LEXINGTON, Ky. — During a Zoom teleconference previewing Tuesday night’s game against Mississippi, assistant coach Ron “Chin” Coleman saluted Kentucky’s depth.
“The step-up, next-man-up mentality that we have on our team and in our locker room, it’s unbelievable,” Coleman said. “Every single guy has had (his) moment.”
Then as Kentucky’s 83-72 victory over Ole Miss showed, the mainstays should not be forgotten.
Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler — UK’s Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside — stepped up and up again.
For his part of this double trouble for Ole Miss, Tshiebwe posted his 12th straight double-double (and 24th of the season). He scored 18 points.
Tshiebwe’s 15 rebounds brought his total for the season to 460. He passed Bob Burrow (459 in 1954-55) for the third-most rebounds in a season by a Kentucky player. The top two are Bill Spivey (567 in 1950-51) and Cliff Hagan (528 in 1951-52).
Wheeler, who looked like he shook off the rust spoken about after UK’s loss at Arkansas on Saturday, scored 16 points. He equaled a season-high two 3-point baskets, while getting credit for seven assists.
The victory enabled Kentucky to improve to 24-6 overall and 13-4 in the Southeastern Conference. The latter kept UK tied with Tennessee for second place in the SEC. The Vols beat Georgia on Tuesday. First-place Auburn plays at Mississippi State Wednesday night.
Kentucky also finished with its home record this season at 18-0. That marked the 14th time in Rupp Arena history that a Kentucky team did not lose a home game.
Ole Miss, which has won at UK only twice, fell to 13-17 overall and 4-13 in the SEC.
Early deficits had become the norm for Kentucky in the last three games. UK trailed 15-2 at Arkansas last weekend, 27-16 against LSU and 41-28 against Alabama.
This led UK coach John Calipari to pose a question on his weekly radio show Monday.
“Am I starting the right people?” he asked.
Presumably because of Senior Night, Davion Mintz started and freshman TyTy Washington had a role off the bench.
Coincidentally or not, Kentucky led 15-6 inside the first six minutes. Mintz set that score with a corner three that capped a 10-0 run.
Kellan Grady, the other Senior Night honoree, scored the UK’s first basket, which enabled him to equal his total of field goals at Arkansas 38 seconds into the game. He equaled his three shots at Arkansas before the first television timeout.
While that suggested a breeze to victory, it wasn’t to be. Ole Miss used — of all things — offensive rebounding to keep Kentucky from breaking away.
When Sammy Hunter hit a 3-pointer on a second-chance opportunity, the Rebels closed within 24-21 with 10:07 left. At that point, Ole Miss had an 11-0 advantage in second-chance points.
Kentucky, which went into the game ranked 11th in Division I in offensive rebounds, did not grab one until 7:34 remained in the first half. UK had two in the first half.
Then again, there were not that many to get. Kentucky shot with 58.6% accuracy in the first half.
Although UK led by as much as 42-29, Ole Miss closed within 44-35 at halftime.
Tshiebwe and Wheeler kept Kentucky ahead as the second half unfolded.
This seemed intentional. Tshiebwe touched the ball on UK’s first three possessions, and four of the first five. He scored three times in that span.
Wheeler scored twice in that span.
Not that Tshiebwe and Wheeler did it all. When Ole Miss closed the UK lead to single digits inside the final five minutes, Washington answered twice with baskets and once by making one of two free throws.
