Oscar Tshiebwe, Cason Wallace on Kentucky finding its fight vs. Michigan

After failing its first tests of the season vs. Michigan State and Gonzaga, Kentucky desperately needed a win today vs. Michigan in London. Thanks to some clutch play by a freshman, the Cats will be able to take one home with them.

Kentucky’s 73-69 win over Michigan is its first away from Rupp Arena this season and the first against a Power Five opponent. It came at a crucial time. Not only was the Big Blue Nation getting a little restless, if Kentucky wants to compete for a good seed in the NCAA Tournament, it can’t afford many more missteps along the way. The Wolverines may not be ranked (they’re No. 46 in KenPom), but this victory is by far the best of Kentucky’s season so far.

Maybe more importantly, it showed the Cats have some fight in them. Kentucky stretched its lead to seven with 15:27 left in the second half, but Michigan rallied, taking a 50-49 lead at the 12:42 mark. Instead of wilting, the Cats fought back, with Jacob Toppin scoring Kentucky’s next six points and CJ Fredrick extending the lead to six with a three. After Hunter Dickinson narrowed the lead to two with 1:40 left, Cason Wallace delivered the dagger, a beautiful three that brought the BBN in the O2 to its feet.

“Just to win on the road feels good,” Wallace, the game’s MVP, said afterward. “You know, we’ve struggled on the road, we were struggling on the road. We played against a good team tonight and I’m just glad we came out on top, really.”

“We’re coming along and we’re feeling good,” Oscar Tshiebwe said. “This is good for us because we’ve got UCLA waiting for us, we’ve got a big game coming up so I think we’re starting to figure out how we can win. We looked good in this game.”

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

“This is going to give many people hope that we are a good team”

What was the difference for Kentucky tonight? Oscar said an attitude shift.

“I think this game is kind of the same game we played against Michigan State. We just needed to figure out how to win at the end of the game. Like Coach said, you’ve got to play not to lose. You’ve got to play like you’ve got nothing to lose. Gonzaga, I feel like they started on fire and they got us thinking they are better than us but I think we’ve got a good team. We’ve got people who can play. Starting today, we’re going to start building up, stay together. I feel like we’re going to be great.”

Helping matters was a passionate group of Kentucky fans in the stands. The announced attendance was 8,242 (which is generous), but the fans that did make the trek across the pond and other parts of the world made their presence known, filling the arena with “Go Big Blue” chants throughout the game, especially in the final stretch. Oscar hopes today’s win gives the BBN a boost after a rough start to the 2023-24 campaign.

“Well, I felt like we were celebrating at home,” Oscar said of hearing the cheers. “It was good. It was good because many people think our team is kind of shaky but this is going to give many people hope that we are a good team and we’re going to keep fighting.”