KSR's takeaways from Kentucky's crucial road win at Mississippi State

Kentucky had one job in Starkville. Who played well and who struggled was irrelevant, as was how pretty or hideous it looked. No more excuses or kicking the can down the road, the Wildcats simply couldn’t board the plane with another loss added to the resume. With just six games left in the regular season, four being Quad 1 opportunities, it was a must-win on the road at Mississippi State.

And above all else, that’s exactly what Kentucky did, coming out on top by a final score of 71-68 inside Humphrey Coliseum. Thanks to a second-half surge that put the team up as many as 13 with 8:33 to go, the Wildcats held on down the stretch to move to 17-9 on the year and 8-5 in the SEC.

The win came against a tough, physical group that had just won five straight games, three being against teams ranked inside the top 50 of the NET (vs. TCU, vs. Missouri, at Arkansas). The Bulldogs weren’t known for scoring a ton of points (65.6 PPG, No. 314 overall) or shooting the ball well (28.5% 3PT, No. 344 overall), but they do fight defensively (58.7 PPG allowed on 38.8% FG, No. 5 overall) and battle on the glass (12.76 ORPG, No. 17 overall). Considering Kentucky’s recent struggles with fight going into the matchup, concerns were valid.

Backs against the wall at Georgia on Saturday, the Wildcats took the punches and crumbled. This time around, Kentucky threw the first punch — up seven midway through the first half (18-11, 10:06) — and responded with its own counters when the Bulldogs battled back. UGA cuts it to one at the half then goes up three to open the second, UK manages to retake the lead and push it to 13. Bulldogs respond to make it a one-score game with 4:10 to go, Wildcats extend it back to six and ultimately hang on in the game’s final seconds.

How did it all come to fruition? What does it mean for Kentucky moving forward? KSR has the takeaways.

One Quad 1 win turned to three

Let’s stick with big-picture thoughts here for a second. Making the NCAA Tournament field is all that matters right now, and to do that, Quad 1 wins are a must. The Wildcats started the night with just one (at Tennessee, Jan. 14) and ended it with three.

How? Mississippi State (No. 40 in the NET) was a Quad 1 win to give you two, obviously. And then Texas A&M jumped back into the top 30 of the NET with a victory over Arkansas to make that win on Jan. 21 a Quad 1, as well. 1-7 to 3-7 in that category over the span of a couple hours.

And that’s not the only significant development from the evening. Auburn jumped up to No. 27 in the NET with a win vs. Missouri, while vs. Tennessee, at Florida and at Arkansas are all Quad 1 opportunities for Kentucky, as well. Four of the team’s last five games to close out the regular season.

Win those, and you somehow finish the year .500 in Quad 1 matchups at 7-7, firmly in the field at that point at 22-9 overall and 13-5 in the SEC — potentially even with a solid seed.

Just have to keep winning, as the Wildcats did tonight. The path is there, they just have to take advantage of it.

Kentucky survives injury setbacks

Sahvir Wheeler (ankle) and CJ Fredrick (rib) were both declared out prior to tip vs. the Bulldogs in Starkville, the second consecutive game the guard duo missed for the Wildcats.

That forced Cason Wallace to again take over at point guard, with Antonio Reeves starting at the two, Chris Livingston at the three, Jacob Toppin at the four and Oscar Tshiebwe at the five. Then off the bench, Adou Thiero was the lone reserve guard, with Daimion Collins, Lance Ware and Ugonna Onyenso rounding out the available pieces.

“We’re shorthanded, but we’ve got enough guys,” John Calipari said during pregame. “Let’s go, next man up.”

All five starters played at least 32 minutes, four finishing with at least 13 points — 18 for Tshiebwe, 16 for Toppin, 14 for Reeves and 13 for Livingston. The fifth, Wallace, shot poorly (1-13 FG, 0-8 3PT), but came up huge as a playmaker, finishing with 11 assists and just one turnover to go with four rebounds and two steals in 38 minutes. He also finished with a team-high +8 in the +/-, stressing the value he brought to the table beyond scoring (four points).

And then there’s Thiero, who added four points (1-1 FG, 2-2 FT) while also pulling down four rebounds and blocking one shot with zero turnovers in eight minutes. Ware also reeled in three rebounds and picked up an assist in eight, followed by Collins with a tough and-one dunk and two boards in six.

