John Calipari identifies keys to the second half against Georgia

With his team down 42-34 against Georgia heading into halftime on Tuesday, Kentucky coach John Calipari was brief in his assessment of the first half. Speaking with ESPN’s Marty Smith at the break, Calipari identified two areas he would like to see his team improve in the second.

“Gotta stop the dribble drive,” he said. “We’re turning sideways. And gotta make some shots.”

Kentucky shot just 11-of-33 (33.3%) from the floor in the first half. Big man Oscar Tshiebwe is already just one rebound away from a double-double, recording 14 points (4-of-11 shooting) and nine boards over the first 20 minutes.

On the flip side, the Bulldogs shot 15-of-27 (55.6%). That included 20 points in the paint, and the Wildcats will need to do a better job of defending close to the basket as Calipari said if they hope to come back for the win.

John Calipari will hope his team can heed his advice to turn things around in the second half against Georgia.

Jacob Toppin throws down poster slam dunk in first half

Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin delivered a huge slam dunk in the early going Tuesday against Georgia. After Wildcats guard Sahvir Wheeler came away with a steal to start a fast break, he found Toppin trailing, dishing to him and watching as he threw down the emphatic jam over a Bulldogs defender.

The play put Kentucky up 14-13 at the time in what has so far been a back-and-forth game. The Wildcats would later enter halftime trailing 42-34.

Other than the dunk from Jacob Toppin, it’s been a rough start for Kentucky, which entered the locker room shooting 11-of-33 (33.3%) from the floor. Toppin finished the first half with four points and five rebounds.

Toppin has started in 14 of 16 games so far this season for Kentucky, averaging 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He’ll hope to continue to make an impact as the Wildcats hope to finish the second half strong and secure their second straight win.