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KSR's top takeaways from Kentucky's blowout win over NC Central

Jack PIlgrimby: Jack Pilgrim8 hours ago

There wasn’t much of anything Kentucky could do to make Big Blue Nation feel better about the 35-point Gonzaga loss and everything leading up to that Nashville trip — time and blowout wins heal all wounds. When you’re taking on the No. 350 team in college basketball coming off a 15-point loss to North Carolina A&T, you know what you’re signing up for when the ball is tipped. That was the case with NC Central in town, ready to take its beating.

Just how bad was it inside Rupp Arena with the Wildcats getting back in the win column ahead of Indiana coming to Lexington this weekend? KSR has the top takeaways.

Jaland Lowe and Kam Williams only play in the second half

There wasn’t much to look forward to going into this one, but of the few bright spots, Lowe’s continued availability was one of them. He got through the Gonzaga loss without any setbacks, and if Kentucky has any shot at turning things around this season, keeping it that way is a top priority.

Then he sat out the entire first half against NC Central after going through practice Monday and shootaround Tuesday. What happened? Was it rest or a reaggravation? Punishment?

Kam Williams was in the same boat, but with no prior injury of note. He missed the first half, too, only for both players to check in after the opening segment of the second with the game far out of reach — 14:32 and up 20 for the former, 12:35 and up 24 for the latter.

“We have a standard we have to live up to and we’re not,” Pope said. “And we’ll just keep fighting until we do.”

This team needs all the help it can get right now, specifically with Lowe on the floor running the offense. Pretty unfortunate time for a punishment, but at least we’re starting to see some signs of accountability.

Brandon Garrison was benched after the first half

With Lowe and Williams only playing in the second, it should also be noted that Garrison only saw the floor in the first following a massive blow-up from Mark Pope. He earned seven minutes to begin the game, then subbed out at the 8:06 mark following a bad turnover and poor effort getting back on defense the other way.

Pope got after him in the huddle with some choice words and the junior forward never returned. He’d finish with five points on 1-2 shooting and two assists with two turnovers in seven total minutes.

“We just have a lot of growing that we have to do right now and we’ll grow,” Pope said when asked about Garrison. “We have good guys, we have competitive guys. We don’t know really what it means to compete yet, which is terrifying, but we will. We’ll learn, we’re gonna learn. We’re gonna learn. We’re learning fast.”

Not a good sign for Garrison with Jayden Quaintance nearing his debut for the Wildcats.

Otega Oweh was Otega Oweh again — and he’s our PARLOUR Pizza Player of the Game

As for the Wildcats who did play the entirety of the 40-minute contest, Oweh shone the brightest — exactly what we needed to see from him after a disappointing all-around start to his senior season in blue and white. He was consistent for all 27 of his minutes, starting with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals in the first half, followed by nine points, one rebound, one assist, two steals and a block in the second.

That gave him a season-high 21 points on 9-12 shooting and 3-4 from three with seven boards and four steals in the blowout win, active and aggressive on both ends of the floor to look a little bit like the Otega Oweh we all knew and loved when he first arrived in Lexington a year ago. He also stepped up as a leader, pulling his teammates aside and lifting them up during play stoppages while also showing and not just telling by playing like his butt was on fire all night.

He was the SEC Preseason Player of the Year for a reason — his talent and heart didn’t vanish the day he announced his return for one last ride. It’s always been there and we’ve been waiting for it.

It was enough to be named KSR’s PARLOUR Pizza Player of the Game.

Make PARLOUR your game day destination! From award-winning pizzas like The Dr. or fan favorite Hot Honey Pepperoni to PARLOUR’s famous house-smoked wings and extensive craft beer selection, PARLOUR has a menu that will please the whole family! Their location on Harrodsburg Road is just a short drive from Rupp Arena.

Don’t miss out on their great Happy Hour. Come in Monday thru Friday from 2-6pm to enjoy discounted pints, cocktails, and starters. 

Parlour is looking forward to celebrating two new locations during the first half of 2026. Coming soon to Lexington Hamburg and Richmond, KY!

Whether you’re sipping a hand-crafted cocktail or sharing one of our signature pizzas, PARLOUR is a place where great food and good times come together naturally. 

Jasper Johnson goes nuclear for career-high 22

Welcome to the show, kid. Coach Pope spent the entire offseason calling the Lexington native a “dangerous, dangerous scorer,” but it hadn’t shown up outside of the exhibition win over Purdue and the opener against Nicholls. In fact, those were his only two double-digit scoring performances with a combined 18 points against Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina and Gonzaga.

The Wildcats needed more from the blue-chip freshman, and they finally got it, Johnson going for a career-high 22 points on 6-10 shooting, 2-4 from three and 8-8 at the line while adding two rebounds, two assists and zero turnovers in 19 minutes.

We heard all about his gravity when he first arrived, and that was reflected in NC Central’s attention on Johnson from the outside, fouling him on two 3-pointers to load up on free throws while also hitting two perimeter shots outright. Confidence is picking up right as Kentucky is desperately searching for answers.

Now it just has to translate against Indiana.

Zach Tow gets his turn

First, it was Walker Horn earning his first field goal as a Wildcat against Tennessee Tech — a 3-point dagger at the shot clock buzzer in his 18th career appearance. Zach Tow hit a free throw in the same game, but hadn’t scored a bucket in a real game.

That changed against NC Central, tossing up a catch-and-shoot look from the left corner and finding the bottom of the net with 31.6 seconds to go, putting Kentucky deeper into triple-digit territory with 103 points.

Just as they did for Horn, the bench went wild, as did the crowd.

Angry Pope was alive and well

It was a 36-point win that saw five players finish in double figures, but it wasn’t good enough in the head coach’s eyes. Pope was visibly frustrated coming out for his postgame press conference and only spoke for seven minutes, talking about needing more from what this group is showing — no matter the final score tonight.

The good news? He believes it’s all coming. Things may not be great now, but they will be. He’ll leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of these struggles and finding the key to a breakthrough.

“It hasn’t translated yet, but it will. Yet is a powerful word, guys. This is the best word in the English language, three letters that are powerful,” Pope said. “It hasn’t translated yet, but it will. It will. We’re gonna be so proud of this team. We’re not yet, but we will be. That competitive spirit, man, I’ve done a poor job getting that out of our guys in games, which is monumentally frustrating for me, but we’ll get it out.

“We’re gonna find it or we’re gonna die trying. It’s there, we just have to get it and find a way to do it.”

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2025-12-09