Bill Self credits Kevin McCullar, Jalen Wilson for Kentucky win

ESPN color analyst Jay Bilas called Kansas‘ performance at Kentucky Saturday night a “character win.” Coming off the backs of a three-game losing streak, Bill Self brought his team into Rupp Arena and will head back to Lawrence with momentum back on their side.

The story of the second half was about Kevin McCullar, who spent some time in the locker room with an ankle injury. Not only was he able to get back onto the court but he made a huge impact on the result, hitting timely shots for Kansas down the stretch.

“I thought he was great,” Self told ESPN’s Holly Rowe during a postgame interview. “He hadn’t made a lot of shots the last couple of weeks — none of us had. And then he makes the biggest shot of the game, probably, to give us a cushion. He’s a tremendous team defensive player. He was terrific.”

Defensive plays were made by McCullar as well, helping the Jayhawks get in transition. The Texas Tech transfer was barely walking during the postgame but showed guts for his performance.

While McCullar came in clutch for Kansas but all season, the consistent player has been Jalen Wilson. He was once again terrific for 40 minutes against Kentucky, finishing with 22 points on 50% shooting from the floor.

Kansas struggled on the offensive end during the three-game losing streak. But Self knew Wilson was going to make an impact on Saturday, showing up in the biggest moments when the Jayhawks are in desperate need.

“Whenever we play our worst offense, it’s when he always plays the best,” Self said. “So, he certainly did that again tonight.”

Bill Self happy with execution during Kentucky win

Going into Rupp Arena is no easy task, especially when the crowd is up to it. Kansas being in town will always bring a lively atmosphere, no matter the circumstances. Execution was going to be the name of the game for Self and not just from his starting lineup.

Self was happy with the play of everyone on the roster.

“The guys did execute,” Self said. “We had a couple of guys play great. Our bench was better tonight. Our bench bigs were good and KJ (Adams) had a great game. Of course, (Jalen Wilson) was terrific. It’s a great time win. You know, we’ve been laboring the last couple of weeks. So, we needed this.”

Kansas will have no time to rest, with an in-state rivalry rematch against Kansas State up next. Heading back to Phog Allen on the backs of this kind of win will have Self ready to watch his team perform in the final month-plus of the regular season.