’s got the tools to be a monster on that end of the floor, too.

“Cason Wallace is a difference-maker at the point”

Bruce Pearl isn’t lying. Taking the keys at point guard during SEC play, Cason Wallace has been the catalyst to Kentucky’s big-picture development. Starting out the year as an off-ball sniper, the five-star freshman has transitioned into a dynamic playmaker with an unmatched ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and others. Even when his jumper wasn’t falling, his creation and production in the pick-and-roll changed the entire outlook of the offense. The team went as Wallace went.

Today was no exception, with the 6-foot-4 guard going for 19 points on 6-12 shooting, 2-2 from three and 5-6 at the line to go with a team-high nine assists, four steals and three turnovers in 37 minutes. Unsurprisingly, he led the Wildcats in plus/minus with a +42 in a 32-point win.

Kentucky needs Sahvir Wheeler back sooner rather than later. The guards need breathers, Wallace specifically — his back spasms could flare up at any moment, more likely with greater wear and tear.

But the proof is in the pudding: this is Cason Wallace’s team, one that is finding its groove when it matters most. And that’s a pretty comfortable position to be in.