Keion Brooks, left, and Jacob Toppin enjoyed UK's comeback win over Alabama. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Before the Kentucky-Alabama game started, the NCAA Tournament selection committee revealed its early seeding and had UK ranked sixth overall and a No. 2 seed. If the selection committee members watched Kentucky beat 90-81 they might be ready to elevate the Wildcats.
Not only did Alabama hit nine 3-pointers and build a 46-34 lead with nearly four minutes still left in the first half, but the Wildcats were playing without injured starting guards Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington.
However, the final 23 minutes were a Kentucky basketball showcase as the Cats won 90-81. Kentucky had a 13-0 run late in the first half to take the lead and then had another 13-0 run in the second half. That enabled UK to put together a 37-12 scoring run over a team that beat No. 1 Gonzaga earlier this year.
“This is Kentucky basketball,” Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin said. “People come into our arena, we go to people’s arenas, and the first five minutes of the game everyone is making every shot because they’re excited to play Kentucky.
“That’s how it is all the time. Coach always emphasizes staying the course. Just keep grinding it out. That’s what we do. We kept running. We kept getting into their legs and guess what? They stopped making shots late in that first half.
“We just gotta keep pushing through things and know basketball is a game of runs and that’s what we did.”
Kentucky did it very, very well with the five starters — Toppin, Keion Brooks, Oscar Tshiebwe, Davion Mintz and Kellan Grady — all playing 35 or more minutes. The starters played 191 out of a possible 200 minutes and every starter played all 20 minutes the second half.
“It just shows how much effort and how much will we put in to win games and it just says a lot about this team. It says a lot about our grit and it says a lot about how bad we want to win games,” Toppin said.
It also shows why Kentucky coach John Calipari has been so high on this team — and remember two UK losses at LSU and Auburn came when Wheeler and Washington were injured for a big part of both games — all year.
“I like my team. There are good teams out there, but I am taking this one,” Calipari said after Saturday’s dramatic win.
My guess is that Kentucky fans are right there with Calipari today, too.
3 Responses
It just shows how this team has grown since beginning of the season. This team can play with people hurt, but I rather be 100 percent and hopefully we will be by SEC tournament.
Yesterday, this team moved forward in long strides.
I believe Coach Calipari is right about getting this team as healthy as possible for the post reason run, but I am hopeful that he can accomplish that while continuing to win the remainder of the games on the regular schedule.
A precautionary comment, I will be disappointed if he says this "healing" process must extend into the SEC Tournament. Winning the tournament is what the team needs to secure a #1 seed, which is still within reach, and the SEC Tournament is some important to the fan base.
I think they are a better team with Toppin, Brooks, and Tshebwe on the floor together. Grady gets a lot more shots with this lineup and the rebounding is better too. Ware, Collins, and Hopkins are more than capable backups for the bigs. Wheeler has been looking for his own shot too much lately and that disrupts the offense. He needs to be content being a facilitator and defender and Ty may have to wait for an opening for more PT. Calipari is counting on Ty being a lottery pick and it will not surprise me if he sacrifices team chemistry in favor of getting Ty back on the floor as quick as possible.
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