Hagans torments Georgia again, but Kentucky’s ‘other guys’ give main reason for hope
Instant analysis from No. 15 Kentucky’s 89-79 win over Georgia:
How the game was won
Georgia product Ashton Hagans again tormented his home-state school and UK got positive contributions from players other than its “core four” as the Wildcats beat Tom Crean’s Bulldogs for the second time this month.
Who’s hot
1. Ashton Hagans. The one-time Georgia recruiting commit showed the Bulldogs what they missed out on in a big way — 23 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals.
2. Nick Richards. The Kentucky junior big man (20 points, eight rebounds, three blocks) continues to make his case as the nation’s most improved player.
3. UK’s “other guys.” EJ Montgomery had 10 points and six rebounds; Keion Brooks chipped in eight points and five boards; and Johnny Juzang had six points.
If Kentucky can count on similar production from players other than its “big four” going forward, the Wildcats will become very difficult to deal with.
Who’s not
1. Kentucky three-point shooting. With Immanuel Quickley going 1-of-5, the Cats went 1-of-9 from distance.
2. Tyrese Maxey. UK’s freshman star had a “quiet game” — and still finished with seven points, five rebounds and three assists.
Key number(s)
Six and one and seven and four. With the victory, Kentucky is now 6-1 vs. Tom Crean-coached teams in regular-season games. The Wildcats are only 1-3, however, vs. Crean-led squads in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, UK is 7-4 vs. Crean at Marquette, Indiana and now Georgia.
The ‘Cat-mosphere’
1. The acoUstiKats performed a harmonious rendition of the national anthem.
2. At the second media timeout of the first half, UK football graduating seniors Calvin Taylor, T.J. Carter and Kash Daniel brought the Belk Bowl trophy to Rupp Arena center court to a raucous fan reaction. Coincidentally, Kentucky football was hosting recruits at Tuesday night’s game.
3. Kevin Grevey, star of Kentucky’s 1975 NCAA Tournament runner-up, was “the Y.”
Up next
Kentucky (14-4, 5-1 SEC) will travel to Lubbock, Texas, to face Texas Tech (12-5, 3-2 Big 12) Saturday (Jan. 25) in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. (EST) and be telecast by ESPN.
Georgia (11-7, 1-4 SEC) will return home to face SEC foe Mississippi (9-8, 0-4 SEC) Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 9:20 PM.
