Victory boosts Calipari’s belief that UK can go on ‘a run for something special’
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Game day: No. 5 Kentucky 86, South Carolina 76
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Tuesday night’s game between Kentucky and South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
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A physical opponent that made perseverance necessary. A point guard who didn’t make a shot. Another injury that could have raised the specter of yet another tough loss on the road in Southeastern Conference play.
After Kentucky prevailed 86-76 at South Carolina on Tuesday night, John Calipari relished the give and take. He spoke of it as another test that can prepare his team for the NCAA Tournament.
Calipari said that was his message to the team the night before: Enjoy the trials and tribulations.
“What’s going to happen is this is going to end too fast … ,” Calipari said he told the players. “We’ve got eight games left. Next time we turn around, we’re going to be in Florida at the (Southeastern Conference) tournament.
“And the next time we turn around, we’re going to be starting a run for something special. It’s (done) in a blink of an eye. We’ve got to enjoy this.”
The victory over South Carolina might have seemed difficult to enjoy when Jacob Toppin went down with an apparent ankle injury less than two minutes before halftime. This could have conjured the ghosts of UK losses earlier this season at LSU and at Auburn. Defeat seemed likely when guards Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington left those games with injuries.
Not this time, Keion Brooks said.
“I wasn’t worried about winning or losing the game at that point,” Brooks said. “I was just concerned with whether Jacob was OK or not.”
Toppin did not return after scoring 10 points to spark UK’s fast finish to the first half.
Brooks added that Toppin was in good spirits when he saw his teammate in the locker room.
“He’s going to be fine,” Brooks said. “He just needs time to get well.”
UK’s Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside — “big” Oscar Tshiebwe and point guard Sahvir Wheeler — led Kentucky to its 20th victory in 24 games. With Auburn losing at Arkansas, UK moved within a game of first place in the SEC at 9-2.
After being an invisible man — by his standards — with six points and two rebounds in the first half, Tshiebwe ruled the basket area in the second half. He finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, which made for his 18th double-double and sixth straight.
Wheeler did not score a basket. But that did not prevent him from making an impact, as evidenced by 11 assists.
Calipari saluted Wheeler’s revival after being taken out of the game for a bit. When Wheeler returned, “all of a sudden it changed the game,” the UK coach said.
Kellan Grady continued to be a constant. His 12 points marked a sixth straight game in double figures.
“I’m calling him ‘Steady Eddie,’” Calipari quipped.
More than once, the UK coach has spoken about the need to have multiple options to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Brooks saw a half-dozen double-digit scorers as evidence of that.
“That just shows how good we are,” Brooks said. “Individual players can really get to different spots. I think that’s what makes us so hard to guard. We’ve got guys who are threats from deep (and) guys who are around the rim for lobs and dunks. And then guys who are good in the mid-range.
“When you’ve got players who can score at all three levels, it’s really hard to lock in and take one thing away.”
With 15 points, Brooks increased his point total in the last five games to 84.
When asked about being on a roll, he said, “First of all, I’ve got to thank God (and) still believing in the plan he has for me.”
Brooks added that his aim is “just going out there and finding a way to be free every night, and try to take all the trouble and worries away. Set them aside for a little bit and get lost in the game.”
Collectively, this Kentucky team has met that standard, Brooks said.
“We’ve proven we can win in multiple ways,” he said.
While echoing the comment he made a week earlier about not wanting to play Vanderbilt again, Calipari welcomed the test South Carolina presented while knowing Kentucky will not play the Gamecocks again this regular season.
“You want to play all different ways,” he said. “You want overtime games. You want a game like this — (tied) at 43-43 — so you can find out who’s who. And they can find out who’s who.”
Calipari seemed confident his players can benefit in such a way.
“I’ve got a really smart team,” he said.
Next game
Florida at No. 5 Kentucky
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 11:34 PM.
