Kentucky’s PJ and EJ on a basketball seesaw. John Calipari explains.

As PJ Washington explodes onto the scene, EJ Montgomery recedes.

Such is life in Kentucky’s four-man collection of big men. In UK’s last three games, Washington has scored 67 points, grabbed 31 rebounds and played 92 minutes. Montgomery has scored nine points, grabbed five rebounds and played 31 minutes.

“I’m just enjoying the process,” Montgomery said Friday. “If one guy ahead of me is playing a good game, I just sit back and wait my turn. Cheer him on because he’s doing his thing.”

This yin and yang is part of the process, UK Coach John Calipari has said. Montgomery has been improving, albeit without a Washington-like explosion.

“He’s getting better and better, and more confident,” Calipari said of Montgomery. “As his legs get stronger and he can hold his position, he is ridiculous.”

Montgomery’s relatively slight build (6-foot-10, 225 pounds) fits into a familiar opponents’ game plan in the age of one-and-done players.

“Just beat ‘em up, man,” Calipari said in describing this plan. “You’ve got to be able to withstand that. And he’s getting better at it.”

Nick of time

Calipari linked Nick Richards’ potential impact to the player’s level of conditioning. The better shape Richards is in, the greater impact he can make.

In the last two games, Richards has played 28 minutes and blocked nine shots.

When in great condition, Richards can have “as much impact as any player in the country,” Calipari said. The question is “how many minutes can you be that guy?” the UK coach added.

Mystery man

The mystery man in Saturday’s game, in the SEC and maybe in the country is Florida guard Jalen Hudson. His diminished impact on games is startling and puzzling.

Last season, Hudson led Florida in scoring (15.5 ppg), made 40.4 percent of his three-point shots and became the first Gator to be named SEC Player of the Week three times in a season.

This season, Hudson is no longer starting, is averaging 6.2 points per game and has made 24.7 percent of his three-point shots. He has not scored double-digit points in the last eight games, a span in which he’s made 16 of 62 shots (eight of 32 three-point shots) and averaged 5.6 points.

This from a player who is a 1,000-point scorer (he played his first two seasons for Virginia Tech) and who put his name in the 2018 NBA Draft. At SEC Media Day in October, he said that NBA people told him to be more assertive and aggressive.

During the telecast of Florida’s victory over Ole Miss on Wednesday, SEC Network analyst Mark Wise said, “Everybody in the league is scared Hudson is going to find his game when they play Florida.”

Hudson played 16 minutes and scored six points against the Rebels.

Three freshmen start

While multiple freshmen starters is business as usual for Kentucky, Florida began treading on unfamiliar ground by starting three freshmen against Georgia on Jan. 19. It was the first time Florida had started three freshmen since a game at Kentucky on Jan. 2, 1999.

UK won that game 93-58. The three freshmen — Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and LaDarius Halton — combined to make seven of 18 shots, score 12 points and commit seven of Florida’s 22 turnovers.

Coincidentally or not, the Gators did not start three or more freshmen until the game at Georgia two weekends ago. Florida has won three of four games with three freshman starters.

Point guard Andrew Nembhard has 26 assists and nine turnovers in those four games. Shooting guard Noah Locke has averaged 16.5 points and forward Keyontae Johnson 7.5 rebounds.

Losing record

Florida is one of three SEC home courts where Kentucky has a losing record in Calipari’s time as coach. The Cats are 4-5 at Florida, and that includes the loss in 2013 in which Nerlens Noel torn an anterior cruciate ligament.

The other two SEC places where UK has a losing record under Calipari are Arkansas (1-3) and Tennessee (3-5).

Kentucky’s overall record on the SEC road in the Calipari era is 50-31, a .617 winning percentage.

Etc.

Jason Benetti and Dan Dakich will call the game for ESPN.

This story was originally published February 1, 2019 at 4:29 PM.