LEXINGTON, Ky. — Eleven days earlier, Kentucky’s season was on the brink. The Wildcats had plummeted from preseason prime 5 to unranked. They’d been humiliated in back-to-back video games and began 1-3 in SEC play for the primary time since 1987. They’d zero high quality wins and demonstrated no apparent cause for optimism. All of which simply made it much more jarring to see junior ahead Lance Ware after Saturday’s sport, leaning again in his chair outdoors the locker room, strumming a ukulele, sporting a large, goofy grin. It not seemed like Ware and his teammates had been drowning, however slightly that they’d found a raft, climbed aboard and will breathe once more. Certain, there would possibly nonetheless be extra tough seas to come back, however no less than their heads are lastly above water.
“After South Carolina, that was one thing we talked about: It’s not too late,” Ware stated. “We will flip it round proper now.”
And Kentucky has. Since shedding by 26 at Alabama after which at house to an in any other case terrible South Carolina, the Wildcats have received three in a row — all in opposition to top-100 groups. They shocked No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville. They erased an 11-point deficit in opposition to Georgia and received by 14. Then on Saturday, they snapped Texas A&M’s seven-game successful streak with a 76-67 victory at Rupp Enviornment. The Volunteers and the Aggies are each 5-0 in SEC video games in opposition to groups not coached by John Calipari. Ah, sure, the embattled Corridor of Famer of whom experiences of his demise look like vastly exaggerated.
So what modified? Solely all the things. These Wildcats (13-6, 4-3 SEC) look nothing like these Wildcats. They’ve an edge. They’ve poise. They’ve the inexperienced mild to launch 3s, apparently, as they did Saturday, when UK tried 32 of them, most in a dozen years. Extra importantly: They’ve, in the end, a core group of 5 gamers who can mash the accelerator and separate from good groups. Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe, who had performed collectively a complete of 20 possessions within the first 16 video games, have develop into a successful mixture during the last three. That group has flipped the complete outlook of the season.
“The avalanche introduced them collectively,” Calipari stated. “The one factor that brings about change is a disaster. That was a disaster. They got here collectively.”
Calipari additionally modified. Start line guard Sahvir Wheeler missed the Tennessee sport with a shoulder harm, however then Calipari determined to bench him for the final two video games. Wheeler performed 11 minutes in opposition to UGA and simply eight minutes in opposition to the Aggies. Wallace, a five-star freshman, has began the final three video games in his place, opening the door for Kentucky’s greatest five-man unit to emerge.
The mix of Wallace, Fredrick, Reeves, Toppin and Tshiebwe outscored Tennessee 30-14, Georgia 33-15 and A&M 41-29 — a complete of 104-58, or plus-46, in 39 minutes and 20 seconds on the court docket collectively throughout this successful streak. With solely two temporary interruptions, these 5 performed virtually the complete ultimate 16 minutes Saturday. They turned a 53-51 deficit with 9:56 to enter a 63-57 lead 4 minutes later. Then they slammed the door, outscoring A&M 11-6 over the ultimate 3:24.
These 5 guys scored 70 of UK’s 76 factors. Reeves had 23, Toppin 17, Fredrick 12, Wallace 11, and Tshiebwe, who scored simply seven, grabbed 17 rebounds. Afterward, Calipari stated he nonetheless loves Wheeler and plans to lean on him extra in sure matchups — like when the Wildcats must play quick in an up-and-down sport — however famous that Wallace at level “provides you a couple of scorer on the court docket,” and succinctly summed up why his new go-to lineup is so beneficial: “Properly, the largest factor is you’ve acquired to protect all 5 guys.” The offensive spacing has improved dramatically, however that group additionally defends nicely sufficient that there’s no main danger/reward dilemma. So simply how a lot has that five-man lineup actually reworked Kentucky?
Aggies coach Buzz Williams stated he and his employees basically ignored any movie of the Wildcats earlier than the Tennessee sport.
“They’re a distinctly totally different workforce” since these 5 clicked, Williams stated. “There was overwhelming proof” that Kentucky is not taking part in the identical approach and even operating the identical issues. In his preparation, “it appeared as if that they had a unique collective thought on what they had been going to perform.”
To place that one other approach: Every thing appears potential once more for Kentucky. Fredrick and Reeves have each come out of their shells throughout this rebirth — Fredrick as an more and more louder veteran voice that his teammates respect and Reeves as a clutch shooter and scorer. Reeves, who has averaged 17 factors during the last 5 video games, hit 5 3-pointers Saturday and delivered a collection of daggers down the stretch in opposition to the Aggies.
“All people was simply discovering their id out on the ground,” Reeves stated. “Some guys discovered it earlier. I discovered it the final couple video games. It’s going to be shut video games the place we’re not going to have something, so simply creating your personal shot is essential to the workforce. Someone’s acquired to step up and be capable to full these performs.”
“And he did it,” Calipari added.
In every of those three consecutive wins, there have been moments when the opposite facet surged and the Cats may have collapsed once more, like their former selves. However these guys don’t appear like these guys. When A&M acquired inside two factors with below 4 minutes to go, Wallace sank a driving layup, Fredrick swiped a steal, Reeves drained back-to-back driving jumpers, Fredrick hit a late-clock elbow J, Wallace blocked a shot, Fredrick sank two free throws and Wallace made two extra — and it was ballgame.
“They knew I believed in them,” Calipari stated. “At Tennessee, I informed them, if I’ve to tug you over scorching coals to the place you’re speculated to go, we’re breaking by means of.”
He took away their digital gadgets the evening earlier than that sport in Knoxville, to take away distractions, and did it once more Friday evening. In an uncommon transfer, he additionally had the workforce keep within the resort hooked up to Rupp Enviornment earlier than the A&M sport. He needs to maintain strengthening their new bonds.
“We’re coming collectively and so they’re about one another and so they’re even calling their very own performs,” Calipari stated. “They’re turning into empowered and so they really feel it, that that is their workforce. It’s taken a very long time to get there, however thank goodness we have now time.”
(Picture of Jacob Toppin dunking in opposition to Texas A&M: Jordan Prather / USA Right now)
