Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s double-overtime win at Mississippi State
Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 78-73 double-overtime win over Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday:
1. Sometimes the fans are right
There’s the old adage that if a coach spends too much time listening to the fans, he or she will end up sitting by them. But then every adage has its exception. Am I right, John Calipari?
For weeks now, the fans have been clamoring former Pendleton County star Dontaie Allen to get some PT. After all, Allen is a shooter. A pure shooter. And the fans’ thinking was why not play someone who can shoot the ball on a team that appears to be full of players who can’t shoot the ball. Especially a team with a 1-6 record.
Calipari has resisted. After committing three turnovers in four minutes against Georgia Tech on Dec. 6, Allen did not play against Notre Dame on Dec. 12, and he played one minute against North Carolina on Dec. 19. Then he did not see the floor against Louisville on Dec. 26. UK lost all of those games.
That changed Saturday night in Starkvegas. After lighting it up in a scrimmage this week against Transylvania, Allen finally got his opportunity and made the most of it. Did he ever. Allen made a three-point shot. Then another. And another. By night’s end, the 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman had turned into a Kentucky folk hero, going a stellar 7-for-11 from beyond the three-point arc on the way to a huge 23-point night in a much-needed UK win.
In the post-game Zoom, Calipari, who was ejected from the game with 9:04 remaining after two technical fouls, broke into a smile when the opening question was about whether the fans were right. The coach complimented Allen on making his point and said “he changes our team.”
And Allen did. Finally, after seven games, having someone, anyone, consistently knock down a perimeter shot, stretched the opposing defense, and opened up driving lanes. It all made for better spacing for a team that had struggled mightily to this point.
It’s one game, of course. And I doubt that Mississippi State was prepared for a player it had barely seen on film. But surely the victory, and Allen’s shooting, gave the Cats a shot of confidence.
Said Calipari, “This was a big-time win, now.”
2. Don’t forget Lance Ware and Olivier Sarr
The pair of big men each had big nights. Sarr finally burst out of his scoring slump, contributing 14 points and 12 rebounds to the cause. Ware came off the bench to snatch 13 rebounds in 35 minutes as the Cats beat the Bulldogs on the boards 48-46.
After not making a single field goal the last two games, Sarr went 6-of-16 from the field Saturday, including 2-of-2 from beyond the three-point arc. His triple from the left of the key to start the second overtime gave Kentucky a 71-68 lead and the Cats never looked back.
Afterward, Allen said that Sarr had a great week of practice. And there is no doubt that this Kentucky team needs the former Wake Forest star to play up to the potential he showed with the Demon Deacons. And perhaps Saturday night will be the boost the 7-footer needs.
Meanwhile, the 6-11 Ware continues to add great energy. It was notable that after Calipari’s ejection, assistant coach Bruiser Flint went with Ware over Isaiah Jackson in both overtimes. And Ware delivered, playing excellent defense around the rim and grabbing key rebounds.
(Calipari said that after the game he hugged Ware and pulled him aside to tell him, “I believe in you.”)
Flint also went with the hot hand of Allen over Brandon Boston, who was just 4-for-13 from the floor on the night.
3. Was this what Kentucky needed? We’ll see.
There’s a chance for some momentum here. The Cats get struggling Vanderbilt in Rupp Arena on Tuesday night before a trip to Gainesville next Saturday to face Florida. Vandy is just 4-3 overall and 0-1 in SEC play after falling at home to Florida 91-72 on Wednesday night. The Commodores did not play Saturday.
And after six straight losses — three of them by three points or less — this Kentucky team needed a victory in the worst way. Calipari has said if his young team could just get a win, he thought it could get rolling.
“Now we’re 1-0,” he said Saturday, referencing the team’s conference record.
There is still plenty to clean up, of course. Kentucky committed 18 turnovers. It made just three of eight free throws. In fact, the Wildcats did not get to the free-throw line after the 17:56 mark of the second half. And overall Kentucky shot just 41.6 percent.
But thanks to Allen, the Cats were 11-for-21 from behind the three-point line, easily their best showing of the season. The key is to build on the victory. Now 2-6, can the Cats do that? Stay tuned.
This story was originally published January 2, 2021 at 10:26 PM.
