Kentucky "prepared to do whatever it takes to win" in rematch vs. LSU

Kentucky’s win over Alabama on Saturday was a complete team effort, one that showed grit and toughness with the Wildcats’ backs against the wall. Down 13 points in the first half, UK rallied back on a 19-5 run before the break to take its first lead of the game.

From there, the Wildcats were able to coast through the finish line, defeating the Crimson Tide by a final score of 90-81. And they managed to do so without either of their primary ball-handlers in Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington, who missed the game due to injury.

“(The comeback win) says that we’ve got a really good complete team,” UK assistant Orlando Antigua said Tuesday. “We’ve been able to build a mentality, the ‘next man up’ mentality, understanding that throughout the season you’re going to be faced with challenges. You’re going to be faced with obstacles, you’re going to deal with injuries. And all it means is it gives someone else an opportunity to step up and do what the team needs for us to try to win. The Alabama game was a great example of that.”

“I think it just shows the depth and the resiliency of our team,” Kentucky junior forward Keion Brooks Jr. added. “We have a lot of guys who are prepared to step up when their name is called. I think we did that last game. We fought through some adversity.”

It was a win that kept Kentucky’s dreams of earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament alive, as well as keeping the Wildcats in contention for the SEC regular-season crown. Still, though, there are four regular-season games to go, starting with a rematch against the LSU Tigers on Wednesday.

While Alabama is much more offensive-oriented, specifically in terms of shot volume from deep, LSU is a defensive-minded group, one ranked No. 3 overall in defensive efficiency in the latest KenPom ratings. The Tigers will look to muck things up and make the Wildcats uncomfortable at Rupp Arena, just as they did in the first head-to-head matchup back on Jan. 4.

“I mean, it’s the same challenge, obviously,” Antigua said. “Obviously the difference is the style of play. LSU, as you all know, is one of the top defensive teams in the country in terms of how they try to press you and mix up the game. They’re very active, forcing teams to about 15 to 16 turnovers a game, a lot of steals, they’re very handsy. So it’s going to be key for us to make sure that we handle that pressure, the different kinds of presses that they have, full-court, three-quarter-court, zones.

“They throw a lot out there to try to get teams confused, and we’re gonna have to manage those and take care of the ball and value the ball. Try to stay out of a lot of live-ball turnovers as much as we can.”

During the teams’ first meeting in Baton Rouge, Wheeler went down early following a hard screen, followed by Washington dealing with cramps. Like that matchup, both lead guards are banged up and questionable going into Wednesday’s game. With both players out the first time around, Kentucky found itself in a major scoring drought, putting up just three points in 11 minutes, allowing for a 20-3 run for the Tigers.

It was a stretch that killed Kentucky’s chances in Baton Rouge, something the Wildcats are remembering going into Wednesday evening’s matchup.

“Just some of the little things that we did to shoot ourselves in the foot that cost us the game,” Brooks said of the first matchup. “And then also TyTy cramping up a little bit, Sahvir getting hurt with that screen. It kind of shook us that game. That’s something we weren’t prepared for at the time.”

This time around, there’s nothing this team hasn’t seen this season. Nothing will shock this group. Now, it’s about avoiding self-inflicted errors and taking care of business at Rupp Arena.

“Now going into it, we’re going to be ready for anything that comes our way. We’ve seen it all now,” Brooks said. “We’ve just got to not shoot ourselves in the foot like we did last time and be prepared to do whatever it takes to win.”

Kentucky will take on LSU at Rupp Arena at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with the game broadcast live on ESPN.