The win at Arkansas was a step forward for Kentucky’s defense and its potential ceiling

In the final moments of Kentucky’s 63-57 victory over Arkansas on Saturday, head coach John Calipari subbed for Ugonna Onyenso, then greeted his 7-foot center with a huge smile.

“I’m so proud of you,” Calipari told the kid his teammates call “Ugo” before giving him a hug.

Antonio Reeves scored a game-high 24 points as Kentucky improved to 5-2 in SEC play. Reed Sheppard scored 14 points, made five assists and pulled off four steals. Tre Mitchell produced a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. As the Cats rallied to record an important road win, Onyenso’s contribution stuck out, however.

“Ugo was the difference in the game,” Calipari said.

Worried about Kentucky’s offense? Kentucky’s offense will be fine. This is a young team that must learn to play at different speeds. That process has begun. At South Carolina, the Cats obviously flunked that test, losing 79-62 to the grind-it-out Gamecocks. That was just the first test, however.

Saturday at a raucous Bud Walton Arena began in a similar fashion. Playing without Rob “Instant Offense” Dillingham (stomach virus), the visitors missed 15 of their first 16 shots. They scored all of four points in the game’s first 10 minutes. As was the case in Columbia, they failed to finish at the rim through contact and failed to find their fast-break gear.

Here’s the difference: Saturday, Kentucky played defense. Arkansas should have put Calipari’s club away in the first half. It couldn’t. While Kentucky shot 29 percent from the floor the first 20 minutes, the Razorbacks shot the same exact percentage. UK made 9 of 31 shots. Arkansas made 9 of 31. UK made 2 of its 9 three-point attempts. Arkansas made 2 of its 9 three-point attempts.

And while Kentucky found a semblance of offensive rhythm in the second half, it kept Arkansas from doing the same. The Cats shot 43.8 percent over the final 20 minutes. Arkansas shot 37.9 percent the second half, 33.3 percent for the game. The Razorbacks made just four of their 19 three-point shots. In a tight game, those misses were the difference.

That’s where Onyenso made a difference. The sophomore played a career-high 25 minutes. He finished with just six points, but grabbed four rebounds, blocked three shots and posted a game-high plus/minus of +14. He provided a presence on both ends of the floor.

Ergo, the Ugo hug.

“I like what he’s been through,” Calipari said, noting the fact Onyenso missed the season’s first nine games after injuring his foot last summer in Canada. “The foot (injury), having to wait his turn, fighting for what you want. I keep telling him, ‘The rest of your basketball life, nothing will be given to you. You either take it or someone will take it from you.’”

The numbers say Saturday was one of Kentucky’s best defensive performances of the season. Arkansas averaged just 0.808 points per possession. That’s the lowest number since New Mexico State’s 0.654 in the season opener. Only New Mexico State (32.1) and Illinois State (32.9) shot a lower percentage vs. the Wildcats than did the Razorbacks.

I know, I know, Arkansas is a stone-cold mess. Eric Musselman’s club is now 1-6 in league play. Three of its SEC losses came by 20-plus points. Devo Davis, a four-year player and former major contributor, “stepped away” from the program sometime between Arkansas’ 73-51 loss at Ole Miss on Wednesday and the opening tip Saturday.

Still, Kentucky took a step forward for Saturday. Pay less attention to the 63 points and more attention to the 1.191 points per possession. (That’s good.) To reach its ceiling, this team must improve on defense. (It jumped from No. 96 to No. 70 in kenpom’s defensive ratings after Saturday’s play.) For all the social media chatter Saturday urging Cal to return to a small-ball/five-out philosophy, the Cats need a center.

The 7-foot Aaron Bradshaw is experiencing the ups and downs of a freshman. As Cal said Saturday, the 7-foot-2 Zvonimir Ivisic needs “to catch up with what we’re doing.” So if Onyenso can build on his Saturday showing, Ugo could be the key. And for Kentucky to build on its Saturday win, defense is the key.

This story was originally published January 28, 2024 at 10:49 AM.

John Clay

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-472-4218

John Clay is a sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Central Kentucky, he covered UK football from 1987 until being named sports columnist in 2000. He has covered 20 Final Fours and 42 consecutive Kentucky Derbys. Support my work with a digital subscription