Photo by Vicki Graff
In-state rivalries are what athletes and sports fans live for. When it comes to college basketball, a valid argument can be made that the rivalry between the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals is as great as any in the country. No, the Cardinals aren’t as decorated as North Carolina lining up against Duke. However, when the cats and birds take the hardwood, it’s an all-out battle for right of state pride.
Head coach John Calipari has reeled in yet another top-caliber recruiting class. Reclassified freshman Ashton Hagans has taken the reigns of the team’s point guard position, becoming more comfortable as the games pass by. Fellow freshman Keldon Johnson has been one of the better players in the country, especially when compared to players his age.
Four-star freshman Tyler Herro has exceeded expectations and Immanuel Quickley has shown inconsistent flashes of his talent, too.
However, no two players have been more valuable than Calipari’s “veterans.”
Weird to say, right? Kentucky’s two best players are a sophomore and graduate transfer.
PJ Washington, in his second year with Kentucky, has become the team’s “do-it-all” player. If the team needs a scoring boost, Washington will go for a career-high in points. If the team needs toughness on the glass, Washington is moving bodies around for the 29 minutes he’s on the floor. If Kentucky needs a little bit of everything (see UK-UNC), Washington has that covered too.
While Washington has been Josh Allen-lite for the Wildcats, Reid Travis has been the seasoned veteran who has ultimately saved the team’s season.
Travis hasn’t performed at an All-American level, but he’s been pretty close. He’s scored double digits in all but two of Kentucky’s games, recording 15 points or more in five of those contests. Travis has added a sensational presence scoring inside the paint, shouldering a majority of the weight Nick Richards was handed a season ago.
The graduate transfer has added more than on-court production, though. His presence in the locker room is something Calipari has been without since the days of Josh Harrellson and Willie Cauley-Stein.
Overall, despite the sudden transfer of sophomore combo guard Quade Green, Calipari was rostered a team full of ambition that boasts the combination of young talent and veteran leadership.
On the flip side, first-year head coach Chris Mack has turned the tides for a Cardinals team that was believed to see the inside of a dark hole for the next several years. However, Mack has the Cardinals at 9-3 to begin the season and that includes a win over eighth-ranked Michigan State.
The Cardinals, who roster just one true freshman, are full of depth and experience. Sophomore forward Jordan Nwora, averaging close to 18 points per game this season, will present a difficult task for the Kentucky defense on Saturday.
Both teams will enter the game with confidence, though only one will walk away victorious. Las Vegas has Kentucky as a one-point road favorite, indicating a Wildcats victory. However, it’ll take much more than a point spread to win this in-state rivalry.
Tip-off is set for 2 P.M. EDT on ESPN2 with pregame coverage on WKDZ radio starting at 11:30 central.
