‘Some pretty choice words’ at halftime fuel Quickley’s big second half
Before Kentucky played at LSU earlier on Tuesday, John Calipari asked that players who had scored 25 points in a game this season raise a hand.
One hand stayed conspicuously down.
“Everybody looked at me, like, ‘You ain’t scored 25 yet?’” Immanuel Quickley recalled Saturday night.
Quickley can raise his hand, now. He scored a career-high 26 points to lead Kentucky 65-59 victory over Florida.
The victory improved UK’s record to 22-5 overall and 12-2 in the Southeastern Conference, the latter keeping the Wildcats two games ahead of second-place Auburn and LSU with four games to play.
Florida fell to 17-10 overall and 9-5 in the SEC.
Although he would score double-digit points for a 16th straight game, Quickley apparently needed a high-volume (and not for family listening) reminder at halftime to shoot.
“One of the coaches yelled at me and said some pretty choice words,” said Quickley, who declined to name the coach.
In his postgame news conference, UK Coach John Calipari said Quickley passed up shots in the first half.
“I didn’t think I was dribbling to pass,” Quickley said. “I thought I was making plays. It happens sometimes. The coach sees one thing and the player sees another.”
Quickley made one of six shots in the first half that ended with a three-pointer by Florida freshman Ques Glover at the buzzer to tie the score at 31-31. It was his first three-point basket since Feb. 5.
With Florida leading 40-33 and less than 17 minutes remaining, Quickley breathed life into his nickname as the “Killer.” He scored 15 of UK’s next 17 points. His two free throws with 1.9 seconds left clinched the victory and capped his 22-point second half.
This continued a pattern. In the last six games, Quickley has averaged 15.5 points in the second halves.
“When the team needs me, I try to provide them that spark,” Quickley said.
The sparkle shown brightest when Quickley scored those 15 points in less than six minutes.
“Big-time player,” Florida center Kerry Blackshear Jr. said of Quickley. “(He) will make a lot of money playing this game.”
Quickley concluded that spree with three three-pointers in two minutes and nine seconds. The third put Kentucky ahead 50-44 and prompted a Florida timeout with 11:12 left. Coming from several feet outside the top of the key and the three-point line, it appeared to be a heat check.
When asked it he was testing his shooting skill, Quickley noted how UK runs what he called a “transition drill” in practices. Whichever player makes a three-point shot gets the chance to shoot another in transition.
“I made, like, 20 in a row,” Quickley said. “When I make one or two in a game, I’m just searching and hunting for that next shot.”
Kentucky’s first-half offense was almost exclusively in the paint. After EJ Montgomery opened the game with a baseline jumper, UK did not make another shot outside the lane until Keion Brooks made one from the left wing with 1:36 left in the first half.
Ashton Hagans added a three-pointer from the right corner on the next possession. That meant seven of UK’s 31 first-half points were not from the paint or free throws.
The pattern continued into the second half. Of UK’s first 41 points, 28 came from the paint and five were free throws.
Then Quickley scored from seemingly everywhere to set Kentucky on a path to victory.
Kentucky’s weakness for drama continued. Three turnovers inside the final 80 seconds narrowed the lead to 61-59. Free throws by Tyrese Maxey and Quickley inside the final 13 seconds clinched it.
“You ready?” Calipari told the audience at his postgame news conference. “I’m with I.Q. I mean, he’s playing. You know, he’s playing.”
Florida Coach Mike White did not argue.
“He was fantastic,” he said of Quickley. “He was the best player on the floor.”
The question in the air immediately after the game was whether Quickley should be a candidate for SEC Player of the Year. Or whether UK should add to its campaign for All-American honors for big man Nick Richards.
Quickley demurred. “The ‘Pick Nick’ video was great, though,” he added. “… Nick has been great this year, definitely a SEC Player of the Year contender.”
What about a “Pick Quick” video promoting Quickley?
“I don’t know,” Quickley said. “Maybe I’ll get one soon. Honestly, it’s not really my concern.
“I’ll be just as happy if my team wins a national championship. That’s really what I want to accomplish.”
Calipari said that was the point of asking players to raise their hands. The more players who’ve scored 25 or more points in a game, the more options UK can have in March, he said.
Next game
No. 10 Kentucky at Texas A&M
7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN)
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 10:35 PM.
