Maybe Kentucky got the message from this cheerleader's defense sign as Ugonna Onyenso had 10 blocks and UK limited Ole Miss to 63 points Tuesday. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Baby steps are better than no steps. Kentucky held Mississippi to 11 of 31 shooting in the first half Tuesday night to build a 14-point halftime lead and went on to beat the Rebels 75-63 to end a three-game Rupp Arena losing streak.
Kentucky didn’t help itself with some careless turnovers — UK had a season-high 15 turnovers in the game — that led to 21 Ole Miss points but Ugonna Onyenso had 10 blocks, including seven in the first half, to spark the UK defense that held Ole Miss to 38 percent shooting overall (24 of 64) and just 23 percent (5-for-22) from 3.
“Kentucky’s defense has not been perfect but the energy level was much improved and going after it more,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said midway through the first half.
After the game, Bilas was even more lavish in his praise of UK’s defense.
“The defensive intensity was a huge jump from what we have seen lately,” Bilas said. “They are giving up 84 points per game in conference play but held Ole Miss to under 60 with three minutes to play. It was the best version of the Kentucky defense we have seen. Kentucky was the aggressor in this game defensively.”
Not counting UK coach John Calipari, perhaps no one was happier about UK’s defensive energy than Jack Givens. The former UK All-American had not been shy on the UK Radio Network faulting UK’s overall lack of energy and focus on defense during its recent struggles.
“It has been a good start for Kentucky defensively at least and that’s good to see,” Givens said on air early in the game.
After the game, he was just as happy.
“I think they were about 30 percent better (on defense) and even better than that in the first half. Kentucky played solid, aggressive defense and that was good to see,” Givens said.
ESPN studio host Seth Greenberg said UK’s defense was “not connecting, not communicating” in the loss to Gonzaga but you could see the “pressure” against Ole Miss as well as UK defenders staying in a proper stance more.
“When you can contest shots, you can get out in transition and play and that’s where Kentucky is best,” Greenberg said.
This was a win Kentucky had to have. It has fallen from No. 6 to No. 22 in the Associated Press rankings. As ESPN announcer Karl Ravech noted, “Rupp Arena has been Rough Arena” for UK with losses to Florida, Tennessee and Gonzaga.
However, Calipari said on his weekly radio show this week that his team “was built for March” which sounded good but UK needed to start showing it and this was a must-win game. Now Kentucky gets a chance to prove Saturday at Auburn that it can be a factor in the NCAA Tournament.
“Kentucky was very intelligent in this game, spotting mismatches and going right at those mismatches,” Bilas said. “For John Calipari it is nice to know your squad has this in them and can respond when you challenge them.”
“Fifteen turnovers is not good but Kentucky did enough offensively,” Givens said. “It was good to win a game in the 70s because there will be games where it is harder to score and you have to be able to win games like this.”
12 Responses
First half defense was the most efficient half of the season. Second half, not so much.
First half, Miss. scored 29 points on 36 possessions, 0.806 points per possession.
Second half, Miss scored 34 points on 36 possessions, 0.944 ppp.
The offense was below season averages last night, 75 points on 72 possessions, 1.042 ppp.
Again, Reed Sheppard ended the game +19, a team high AGAIN!!!! This is who positively impacts the game when on the floor with his shooting, his steals, his assists, his rebounds, e.g., his presence in the game.
Yet, this fraud refuses to start Reed unless one of his PETS does not want to play.
Wish Burks had gotten some time in the game. I think he could come in handy as the season goes on.
Agree….Burks could have given more production than Thiero and kept some confidence intact as well.
Burks is a Calipari afterthought, recruited late when Calipari was uncertain about the roster’s composition.
He was never on the Calipari "preferred" list and never will be despite any statements by this fraud to the contrary.
Cals got his swagger back again lol..
It doesn’t take much.
The defense last night was improved but it was not the best defense that this team has played for an entire game.
The measure for defense is the adjusted defensive efficiency, and for the season, this team’s average adjusted defensive efficiency is 1.066 points per possession. The NCAA D1 average defensive efficiency this season is 1.047 ppp. Therefore, this UK defense is below the NCAA D1 average for the season.
This team’s defense is the weakest UK defense at least since 1997, and I struggle to find a spot in my neurons to identify another UK defense that was worse than this one has been.
Yes, last night was better, but it was not the strongest single-game defensive effort by this team this season.
Last night’s game does NOTHING to alter its postseason outlook. This is a 2nd round type of team. It is exactly what Calipari delivers at this stage of his fraudulent time at UK.
Let’s see if the defensive efficiency on Saturday at Auburn can match what we saw last night, or whether the game’s defense will again rise above the NCAA D1 national average once again.
I predict another embarrassing loss.
I hate to say it, but I expect the Auburn game to be one where you have to say UK wasn’t even in the game. I look for Auburn to control the game and not have much of a problem.
Only hope is that Auburn has had a few bad games too
They sure didn’t show it last night. Auburn the only SEC team with a perfect home record.
Every team, every year "has a few bad games" Auburn, Houston, Purdue, UConn, and UK are all included.
Similarly, every team, every year, has a few great games.
Fans tend to over-emphasize their teams’ best games and under-emphasize their opponents’ best games. Similarly, fans tend to dismiss their teams’ bad games and over-emphasize their opponents’ bad games.
All teams define themselves by their total body of work over the course of a season. UK and Auburn have done this in 2023-24.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and upset do occur in sports. But, if UK beats Auburn at Auburn, it will be an upset.
UK has been involved this year in 5 "upsets" in which the weaker team beat the stonger team, and UK is 1-4 in those 5 games this year.
Perhaps, that means they are due to get an upset win to offset the 4 upset losses!!!!!!