LEXINGTON, Ky. — Five things you need to know from the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats’ 71-66 win over the LSU Tigers in an SEC men’s basketball game at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington:
1. No Wheeler and Washington again. For the second-straight game, Kentucky played without starting guards Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington.
Wheeler, the SEC leader in assists (7.1 a game), appeared to injure a wrist in UK’s loss at Tennessee last week.
Washington, Kentucky’s second-leading scorer (12.8 ppg), is battling an ankle injury he suffered against Florida and re-aggravated at Tennessee.
Amazingly, this season in Southeastern Conference action, Kentucky has now had the top seven players in John Calipari’s playing rotation available for complete games only five times out of 15 contests.
For the second-straight game, UK got strong performances from the guards forced into larger roles by the injury-inspired absences.
Davion Mintz had 11 of his 13 points in the second half as UK rallied from eight down at halftime to win.
Forced into a primary ball-handling role for a second-straight game, Kellan Grady went for 13 points, three rebounds and three assists. Normally, the Wildcats’ primary three-point marksman, Grady went 0-of-5 from behind the arc yet got his buckets by creating off the bounce.
LSU, ranked third in the nation in the Pomeroy Rankings in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, challenged the improvised UK backcourt far more than Alabama, 79th in defensive efficiency, did in falling to the Cats 90-81 last Saturday.
The Cats got a reminder of the problems of playing without true point guards when shaky ballhandling vs. a desperate LSU full-court press helped the Tigers cut an 11-point deficit to four in the final minute.
Still, that UK again found the necessary answers while playing without their two primary offensive playmakers bodes well for the Wildcats’ fortunes once they return to full-strength.
2. The ‘Bryce’ is right. Kentucky’s charge from down eight at the half into the second-half lead was turbocharged by a breakout performance from freshman forward Bryce Hopkins.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound product of Oak Park, Ill., had not scored in a game since he had two points in UK’s overtime victory over Mississippi State on Jan., 25.
But with UK down 36-30 early in the second half Wednesday night, Hopkins supplied 11 points to a 13-2 Kentucky run that pushed the Cats to a 43-38 lead.
Hopkins started his outburst with a 10-foot runner with 17:15 left in the game. Next, he sank a pair of free throws, scored on a layup and then converted an old-fashioned three-point play by converting a follow shot, then sinking a foul shot after he was fouled by Brandon Murray.
The freshman capped off his charge by sinking a 14-foot jumper to push UK up five with 13:49 left.
For good measure, Hopkins subsequently added another follow shot that put Kentucky ahead 62-50 with 4:05 left in the game.
Before LSU, the season high for Hopkins had been seven points against North Florida and Ohio University way back in November.
3. The “Tshiebwe watch.” Oscar Tshiebwe continued his drive to be Naitonal Player of the Year.
The Kentucky big man recored his 22nd double-double of the season with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
Tshiebwe now has 10-straight double-doubles and 15-straight games in which he has had 10 or more rebounds.
The 16 boards claimed by the 6-9, 255-pound Tshiebwe pushed his season rebounding total to 427 and moved him past Anthony Davis and Julius Randle on UK’s single-season rebounding list. Tshiebwe now needs eight more boards to pass Frank Ramsey for fourth on that list.
Most rebounds in a single season by Kentucky players:
1. Bill Spivey, 1950-51, 567; 2. Cliff Hagan, 1951-52, 528; 3. Bob Burrow, 1954-55, 459; 4. Frank Ramsey, 1950-51, 434; 5. Oscar Tshiebwe, 2021-22, 427; 6. Julius Randle, 2013-14, 417; 7. Anthony Davis, 2011-12.
4. Rupp roars. For the second-straight game, the Rupp Arena crowd was lively and energetic in helping a short-handed UK team rally past a SEC foe.
Coming off a season last year in which the coronavirus pandemic kept most fans out of Rupp, it took awhile this year for the ambience at UK home games to again feel “normal.”
But over the past month, Rupp got its roar back.
It has been nice to experience, too.
5. UK-KU update. Kentucky entered the season with a four-win advantage over Kansas in the all-time men’s college hoops wins race. With the Wildcats’ victory over LSU, the Cats continue to hold a four-victory edge:
1. UK 2,350; 2. KU 2,346.
Both teams face what figure to be difficult road contests Saturday in their next contests, as Kentucky will visit No. 18 Arkansas while Kansas will play at No. 10 and defending NCAA champion Baylor.
