Kentucky was searching for a leader. PJ Washington answered the call.

To borrow one of John Calipari’s favorite terms, Kentucky’s annual quest to be a “player-driven team” might be taking shape. “I think you’re starting to see that,” assistant coach Joel Justus said Monday.

The player behind the wheel? PJ Washington.

His recent stat lines burst with follow-the-leader accomplishments: three straight double-doubles, 82 points and 43 rebounds in the last four games, equaling a career high of three steals at Vanderbilt last week, timely assists when double-teamed.

Then television caught a seemingly telling moment during a second-half timeout at Florida on Saturday. Kentucky faced a deficit that reached double digits. Led by the Rowdy Reptiles, a sellout crowd roared its approval. Poor shooting gave UK players a reason for discouragement.

In this moment, Washington became something of a player-coach.

“I just said, we’ve got to play together,” he recalled on Monday. “That’s what got us here. And that’s what’s going to get us past the hump. … If we play defense, they can’t beat us.”

When asked what he saw that moved him to speak up, Washington said, “I felt we started to play selfish again. And I didn’t really like that. So I just told the guys we need each other.”

Teammate Reid Travis remembered Washington telling the players to not look at the scoreboard, and instead to play basketball with a collective mindset. The players were not selfish “in a bad way,” Travis said, but were trying to take the initiative to help the team win.

“So it was a great message on how to keep everybody on the same page,” Travis said, “and get us kind of sparked and motivated.”

Justus, who substituted for Calipari at the interview sessions previewing Tuesday’s game against South Carolina, saw importance in the moment.

“You’ve got to be proud of that, and you’ve got to feel good about it,” he said. “To go into February (knowing) that this team is empowered.”

As Calipari said again after the game at Florida, he had been waiting a year and a half for Washington to loom large. Justus described Washington as a one-man tidal wave in recent games as the product of an evolution.

When UK practiced in the summer for its August exhibition games in the Bahamas, Washington was typically the first player in the gym. During drills this season, he has either finished first or on the medal stand, so to speak.

“I don’t know there’s a time you say the light comes on or an aha moment,” Justus said. “Credit goes to PJ for being a steady guy every day in practice. He’s been tremendous in huddles. … You’ve got to have that when you have so many young guys.”

The result is an answer to a Calipari wish. “You see a guy become that catalyst that Cal’s been longing for,” Justus said. “With PJ, you saw it in practice.”

Washington acknowledged how much easier it is as a sophomore to take a leadership role.

As a freshman, “it would have been a lot more difficult,” he said “I didn’t know what to expect at that point. Now, I definitely do.

“Whatever any team is going to throw at us, I know pretty much every team well. So I feel like I’m in a good spot to lead these guys.”

A question about the roll he’s been on in the last four games brought a smile to Washington’s face.

“I just try to come out and just be aggressive,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing those last four games. It starts in practice. I try to come out and bring a lot of energy and keep the guys going. And I feel I’ve been doing a good job of that.”

In the last four games, Washington has been a multifaceted problem for opponents to contain. He has posted up for scores. He has hit six of 13 three-point shots. And when the double-teams came, he made timely passes to open teammates.

To defend a versatile front court player like that, “it’s tough,” Travis said. “Especially wit his passing. You bring the double-team, he’s finding guys for the open shots. It’s a difficult guard.

“It’s what helps us all become better players, especially with him finding up in open spots.”

It might seem a double-team could frustrate a player.

“Actually, I like it better when teams double me,” Washington said. “Because it’s easier for me to get other people involved. … I just wait for their defender to turn his head. … If he looks at me, I’m throwing it right past his head.”

Tuesday

South Carolina at No. 5 Kentucky

When: 7 p.m.

Records: South Carolina 11-10 (6-2 SEC); UK 18-3 (7-1 SEC)

Series: UK leads 51-12

Last meeting: UK lost 76-68 on Jan. 16, 2018, in Columbia, S.C.

TV: SEC Network

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1

This story was originally published February 4, 2019 at 5:13 PM.