Boring cupcake games are over as Irish wait to host Cats

Davion Mintz missed the last three games due to illness but had nine points, five rebounds and one assist. (Jeff Houchin Photo)

The cupcakes have all been eaten. Some quicker than others but there are none left in the oven. It now gets real. It is time to see what this Kentucky team brings to the table. Notre Dame, Louisville and Ohio State loom ahead along with the opener of the SEC season on Dec. 29th against Missouri at home.

What do we know about this team going forward?

Unforgettable Sean Woods brought his Southern Jaguars into Rupp tonight to face the ranked Wildcats. Kentucky was a 30-point favorite but the Jaguars refused to believe the Vegas odds. They fought and scrapped until the end with the Wildcats finally taking control midway through the second half.

Granted Oscar Tshiebwe and TyTy Washington were in foul trouble and rode the pine from the nine-minute mark until the end of the first half. There was no focus or energy that accounted for the small lead at the half. Calipari stressed on his postgame radio show that Southern outplayed and outhustled the Wildcats the entire game. No disrespect to Southern but if this happens going forward it will be an “L” in the win/loss column.

Everyone was healthy tonight for the first time in weeks. Davion Mintz made his return to the floor coming off the bench with nine points, five rebounds, and one assist. His shots weren’t falling but his energy and defense when he was on the floor provided the shot in the arm that kept the Wildcats in the game.

Washington and Tshiebwe are the constants for this team. They just play. They know their roles and the Wildcats are just a better team with them on the floor. One looks at the individual scores and wonders when Washington scored all his points. Tshiebwe is a machine even if he doesn’t think so. Tonight he continued the streak of every game this season recording a double-double.

Kellan Grady has one of the most perfect shots in basketball. The plan in the future has to be to get him the ball more. When he shoots it is just assumed it is going in.

What is coach John Calipari’s plan going forward?  Who knows. Has he been tinkering the last seven games with lineups for future matchups? Does he realize he can’t play three bigs together and his best players besides Tshiebwe are guards that can shoot? That is why Calipari makes the big bucks.

With the depth on this team Cal has stressed, “If you are not playing well, I’ll put in somebody else.”

This team survived the tuneups (cupcake) games without a loss. There was no Evansville or Gardner-Webb. There was just a lot of boring basketball.

The Wildcats head to Notre Dame to take on the Fighting Irish this Saturday at 5:15 p.m.. The Irish will be introducing their new football coach, so expect the pavilion to be rocking. After all, we all know how the Irish love football except when the Cincinnati Bearcats come to town.  Go Bearcats beat the Tide!