Kentucky players suggested the 80-62 victory over Kansas on Saturday night sent a message to the college basketball community.
When asked if the game could reasonably lead to speculation about a national championship, Oscar Tshiebwe said, “Yes. I think tonight we were really good.”
The game was a way of “showing what we can do in upcoming games,” he said. “I think we’re going to go far.”
Keion Brooks, who scored a career-high 27 points, saw Kentucky’s objective as more than simply winning the game. The team also wanted to make a statement.
“That was one of our main focuses as a team,” he said. “We knew we had an opportunity tonight to get everybody back healthy. … We wanted to see how good we were, and we went in and made a statement.”
Pointed perspective
When being asked about the star turn displayed by Brooks, UK Coach John Caliapri cautioned against judging any player’s performance solely by how many points he scored.
Brooks seemed to agree.
When asked how much pride he or any player takes in scoring, Brooks said, “scoring is fun and everything. But that’s selfish if all you’re going to worry about is scoring.”
Defending, rebounding, diving for loose balls matter, too, he said.
One for all
With Brooks en route to a career night, Jacob Toppin volunteered to play fewer minutes, Calipari said. The UK coach took this as a sign of a team adopting a one-for-all approach.
Toppin put up numbers in 11 minutes of action. His 11 points marked his third double-digit scoring total this season. He also made a three-point shot for a second straight game. Those are his only two threes of the season.
Coaching advice
Calipari noted that Dontaie Allen plus freshmen Daimion Collins and Bryce Hopkins did not get in the game.
This led the UK coach to make two suggestions: this trio should be happy for the team after such a victory, and their teammates should try to lift the three players’ spirits.
TyTy returns
Kentucky’s performance overshadowed freshman TyTy Washington returning to action after having missed the last game because of a sprained ankle.
Before the game, ESPN analyst LaPhonso Ellis voiced confidence that Washington could handle the expected charged atmosphere in Allen Fieldhouse.
“He has a maturity about him and a poise about him that’s beyond his years,” Ellis said on Friday. “It’ll be interesting to see how he reacts to it.”
Washington ended up making only one of nine shots and scoring two points.
Same, but different
Sahvir Wheeler and Remy Martin are both undersized guards who can overly impact a game.
ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg referred to them as “two of the most explosive little guards in college basketball.”
Both also transferred to their new teams this season from Power Five conferences. Yet Wheeler did not see Martin as his double.
“No, he doesn’t remind me of me …,” the UK guard said on Friday. “Maybe the only two things we have in common are our hair and we can run fast. I think we’re two completely different players.”
Wheeler suggested that he was more apt to get teammates involved than Martin. But he noted Martin’s speed and ability. “He’s at Kansas for a reason,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler also recalled playing against Martin in the 2019-20 season. Martin, who was in his third college season, scored 23 points and had a six-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio as Arizona State beat Georgia 79-59. Wheeler, a freshman playing in his ninth college game, had eight points and a four-to-five ratio.
On Saturday night, Wheeler had much the better of it. He played 34 minutes, scored seven points and had eight assists and three turnovers.
Martin played 14 minutes, scored five points and had one assist.
History
Kentucky’s last win over an Associated Press top-five opponent in a true road game was Dec. 27, 2014, when the Wildcats won 58-50 at No. 4 Louisville.
It was Kentucky’s largest margin of victory (18 points) in school history against a top-five team in a true road game.
Kentucky improved its all-time victory total to 2,344. Kansas’ total remained at 2,340.
Kansas lost for the first time in 11 home games. Self’s record in home games in 19 seasons slipped to 285-16.
800 times two
Five days after Calipari gained his 800th victory as a college coach, former UK coach Rick Pitino will seek his 800th. That might come Sunday afternoon when Iona plays Saint Peter’s.
“That’s a great thing,” Calipari said Friday. “I wish him well.”