They’re who we thought they had been. Louisville, a really unhealthy basketball staff, lived up (down?) to its fame in a blowout loss at Rupp Enviornment. Poorly assembled with minimal high-level expertise, it will have been a shock to see Kenny Payne’s squad preserve issues aggressive. A mini 7-0 run to open the second half made it an eight-point recreation, however that’s the closest it ever received outdoors of the primary two minutes. A powerful begin and end paved manner for a blowout victory, successful by 23 after opening as 22.5-point favorites.

Admittedly, it was a matchup you’d fail to take something away from, much like an exhibition recreation or early-season bunny within the non-conference slate. That’s about what the competitors stage was. Contemplating Kentucky‘s current struggles, although, it was essential to take advantage of it and construct some semblance of momentum going into the majority of convention play. And that’s precisely what the Wildcats did.

It’s been a tough season for the senior ahead, one with sky-high expectations and underwhelming play. The instruments and potential are there, however the power and energy have restricted him from being the participant Kentucky wants him to be. That modified vs. Louisville, with Toppin lastly breaking via for twenty-four factors on 10-15 taking pictures and 4-6 from the road to go together with seven rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes.

“What’s the phrase above terrible?” That’s how John Calipari described Toppin’s play as of late. He scored a complete of 13 factors in Kentucky’s final 4 video games with seven mixed turnovers. Past the restricted manufacturing and miscues, the physique language has been poor and it’s seemingly been contagious. The staff regarded depressing in Columbia within the staff’s blowout loss at Missouri, with Toppin visibly sulking on the bench in a zero-point, four-rebound, three-turnover particular person effort. It received to the purpose the place he was unplayable, actively hurting his staff throughout his time on the ground. His minutes tanked consequently, highlighted by a season-low 13 at Mizzou.

After which he began vs. Louisville, a choice Calipari mentioned got here following a robust week of observe. “I cherished what I noticed,” he mentioned. And my goodness, was he good. He attacked the basket and performed above the rim, ending with goal. His jumpers had been well timed and throughout the tempo of the offense, no hero ball with an emphasis on constructing a draft portfolio. Defensively, he was engaged and lively, simply as he was on the glass.

He was the precise participant Kentucky followers hoped he’d be coming into the season, somebody this staff desperately wants the remainder of the yr. Like Calipari has mentioned about different gamers prior to now, Toppin informed on himself at present. There aren’t any excuses for taking possessions off on the charge he does. When he’s locked in, he’s received very actual star potential. Right now was a needed step in the best route — the primary of many.

Crew morale was visibly higher

Talking of physique language and chemistry — clearly abysmal at Missouri — it was a night-and-day distinction again house at Rupp Enviornment. Credit score the rivalry matchup or ringing within the new yr, I don’t care, it was higher. For no matter cause, the gamers simply haven’t regarded pleased this season, and it actually hasn’t been clear they like one another all that a lot. No dancing and cheering with high-fives and chest bumps, no bench celebrations, restricted on-court communication, and even smaller particulars like not being fast to choose teammates up off the ground. It’s been a gaggle of particular person items, not a cohesive unit.

Saturday vs. Louisville was simply totally different. Vitality was up and physique language was precisely what you hoped to see after the trainwreck that was Columbia. Toppin was the primary wrongdoer vs. Missouri — the screengrab of his demise stare at Coach Cal from the bench poured gasoline on that fireside — however he wasn’t alone. The senior ahead was a model new participant from an effort perspective, however so was the remainder of the staff.

“They got here collectively,” Calipari mentioned after the win. “Look, you suppose — you wish to do it your self since you wish to do this, and you then get overwhelmed and swamped and also you go searching and say, ‘I can’t do that myself. We have to do that collectively.’ And that’s usually when groups come collectively.”

It’s too early to say this staff has come collectively — it’s been 72 hours since they received run off the ground at Missouri — however it’s a turnaround course of that wanted to start immediately.

One thing about Louisville.

Ball motion resembled an actual basketball staff

If you happen to had been to slim down Kentucky’s season points right into a single gripe, ball motion could also be on the high of the record. Passing hasn’t simply been unhealthy, it’s been downright horrible from the beginning of the yr, with the ball sticking for lengthy stretches and establishing last-second heaves on the finish of the shot clock. It’s merely taken manner too lengthy to get into offensive units with infinite wasted movement — and that’s when performs are run in any respect.

