
To highlight the best and worst moments from Tuesday night's win over Vanderbilt, I thought I'd address each player that played in the game, and their best and worst moments. If you hate reading, don't worry, I put up a gif of every Wildcat player's best moment. Enjoy!
Olivier Sarr (MVP)
Best: Well, he was the best player on the court against Vanderbilt. This wasn't the Sarr that sulked and shied away against Louisville and UNC. Tuesday, he was aggressive, evidenced by him tying the Calipari-era record for made free throws in a single game with 14. Even without the ball in his hands, Sarr was active. Weeks ago I called for him to set more screens off the ball and last night he whizzed around, creating space for Dontaie Allen and Davion Mintz to get off shots, for Devin Askew to drive, and even got himself wide open off a few stagger screens. Great effort from Sarr.
Worst: He still over-helps on defense, leaving his guy wide open (knockdown shooter). To put it bluntly, he's not a great defender; usually the one out of position on open shots.
Devin Askew
Best: Baby Dev is growing up (that's his Twitter name, by the way, I promise I didn't make it up). He's our point guard. The Terrence Clarke experience was a worse train wreck than the one that opens
The Fugitive. And now, despite his struggles earlier on, Askew has improved more than any player on the roster since the season began. He doesn't stand puzzled at the 3-point line for 20 seconds anymore; he gets downhill, he gets shooters the ball, and he's a physical load for smaller point guards to handle. I'll highlight his pretty stroke from the corner:
Worst: The whole team struggled to guard the perimeter, and with Scotty Pippen Jr. as the opposing point guard, it was always going to be a tough night for Askew defensively. I thought he actually did alright but did get broken down off the bounce a time or two.
Dontaie Allen
Best: I have an exciting prediction for Kentuckians:
Dontaie Allen will one day be Kentucky's leading scorer. The "Pride of Pendleton County" just needed a green light to jumpstart his development. With an extended leash and Clarke, Cam'Ron Fletcher, and Keion Brooks all not playing, Allen has been able to settle in with minutes he knows he's getting, even if he screws up. Last night, he showcased a smoothness to his game that B.J. Boston could only dream of, and he's the projected lottery pick. I'll end with this certifiably slick pump-fake and deep-stroke. This is a professional move:
Worst: As Cal pointed out, he did make some glaring defensive errors. To me, mentioning his few mistakes on that end is unfair when half the team left shooters open last night. As clueless as Allen was occasionally, B.J. Boston was just as clueless the whole game.
Davion Mintz
Best: Mintz is everything Kentucky needs in a role player: shot-making, ball-handling, experience, good decision-making, and he knows his role. Along with his dagger to put the game away and his other few jumpers, he was also quite good at slowing down the Vandy guards in the second half. To find a "worst" from him would really be nitpicking, so I won't. Oh, and here's this beautiful piece of basketball action:
B.J. Boston
Best: Look, the kid is a puddle right now, mentally and physically. We know his ceiling looks like the Sistine Chapel's and the road there is a marathon. He struggled again, but this one play (and his other two baskets) are why by next summer he'll have a few million more bucks than the low-lifes who booed him:
Worst: It's hard to choose between his offense or his defense. He had as many airballs as made shots and he allowed shooters to get open left and right.
Jacob Toppin
Best: It wasn't what he did, but rather, what he didn't do. J-Topp brought the energy, hustle and athleticism that's earned him playing time, but didn't take three horrendous shots. He only took one. If he stays disciplined and continues learning how to use that ridiculous body of his, we're going to have a star in Lexington down the road. Here's his best play from the night:
Worst: He and Boston are co-founders of the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Shots Club. Boston threw up a handful last night, but Toppin only had one: a side-court fadeaway with two defenders contesting and his head almost behind the backboard. Not ideal.
Isaiah Jackson
Best: A quiet night for Jackson across the board, but like Toppin, I'll note his discipline. Jackson normally jacks a brick from fifteen feet and has one or two takes to the basket that leaves Calipari smacking himself in the head. Not last night. Instead, he attacked in a few opportunities he saw and continues to be a terror on defense. Here's his only bucket from last night:
Worst: He was millimeters behind a good chunk of his block attempts, mostly on Scotty Pippen Jr. Not necessarily a criticism, but there were a couple of buckets at the rim I was sure he got a finger on that found their way in.
Lance Ware
Best: The Ware and Toppin combo is such a great frontcourt spark off the bench. I mentioned Toppin's physical gifts and he's just flat-out unafraid. Ware is the most energetic guy on the team and on the boards. He didn't take a shot from the floor last night, but he had a pair of blocks and served as UK's cheerleading skipper. Look at this final play, Ware hadn't been in the game for a while but he's more jazzed than anyone after Davion splashed the game-winner:
Worst: Yes, the referees treated the whistle like a chew toy, but Ware picks up ticky-tack fouls like no one's business. He's just young and can't move well laterally, something he'll have to improve. Last season, Nate Sestina had these same problems, and often suffered foul trouble because of it. Same deal for Lance Ware.
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