Kentucky basketball’s rout of Tennessee ‘shows how much we’ve grown’

In more ways than one, an 86-69 rout of No. 1 Tennessee on Saturday night served as something of a growth chart for Kentucky, which barely three months earlier opened the season with a stunning 34-point loss to Duke.

“It shows how much we’ve grown,” PJ Washington said after the fifth-ranked Cats not only defeated UT, but they made the Volunteers cry uncle. “It shows our potential.”

The same could be said of Washington. His growth as a player was reflected by a team-high 23 points, the fourth straight game he’s scored 20 or more, and the seventh time it’s happened in the last eight games.

This from a player continually prodded by UK Coach John Calipari to do more and advised by NBA feedback last spring to play with more of a sustained effort.

“This year I just tried to change my mindset,” Washington said. “Just work harder. I feel I’m more aggressive with my touches, and just trying to make things happen instead of sitting back and just letting things come to me.”

Washington readily acknowledged being inspired by the matchup with Grant Williams, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year last season. When the two first competed against each other last season, Washington so thoroughly got the best of it that Williams made a startling admission: the UK player had got in his head.

“When he said that, I felt I had an advantage tonight,” Washington said. “I just tried to keep going at him, and keep going at their team.”

It showed. Tennessee, which had trailed by double digits only once this season (down 12 to West Virginia), was behind by 11 or more points the final 19:09. UK led by as much as 24 points. The Cats took the lead for good 79 seconds after the opening tip.

Even UK players were surprised how they dominated a Tennessee that came to Rupp Arena with the longest active winning streak in Division I (19 games) and a résumé that included eight straight victories in “true” road games.

Tennessee’s surrender was unconditional. Williams said the Vols were “soft” and “weren’t Tennessee.” Meanwhile, Kentucky enjoyed the proud program’s second-largest margin of victory over a No. 1 team. Previously, the second-ranked Wildcats defeated No. 1 St. John’s 81-40 on Dec. 17, 1951.

“We were just allowing them to bully us,” Williams said. “They ‘out-physicaled’ us, and that’s not our identity. We’ve always been the tougher team, and that shows we were phonies.”

After watching his team fall to 23-2 overall and 11-1 in the Southeastern Conference, Tennessee Coach Rick Barnes echoed his star player.

“They dominated us in every way we could have been dominated,” he said.

Kentucky, which improved to 21-4 overall and 10-2 in the SEC, won the rebounding battle 39-26. UK outscored Tennessee in the paint 36-20.

Washington, the player who used to have the suspect motor, was everywhere. He got UK off to a good start by scoring the Cats’ first seven points.

When Tennessee got within 31-27 late in the first half, Washington scored on back-to-back post-ups.

Washington contributed three points to Kentucky’s 14-0 run to open the second half. That put the Cats ahead 51-31.

And when the Vols closed within 11, Washington scored seven of UK’s next nine points to blunt the growing unease.

“No lapses, none,” the hard-to-please Calipari said of Washington’s play. “Get to where you’re a vicious competitor the entire time. And then sub yourself.”

When asked if he was vicious, the usually cooperative Washington said in a deadpan tone, “I’ve always thought of myself as that.” Many in the gang of reporters standing in front of him joined him in laughter.

Calipari noted how Reid Travis helped give Washington room to operate by occupying Tennessee center Kyle Alexander.

“He was a beast against another beast,” the UK coach said of Travis. “Like it negated that. You’re not going to dominate us. …

“So now PJ could go and do what he does.”

Calipari said he advised Washington to thank Travis with a hug.

Barnes saluted Washington. “PJ Washington had his way in the game,” the Tennessee coach said. “He got what he wanted.”

Washington credited his improved motor to getting in better shape. Associate Coach Kenny Payne directs a series of sprints each day. Washington defined the sprints as “15 touches in a minute-30.” Which, he said, meant running baseline to baseline 15 times in 90 seconds.

“We hate it,” Washington said with a smile. “But it’s good for us in the long run.”

Next game

No. 5 Kentucky at Missouri

9 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN)

This story was originally published February 17, 2019 at 1:24 AM.