If there was ever a do-your-job effort from the Wildcats, this would be the one. No one starred for team, but everyone contributed in their own ways to help pull off the victory.

Will Wheeler and Fredrick be back in time for the team’s matchup vs. Tennessee at home?

“I hope Saturday,” Calipari said. “[They] haven’t practiced so and we’re not — we won’t go with a live practice tomorrow. And then Friday, you know, we’ll have to see.”

Chris Livingston plays his best game as a Wildcat

Well, maybe half. But probably game overall, too. The five-star freshman has had an up-and-down rookie campaign in Lexington, one filled with role and usage questions, along with inconsistent playing time. He’s played 15 minutes or fewer 10 times and 25 minutes or more eight times while getting at least six shots up in a game 10 times.

Tonight, a real breakthrough for Livingston, with the Akron native finishing with a smooth 13 points on 3-6 shooting, 1-3 from three and 6-6 from the line — all in the second half — while adding five rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block and just one turnover in 32 minutes. It was a tough start for the versatile forward, scoring zero points on zero attempts while struggling defensively in 12 first-half minutes, pulled by Calipari on three separate occasions.

And then, the explosion following intermission.

“Chris was an all-star today,” Calipari said after the win. “I was really proud of him.”

It was Livingston’s second double-digit scoring outing in three games, matching his season total from Kentucky’s previous 23 matchups. He’s also now hit a 3-pointer for a third consecutive game, just the second time this season he’s been able to put together that streak. And above all else, he brought the fight and did his part to will the Wildcats to victory in the second half. The 6-foot-6 freshman dove for loose balls, battled on the glass, made shots, attacked the basket, drew fouls and converted at the line.

“It was more of a mindset. It was a mindset thing,” Livingston said. “Coach [Calipari] was on me, and I also didn’t want to lose. I was playing as hard as I could trying to make winning plays, whether that’s getting deflections or rebounds. I was trying to win.”

And that’s exactly what he did. Without him, Kentucky has no chance to pull off the road win and keep postseason dreams alive.

Tshiebwe, Toppin and Reeves combine for 38 points

Livingston was the second-half star, but Toppin and Reeves set the offensive tone early, combining for 22 points on 9-14 shooting and 4-5 from three in the first 20 minutes. Those two knocked down nine of Kentucky’s first 15 shots of the game, with Tshiebwe making up four of the other five (eight points, five rebounds at the break).

Their contributions helped the Wildcats go up seven with 9:24 left in the first and close out the break up one — a buzzer-beater from MSU kept it from being a two-score game. But 30 total at the half out of 36 points, doing so against a team that allowed just 58.7 overall points per contest entering the matchup.

Then after the break, it was the Livingston and Tshiebwe show, with the two combining for 23 points and nine rebounds in the final 20 minutes to help wrap up the win with a bow.

Again, maybe not the prettiest of bows, but a bow nonetheless. Especially against a defensive-minded group that has held some potent offenses to some mediocre performances over the course of the year. 71 points on 45.5% from the field (25-55) surpassed MSU’s season-long averages in both categories.

“Refuse to Lose”

It was John Calipari’s go-to mantra during his time at UMass, a phrase he actually trademarked. He’s never used it during his time in Lexington, but this week, he decided to bring it back. And it’s fitting, considering this team, well, couldn’t lose. The Wildcats were running out of runway with a disaster imminent before the group collectively pulled the plane off the asphalt with a win in Starkville.

But that doesn’t mean they’re hovering 10,000 feet in the air, cutting through the clouds. They’ve just gotten their wheels back up and things could still stall out if they’re not careful. And that’s why with five regular season games left to go, they’ve got to keep their foot on the gas and navigate this plane to postseason play.

“Well, the biggest thing I’ve been talking to them about is refuse to lose. Just refuse to lose. And you may run out of time. But refuse to lose. You just keep fighting,” Calipari said after the win. “No excuses at this time. How many games we have left? Five games. That’s what we got. We got five to go. Who’s ready to play? Who’s ready to fight? Refuse to lose. Do what you got to do for the team.”

Wednesday’s win was a step in the right direction. Now, though, a top-10 Tennessee team is coming to Lexington with revenge on its mind.

Take advantage of our KSR+ Launch Special and join the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR+ Message Board.