What UK’s Dontaie Allen did Saturday night put him on a short list
Fast-break points from the Falmouth “I told you so” party:
21. Dontaie Allen. When the redshirt freshman from Pendleton County exploded for 23 points to spark Kentucky’s 78-73 victory in double-overtime over Mississippi State on Saturday night, he put himself on a short list.
20. An in-state rarity. As best as I can tell, Allen is only the seventh product of Kentucky high school basketball to score 20-plus points in a game for UK men’s basketball in the 2000s.
19. Derek Willis. The ex-Bullitt East star had one 20-plus scoring game in his UK career (2013-17) — 25 points vs. Tennessee in 2015-16.
18. Darius Miller. The former Mason County star had three 20-plus games as a Wildcat (2008-12). Two came as a junior (22 vs. South Carolina and 24 against Florida) in 2010-11 and one as a sophomore (20 vs. Wake Forest in the 2010 NCAA Tournament’s round of 32) in 2009-10.
17. Rajon Rondo. In his two seasons (2004-06) at UK before launching his fruitful NBA career, the former Eastern High School star went over 20 points four times. As a sophomore, Rondo hung 20 on North Carolina, 21 on Indiana, 22 vs. Florida and 25 on Louisville.
16. Patrick Sparks. Over his two seasons (2004-06) playing for UK after transferring from Western Kentucky, the ex-Muhlenberg North star accumulated seven games with 20 points or more. That is the most such games by an in-state player for UK in the 2000s.
As a redshirt junior, Sparks scored 20 vs. Ball State, 25 against Louisville and dropped 26 on Alabama. The following season, Sparks went for 25 vs. both West Virginia and Mississippi State; had 26 against South Carolina; and ended his UK career scoring 28 against Connecticut in the 2006 NCAA Tournament’s round of 32.
15. Antwain Barbour. In a star-crossed two-season UK career (2002-04) after transferring from junior college, the ex-Elizabethtown star had one 20-plus game — 23 against Alabama as a senior.
14. Marquis Estill. Over his three seasons (2000-03) playing at UK, the ex-Madison Central big man had six 20-plus games. As a sophomore (2000-01), Estill dropped 22 on Iowa in the NCAA tourney round of 32. The following season, he went for 21 against all of Marshall, Kentucky State and Auburn.
In his final season, Estill had 20 vs. North Carolina and 28 against Wisconsin in the 2003 NCAA Tournament’s round of 16.
13. Playing time for Dontaie Allen? As hard as made field goals have been for Kentucky (2-6) to come by so far, it seems John Calipari and Co. all but have to use Allen as a prominent part of UK’s playing rotation going forward.
12. Opens the court. If nothing else, the threat of Allen’s outside shot should draw defensive emphasis, creating space for other Kentucky players.
11. Rhyne Howard. After what had been a slow start to her junior season, the UK women’s basketball star looked every bit like a potential National Player of the Year last week as Kentucky took down No. 10 Arkansas and No. 12 Mississippi State.
10. Coming up big. In the two UK wins, Howard averaged 28.5 points and 10.0 rebounds while hitting a combined 52.8 percent of her field goal tries, 61.5 percent on three-pointers and 84.6 percent on free throws.
9. More chances to build awards momentum. Kentucky’s stacked early-season league schedule will provide Howard more chances to wow Player of the Year voters. UK will play at No. 8 Texas A&M on Thursday and at home vs. No. 5 South Carolina on Sunday.
8. Blair Green. Speaking of in-state products hitting big shots for the Cats, when Arkansas had twice cut the UK lead to three late in Thursday night’s game, the former Harlan County star responded with two clutch jumpers — one with 3:26 left, the other a three-pointer at 2:44.
7. Kentucky football gains a selling point. UK’s 23-21 win over No. 24 North Carolina State in Saturday’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl means Kentucky can sell three straight bowl wins. Coming off a 5-6 season, that is significant.
6. Mark Stoops. The Gator Bowl victory left Stoops with a 49-50 overall mark at UK. After starting his tenure 12-26, Stoops is 37-24 since.
5. Bear Bryant. Entering 2021, Stoops needs 12 wins to pass the Bear (60-23-5 from 1946-53) as Kentucky’s all-time wins leader.
4. Bill Curry. Stoops is three defeats away from supplanting Curry (26-52 from 1990-96) as the UK coach with the most defeats.
3. Terry Wilson. In throwing for 99 yards and running for 14, the UK senior quarterback did not amass robust statistics in the Gator Bowl.
2. Made some more history. The quarterbacks who have started and won two bowl games for Kentucky: Babe Parilli (Sugar Bowl after 1950 season; Cotton Bowl after 1951); Andre Woodson (2006 and 2007 Music City Bowls); and Wilson (Citrus Bowl after 2018; Saturday’s Gator Bowl).
1. Did a lot of winning. Wilson and UK’s passing attack did not make the progress in 2020 that many Wildcats backers wanted. Still, it’s hard to knock the bottom line to the quarterback’s Kentucky career:
The Wildcats went 17-8 when “Terry Touchdown” started.
