KSR’s takeaways from Kentucky’s hard-fought win vs. Florida

And similar to that, six straight wins within the Southeastern Convention for Kentucky, this time a five-point dwelling victory over Florida inside Rupp Enviornment.

Two groups identified for his or her gradual begins, it was the Gators falling quick in that space on Saturday, permitting the Wildcats to leap out to an 8-2 lead within the first 5 minutes. UK was capable of prolong that result in as many as 13 factors within the first half with 6:11 to go earlier than going into the break up 11.

Florida fought again within the second half because of some defensive slip-ups and a chilly offensive begin for Kentucky, slicing the lead right down to 4 lower than 5 minutes in. The Wildcats pushed it again to 12 just a little over three minutes later and prolonged it to as many as 14 with 8:19 to go. Once more, a response from the Gators, slowly chipping away on the lead till they managed to chop it to only three with 38 seconds to go because of a 3-point prayer from guard Myreon Jones.

A missed free throw from Jacob Toppin — one in every of Kentucky’s brightest performers within the win — allowed for one more heave for Jones to doubtlessly tie it with 17 seconds to go, this time lacking the mark. Cason Wallace — the opposite high performer for the Wildcats — was fouled and despatched to the road, flattening each to in the end seal the five-point victory.

It was a win that moved Kentucky to 16-7 on the 12 months and 7-3 within the SEC, slowly constructing an NCAA Match resume that now consists of one Quad 1 and 5 Quad 2 victories, together with six extra Quad 1 and one Quad 2 alternatives to go.

KSR has the highest takeaways from the win.

Mike Pratt’s jersey retired at halftime

You possibly can’t inform the story of the evening with out first beginning with the late Mike Pratt’s jersey going up within the Rupp Enviornment rafters, a halftime ceremony that includes his spouse, Marcia, and former teammate Dan Issel, together with extra family members. Led by Tom Leach, the disclosing confirmed Pratt’s identify between Issel and Pat Riley, with the jersey honoring his All-American profession as a participant and the 21 seasons he spent as a radio analyst on recreation broadcasts.

“I simply need to say thanks to Cal, to Mitch, to Dr. Capilouto for making this evening attainable,” Issel mentioned. “It’s terrific. And I can’t be — I didn’t discover this till only a second in the past — I can’t be prouder that he’s proper up there subsequent to me. I find it irresistible. I find it irresistible.”

Issel, Pratt’s longtime buddy and radio associate, was later launched because the honorary ‘Y’ in the course of the second half, one other nod to the late Kentucky basketball legend. After which after the win, John Calipari identified just a few different examples of Pratt’s presence all through the sport.

“What number of factors did [Florida] have at halftime?” Calipari requested afterward. “Twenty-two. Mike’s quantity. Who made the final factors of the sport? No. 22 [Cason Wallace]. You don’t assume Mike was up there tipping balls away? Take into consideration that.”

A particular evening honoring a particular man.

Cason Wallace performs a near-perfect recreation

Talking of these ultimate factors for Kentucky, Wallace was nothing in need of sensible within the workforce’s 72-67 victory, ending with a team-high 20 factors on 7-10 capturing, 1-1 from three and 5-5 from the road to go along with three rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal in 27 minutes. His second 20-point efficiency of the 12 months, the five-star freshman hit a dirty stepback 3-pointer with 2:50 to go to place the Wildcats up eight, adopted by a end on the rim to maintain it at six with 1:17 remaining.

After which, as Calipari identified, the ultimate two free throws of the sport to seal the win.

The Kentucky head coach made a robust assertion after the sport, singling out one participant because the distinction within the win: Sahvir Wheeler. Why? “He let Cason do his factor. He advised me, ‘Let Cason deal with it, I’ll simply be on the wing.’ That’s a teammate.”

Wallace performed arguably his finest recreation as a Wildcat, and he did so coming off a leg contusion that saved him out at Ole Miss on Tuesday. He was affected person and poised because the lead guard, settling in after some early turnovers to get to his spots and rating in any respect three ranges whereas additionally being a power on protection. Florida merely had no reply for the versatile two-way menace — couldn’t cease him off the dribble, couldn’t successfully contest his jumpers. Even the pictures you’d usually be snug giving up, he hit.

UF head coach Todd Golden put it finest: the 6-foot-4 guard “beat the scout.”

“I believed for essentially the most half our guys executed our defensive coverages,” he mentioned. “He stepped up and made some huge pictures. … You’ve bought to tip your cap once they beat you in that case.”

Jacob Toppin is lastly turning potential into manufacturing

Wallace led the way in which in scoring, however Jacob Toppin wasn’t far off, ending with 17 factors on 8-16 capturing and 1-2 from three to go along with 10 rebounds, one help, one block and only one turnover in 35 minutes. It was a superb effort for the senior ahead, taking part in with a function on each ends and battling on the glass — he mentioned after the sport he had a pleasant guess with Oscar Tshiebwe relating to particular person rebounds for the frontcourt duo.

There’s a nice line between searching your shot and being aggressive offensively, one thing Toppin has struggled discovering this season. He tends of getting a bit trigger-happy with premature pictures, usually lengthy twos early within the shot clock. That, together with defensive lapses and disengaged stretches took him off the ground solely at occasions to open SEC play.

