Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s win over the LSU Tigers
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Game day: No. 6 Kentucky 71, LSU 66
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and LSU in Rupp Arena.
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Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 71-66 win over the LSU Tigers on Wednesday night at Rupp Arena:
1. UK’s Bryce Hopkins assumed the hero role
Bryce Hopkins, Kentucky’s lightly used freshman saw the Bat signal and popped up off the bench to unexpectedly spark the home team’s successful second-half comeback.
Down 31-23 at the half, and without starting guards TyTy Washington (ankle) and Sahvir Wheeler (wrist), UK head coach John Calipari turned to Hopkins, the 6-foot-6 freshman from Oak Park, Illinois, who had not scored a point since the Mississippi State game way back on Jan. 25.
This night, however, Hopkins made up for lost time. His basket with 17:16 left cut the LSU lead to 36-30. Then Hopkins made two free throws with 16:52 left. He scored on a baseline drive, while being fouled, at 15:41 to tie the game at 36. His tip-in, again while being fouled, gave the Cats a 38-36 lead. Hopkins’ free throw made it 39-36.
And he wasn’t done. At 13:49, Hopkins buried a jumper from the left wing to push the Cats’ lead to 45-40.
“I was just trying to bring energy,” Hopkins said afterward.
By game’s end, Hopkins had scored a career-high 13 points in 16 minutes. He made five of six shots. He grabbed four rebounds. His grit and fight gave the Cats the emotional lift the team needed.
“He rebounded. He went to the offensive glass,” Calipari said. “He tried to guard. He was involved. He did what the team needed him to do. The team was so happy for him and so was I.”
Said Hopkins, “(My teammates) were always encouraging me, especially when I wasn’t getting the minutes I wanted. Davion Mintz told me, “It can’t rain forever. The sun has to shine someday. Today was my day.”
And there might come another day sooner rather than later.
Said Calipari, “I think we’re going to need Bryce in the NCAA Tournament.”
2. Again, Kentucky hung tough to weather the storm
Wednesday’s first half looked strikingly similar to Saturday’s first half when Alabama took advantage of UK’s situation — no Washington, no Wheeler — for a fast start. Bama scored on its first seven possessions. It nailed nine of its first 12 three-point shots. Alabama led 41-28 with 5:33 left in the first 20 minutes before Kentucky rallied for a 90-81 win.
A better defensive team than Alabama, LSU kept the Cats bottled up in the first half. UK shot just 33.3 percent the first half. It missed all five of his three-point attempts. Meanwhile, LSU point guard Xavier Pinson scored 16 points and Will Wade’s Tigers carried a 31-23 lead into the locker room at halftime.
A close-knit team, the Cats hung tough. No finger-pointing. No head-hanging. No panic. Instead, the team stuck together and fought its way back. Sporting a headband for the first time this season, Oscar Tshiebwe contributed 17 points and 16 rebounds for his 22nd double-double. Mintz and Kellan Grady each scored 13 points to go along with Hopkins’ 13.
“A good team has good players,” Calipari said he told the team recently. “A great team has great teammates. This team has great teammates.”
3. Next up is a big test at Arkansas
The Razorbacks have kept on rolling, winning 12 of their last 13 games. After a 58-48 home win over Tennessee on Saturday, the Hogs traveled to Gainesville and punctured Florida’s NCAA hopes with an 82-74 win over the Gators.
Whether Washington and Wheeler will be available remains a mystery. Both were again donning sweats on the UK bench Wednesday night. Despite the win, UK’s best ball-handlers were certainly missed down the stretch when LSU’s full-court press forced the Cats into several turnovers and timeouts when the home team struggled to get the ball in-bounds.
Crazy stat: Kentucky was credited with just three assists — all three belonged to Grady — yet won the game.
The Cats have had the benefit of a raucous Rupp crowd behind their comeback efforts each of the last two games. That won’t be the case Saturday when Calipari matches wits with Arkansas’ Eric Musselman.
“We may have the same team going down to Arkansas,” Calipari said of his injury situation.
Even if Kentucky has a full complement of players, Saturday will be a huge challenge. Bud Walton will be rocking.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 12:31 AM.