There’s additionally been the problem of poor decision-making on shot vs. go choices, choosing tough me-first appears to be like over making the additional go to arrange open ones. Why take the floater with two fingers in your face when you have got a shooter huge open within the nook or a lob alternative on the rim?

Improved ball motion was a transparent level of emphasis going into the Louisville recreation, particularly in making the additional go. 18 makes an attempt on 33 makes isn’t world-beating, however situationally, the gamers had been making the best selections and arrange higher photographs for his or her teammates.

Calipari’s offense was below fireplace as soon as once more this week, with one nameless coach calling it “archaic” and one other including that “It’s gotta be the identical s— he was operating with the New Jersey Nets.” The criticisms have been legitimate, however it additionally hasn’t even been the normal dribble drive we noticed when he first arrived in Lexington. That offense created mismatches and allowed star athletes to get scoring alternatives on the rim or simple kick-outs for clear appears to be like. What we’ve seen this season isn’t even that. As an alternative, it’s iso-heavy with a deal with letting (making?) Oscar Tshiebwe eat down low — a one-dimensional gameplan that has been uncovered on numerous events this yr.

Right now was a greater mixture of Tshiebwe domination — 24 factors (10-13 FG) and 14 rebounds — and shot creation elsewhere in any respect three ranges. When the ball is shifting, good issues occur with this group.

One other star efficiency for Cason Wallace

Kentucky’s blue-chip freshman continues to show his standing as a breakout star for the Wildcats, ending with 17 factors on a clean 6-8 taking pictures, 2-4 from three and 3-4 from the road. He added 5 rebounds, two assists, two steals and 0 turnovers in 37 minutes, second on the staff behind solely Sahvir Wheeler (39 minutes).

His six makes consisted of two easy appears to be like from deep, a mid-range pull-up off the dribble and a few clean buckets across the basket, together with a couple of and-ones. He got here in recognized for his defensive manufacturing, however his offensive progress continues to shine via, irrespective of his position on the staff. On- or off-ball, Cason Wallace goes to make performs. It’s onerous to think about anybody aside from the five-star rookie changing into Kentucky’s go-to offensive choice come event time — in any case, March is all in regards to the guards.

Calipari cuts down the rotation

CJ Fredrick will miss a couple of weeks with a finger dislocation, a brutal hit for a participant Kentucky must get rolling throughout convention play. Can’t let a profession 47.7% 3-point shooter waste away on the bench, it doesn’t matter what his early-season numbers say. There’s clear worth there that must be utilized, similar to Antonio Reeves — the staff’s two finest shooters on paper.

With Fredrick out, Calipari mentioned it’s a chance for Adou Thiero to see the ground. He performed simply seven minutes and didn’t accumulate any stats. Daimion Collins, Lance Ware and Ugonna Onyenso mixed for eight whole minutes.

Chris Livingston performed 20 minutes and Reeves performed 16. Six gamers with no less than 10 minutes, 5 with over 20. Calipari historically likes chopping his roster right down to seven or eight by yr’s finish, however with 4 gamers seeing over 35 minutes, it’s attention-grabbing to consider the place Kentucky’s head coach goes with this.

Is that this merely because of Fredrick’s absence throwing a wrench into issues? Does Calipari really plan on increasing Thiero’s position, or is that simply coachspeak to make sure the freshman guard sticks on the promising long-term path he’s on at present? Coach Cal mentioned after the Missouri loss that Collins was the subsequent participant set to earn taking part in time. Can the identical be mentioned about him? There was fairly a little bit of reward for Ware’s contributions whereas Toppin was getting in the best headspace, virtually in a ‘thanks on your service, we’ll take it from right here’ type of manner.

For all the current complaints concerning Kentucky’s rotation and the shortage of readability and consistency that has include it, at present’s recreation was an entire 180 flip. Quite than throwing random combos on the market and praying for one thing to stay, Calipari rode together with his core group. And it labored fairly nicely.

Will that stay the identical going into the meat of the SEC schedule? We’ll discover out Tuesday when the Wildcats host LSU in Lexington.