Tonight, nonetheless, was the right imaginative and prescient for Toppin’s future. He had a drive-first mindset, attacking the basket and ending with contact and aptitude across the basket, taking part in above the rim when the alternatives offered themselves. When face-up seems have been open out of the excessive put up, he took them and transformed. After which to maintain defenders trustworthy, he launched on open catch-and-shoot threes, flattening one. It was a mature recreation from the athletic ahead that confirmed clear progress and promise for what’s subsequent to shut out the season.

This model of Toppin is what Kentucky wants.

CJ Fredrick will get pictures to fall

Coming into Saturday’s matchup, CJ Fredrick had made simply 10 of his final 40 makes an attempt, good for simply 25.0% in his final eight video games. He was within the midst of a fairly vital capturing droop, largely partially as a result of dislocated finger he suffered at Missouri in December. The 6-foot-3 senior was pressured to put on a splint on his proper capturing hand, affecting his launch and skill to cleanly catch passes, together with normal discomfort from the harm itself.

That splint got here off main as much as the sport vs. Florida, and wouldn’t you recognize it, the pictures lastly began falling once more. Fredrick would end the day third on the workforce with 12 factors on 4-10 capturing and 3-6 from three to go along with one rebound, one help and two turnovers in 35 minutes. It was clearly essentially the most snug we’ve seen the Cincinnati native out on the ground because the harm, flattening his first three 3-point jumpers of the evening.

As Fredrick’s manufacturing spiked, Antonio Reeves’ took successful, with the senior guard scoring simply 4 factors on 2-5 capturing in 19 minutes. Calipari was crucial of the Illinois State switch’s protection, saying he gave up 5 backdoor baskets to the Gators, forcing his hand to maintain him off the ground.

Oscar Tshiebwe has his worst offensive displaying of the season

All eyes have been on the head-to-head battle between school basketball’s reigning nationwide participant of the 12 months and Florida star ahead Colin Castleton. Tshiebwe received each matchups final season, combining for 54 factors and 33 rebounds in two wins for the Gators.

This time round, it was Castleton who received the battle — by a big margin, at that. The Florida standout completed with a team-high 25 factors on 9-16 capturing, eight rebounds, 5 assists, three blocks and one steal, dominating on each ends of the ground. And by strolling on almost each contact, however that’s one other subject for one more time.

As for Tshiebwe, effectively, it was a tough one. He jumped out to a scorching rebounding begin, flattening six boards within the first three minutes of the sport, however then actually struggled to supply on both finish of the ground. He’d end with simply 4 factors on 2-14 capturing to go along with 15 rebounds, three turnovers and 5 fouls in 34 minutes, ending with a team-low -5 within the plus/minus. The 6-foot-9 middle had his worst offensive efficiency of the season, clearly bothered by Castleton’s size and aggressive model of play.

It was a efficiency that led to fairly the epiphany for Coach Cal.

“Have to play (Daimion Collins) extra. Have to play Oscar (Tshiebwe) much less,” Calipari mentioned after the sport. “I imply, Oscar — I’ve bought to chalk it as much as, he’s taking part in too many minutes.”

Collins performed effectively in his temporary time on the ground, ending with three factors (3-4 FT), one rebound and one steal in 5 minutes. It’s a follow-up to the sophomore ahead’s sturdy outing at Ole Miss this previous week. If there’s one individual on the roster that’s deserving of some optimistic steps ahead, it’s undoubtedly Collins.

Like Reeves, it simply wasn’t Tshiebwe’s evening. That doesn’t imply, although, Calipari is dropping hope in both of the standout seniors the remainder of the way in which,

“You bought loads of guys which can be taking part in effectively,” the UK head coach mentioned. “I might anticipate Oscar and Antonio to step again up and be the place they have been.”

DJ Wagner launched at midcourt (with one other customer tagging alongside)

It’s been fairly the weekend for Kentucky signee DJ Wagner. He arrived along with his Camden (N.J.) Excessive College squad on Thursday, training with the workforce at Kentucky State College. Then on Friday, Camden traveled to Lexington for observe contained in the Joe Craft Heart, with Wagner and his five-star teammate Aaron Bradshaw explored their future properties in Lexington. That was the lead-up to Camden’s matchup vs. Mix (N.C.) Academy in Frankfort late Friday evening, a blowout victory for the long run Wildcats, taking part in in entrance of Large Blue Nation for the primary time since their commitments.

Then to shut out the busy weekend for Wagner, a visit to Rupp Enviornment for Kentucky’s recreation vs. Florida the place he was launched at midcourt.

As you’d anticipate, the blue-chip senior acquired one heck of a standing ovation from BBN.

An added bonus: Wagner was joined by four-star teammate Billy Richmond III, Kentucky’s latest provide within the junior class. The 2 spent the night collectively touring the UK basketball services earlier than returning again to New Jersey.

Not a nasty win to see for both recruit.

Kentucky is ready to host Arkansas on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. ET, with the sport broadcast reside on ESPN.