The Kentucky Wildcats mauled the Lipscomb Bisons in Lexington on Tuesday night by a score of 97-68.
The Cats picked right up where they left off last Tuesday as they got off to a hot start. Kentucky couldn’t miss early from deep and locked down on the defensive end from the jump. They took a 43-26 lead into the break.
In the second half, Kentucky extended its lead and flat-out dominated. I hate to bring him up because we’ve all really moved on and, frankly, who cares?
But let’s remember that this Bison squad only lost to John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks 76-60 in Fayetteville less than two weeks ago and were actually within four points (60-56) going into the final seven minutes. I make this point simply to say this opponent isn’t terrible, and the majority of that Razorback team was slated to suit up in the blue and white this season.
To put it simply, Kentucky took care of business as well as fans could hope for and then some. This season continues to be a lot of fun.
Next up, the Cats will take on the Jackson State Tigers on Friday night in Lexington.
Here are four things to know from win No. 4 for Kentucky basketball.
Jaxson Robinson bounces back
The win last Tuesday against the Duke Blue Devils was really fun. The Cats took down a top 10 team on a neutral court after trailing for the majority of the game. However, there was one big concern after the clock hit zero.
What happened to Jaxson Robinson?
Kentucky’s supposed best player and NBA Draft prospect was a no-show in Catlanta. Robinson has been off to a slow start this season, and he hit rock bottom with a one-point performance in 27 minutes against Duke. He just couldn’t get anything going.
The senior guard bounced back in a big way in this one. Robinson looked poised to regain his form as he was aggressive from the start. He was so successful in doing this that he almost tied his season high in scoring in the first half alone.
He surpassed his season high in the second half as he finished with 20 points. He didn’t just do his damage on the offensive end, however, as he hit the glass, finishing with seven rebounds, and he was also very active on the defensive end, especially in the pick-and-roll and off-the-ball.
Robinson is proving that he can be one of the best guards in the SEC, and maybe college basketball.
Lamont Butler comes to life
Lamont Butler has been a steady presence at the point guard position for the Cats on both ends of the ball, but he hasn’t quite been at his best to date.
That changed in this game.
Butler was his usual self on the defensive end, but he really came to life on the offensive end. The senior guard attacked the basket when they needed it, which we’ve become accustomed to, but he also shot the ball confidently from three and played more aggressively. He ended up hitting all three of his triples, so that was very pleasant to see after his early-season struggles.
Kentucky doesn’t need Butler to be a huge scoring threat, but it’s nice to see him get into a rhythm and make defenses respect his offense.
Extended rotation
Mark Pope is known for having a deep roster and playing a lot of guys. In the first two games, Pope played all 12 scholarship guys, but the rotation shrunk against Duke.
To be fair, Pope did play 10 guys against the Blue Devils, but Collin Chandler and Ansley Almonor logged season lows in minutes with two and 10, respectively. Trent Noah and Travis Perry didn’t play at all.
It wasn’t surprising to see Pope give more minutes to his top guys in a close game, but it could be a bit of foreshadowing of what we can expect to see as the season goes on and the games get tougher.
Of course, most of these early season games are an opportunity to see what you have and get some of the guys lower in the rotation real playing time to get better. With that in mind, Pope went deep down the roster and extended the rotation in this game back to pre-Duke levels.
Any guy on any given night
One exciting thing about the way this team is built is that it can be any guy on any given night. Some might express concerns about how that means there’s no go-to guy, but it also means there’s a lot of balance and you’re not reliant on just one guy.
Andrew Carr was Kentucky’s best player against Duke. Koby Brea has been lights out this season. Amari Williams has been the straw that stirs the drink. None of those three guys were particularly impressive in this game. Carr was MIA. Brea and Williams were solid but unspectacular.
So, how do the Cats respond? Robinson and Butler stepped up and led the way.
Then there’s Otega Oweh, who seems to be the most forgotten player on this team. However, he’s been arguably Kentucky’s most consistent (best?) player thus far. Oweh has scored in double figures in every game this season and is a monster on the glass and on defense. Maybe, Oweh’s the go-to guy?
Only time will tell, but regardless, what’s so fun about this team is you don’t know who’s going to take over on any given night. And that’s dangerous in its own right.
Now, let’s celebrate the fun win!
Go Cats!!
