LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The table, as they say, was set for the University of Kentucky basketball team. Last night’s prime-time matchup with No. 9 Kansas brought the largest and best crowd in Rupp Arena since the end of the COVID pandemic.
Kansas was listing. It had lost three straight games. Kentucky was surging, with wins in four straight, including an impressive victory at Tennessee. The stage was set for Kentucky to adjust its national perception, to undergird its NCAA Tournament resume. In short, to be Kentucky again.
But in a statement game, Kentucky’s statement was, “Meh.”
Kansas avoided a first-ever four-game losing streak under Bill Self with simple execution. It put a body on Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin when the ball went up. It outscored Kentucky 11-0 on second-chance points. And it brushed aside a strong Kentucky start to win 77-68 in front of a crowd of 20,418.
The Wildcats four times pulled within a single possession in the final 12 minutes, but could not pull even. Though they had success finding Tsheibwe in the post to start the second half, the reigning national player of the year took one shot and had a pair of free-throws in the game’s final 10 minutes. He finished with a team-best 18 points and 9 rebounds, and was the only Wildcat to grab an offensive rebound, with two.
The second-chance points, and an 18-6 edge in three-point scoring, powered Kansas, which was outscored 16-9 (and outshot 23-10) from the free-throw line.
"We fought," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "I mean, they're a Top 10 team and we're trying to reestablish who we are and I was hoping we could get this but you know what? Kids fought and tried and, you know, no second-chance points. None. You've got to be kidding me. So I've got to watch the tape and say why did that happen? And pick-and-roll defense. Like I said, we'll get better in how we were playing it and what we were trying to do, we just kept getting knocked off point. And you say well, how did that happen? I don't know. Watch the tape. They they did a great job of the initial screen. But you've got to make some shots, guys. . . . The difference was they made 3 big threes down the stretch, and we didn't. They're good."
Kansas scored on 50 percent of its possessions in the game, and picked Kentucky apart with side pick-and-rolls, particularly in the second half. The Jayhawks were led by Jalen Wilson with 22 points and K.J. Adams with 17.
Next up for Kentucky is a trip to Ole Miss Tuesday night.
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