Washington's third straight double-double puts him in good company
[caption id="attachment_255472" align="aligncenter" width="2736"]
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
On Saturday night, and for the third straight game, PJ Washington came away with a double-double performance - he finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds over the Gators. Washington is the first Wildcat to record three consecutive double-doubles since Julius Randle did so back in 2014.
His fight in the second half helped swing the momentum in Kentucky's favor, a fact that was not lost on teammate Tyler Herro.
"He was big time for us," Herro said. "He’s out there being a leader, crashing the boards. He does a great job at keeping us young guys together."
At the half, Washington was 3-8 from the floor and had eight points and six rebounds. And after the break, he stepped up his contributions across the board - a few big rebounds helped Kentucky as much as his buckets. And although Washington had a successful night in Gainesville, it was his lowest-scoring performance since his 13-point outing against Auburn on January 19. Against Kansas, Vanderbilt and Florida, Washington is averaging 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
His efforts have also helped the Cats to their longest winning streak since the end of the 2016-17 season - eight straight victories. Plus, he's really coming into his roll as a leader on the court.
After the game, John Calipari once again said Washington's recent dominance is what he's been "waiting a year and a half" to see. Although he just stayed at Kentucky for one season, Julius Randle peaked at just the right time for the Wildcats. Could PJ Washington be doing the same?
@MaggieDavisKSR
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
On Saturday night, and for the third straight game, PJ Washington came away with a double-double performance - he finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds over the Gators. Washington is the first Wildcat to record three consecutive double-doubles since Julius Randle did so back in 2014.
His fight in the second half helped swing the momentum in Kentucky's favor, a fact that was not lost on teammate Tyler Herro.
"He was big time for us," Herro said. "He’s out there being a leader, crashing the boards. He does a great job at keeping us young guys together."
At the half, Washington was 3-8 from the floor and had eight points and six rebounds. And after the break, he stepped up his contributions across the board - a few big rebounds helped Kentucky as much as his buckets. And although Washington had a successful night in Gainesville, it was his lowest-scoring performance since his 13-point outing against Auburn on January 19. Against Kansas, Vanderbilt and Florida, Washington is averaging 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
His efforts have also helped the Cats to their longest winning streak since the end of the 2016-17 season - eight straight victories. Plus, he's really coming into his roll as a leader on the court.
After the game, John Calipari once again said Washington's recent dominance is what he's been "waiting a year and a half" to see. Although he just stayed at Kentucky for one season, Julius Randle peaked at just the right time for the Wildcats. Could PJ Washington be doing the same?
@MaggieDavisKSR
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