In Nick Richards and Immanuel Quickley, has UK found answers to two big questions?
Instant analysis from No. 17 Kentucky’s 71-59 win over Missouri:
How the game was won
Kentucky big man Nick Richards produced his second straight double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Immanuel Quickley came off the UK bench to score 23 points, 17 in the second half, as UK won its 2019-20 SEC opener.
Who’s hot
1. Nick Richards. There was a time when it was understood that big men might need more time to develop. The 6-foot-11 Kentucky junior seems to be a throwback in that way.
Is Richards becoming the go-to presence on the block for Kentucky?
2. Immanuel Quickley. UK desperately needs someone to emerge as a consistent outside shooter. Quickley’s 4-of-8 three-point shooting vs. Missouri would fill the bill if replicated with frequency.
3. UK foul shooters. It remains disorienting to see a John Calipari-coached team shoot free throws as well (Kentucky was 27-of-30 vs. Mizzou) as this one does.
Who’s not
1. EJ Montgomery. The UK sophomore power forward (three points, four rebounds) continues to find consistent production elusive.
2. Kentucky freshmen shooters. Wildcats frosh Tyrese Maxey (3-of-10), Keion Brooks (1-of-3) and Kahlil Whitney (0-of-2) combined to make 4-of-15 shots.
3. Missouri aesthetic. The Tigers produced the kind of rock fight one expects from a Cuonzo Martin-coached team, all grit and fight on defense but limited on offense (36.2 percent shooting).
Key number(s)
Nine and two. With the victory, Kentucky is now 9-2 in SEC openers during the John Calipari coaching era. The losses both came on the road, at Georgia (77-70) in 2010-11 and at Alabama (77-75) last season.
The ‘Cat-mosphere’
1. Cynthia Lawrence, a professor in the UK School of Music and a noted soprano, gave the national anthem an operatic flavor.
2. James Lee, sixth man on Kentucky’s 1978 NCAA championship team, was “the Y.”
3. The loudest crowd reaction of the game came when Missouri’s Reed Nikko missed two straight free throws, meaning the Rupp Arena fans won a free chicken biscuit from Chick-fil-A.
Up next
▪ No. 17 Kentucky (10-3, 1-0 SEC) will play its first road game of 2019-20 at Southeastern Conference rival Georgia on Tuesday at 9 p.m. in a contest that will be telecast by ESPN.
Coach Tom Crean’s Bulldogs (10-3, 0-0 SEC) upset No. 9 Memphis 65-62 Saturday on the road. The Bulldogs are 8-0 this season at Stegman Coliseum.
In the John Calipari coaching era, Kentucky is 4-6 in its first true road game of a season, though the Wildcats have won their past two road openers.
▪ Missouri (8-5, 0-1 SEC) will face Tennessee on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (EST) in its SEC home opener. Coach Rick Barnes’ Volunteers (8-5, 0-1 SEC) lost at home to LSU 78-64 Saturday.
This story was originally published January 4, 2020 at 4:23 PM.
