The Morning-After Recap Of "Another Road Dub" For Kentucky Basketball
Good morning, friends. How ’bout that game, huh?
Until last night’s roadkill, South Carolina trips hadn’t been kind to Kentucky Basketball under John Calipari’s watch. You remember his first game in Columbia in 2010 when Kentucky lost to the Gamecocks in Kentucky’s first game as the No. 1 ranked team. The Wildcats took a call from the President before giving up 30 points to Devan Downey in a crushing defeat.
In 2014, Calipari lost again at South Carolina, although, he didn’t stick around to see it through. He was ejected in the second half for laying into the officials for swallowing their whistles when he felt Alex Poythress got fouled. (Poythress got fouled.) It was the first, but not the last time bouncers tossed Calipari from the Colonial Life Arena club.
Two years later, Calipari was ejected TWO MINUTES into the game for again arguing for a call he felt the crew missed. Doug Sirmons was not in the mood for Calipari that day, so he sent him out with two technicals before the game’s first substitution. Kentucky still won, though. Remember? Tyler Ulis hit Marcus Lee off the backboard for a lob Calipari wouldn’t have loved if he had been in the building to see it.
Then the last two trips, Kentucky dropped back-to-back games—first because Chris Silva scored 27 and then because Jermaine Cousnard threw in his fourth 3-pointer at the buzzer. Cousnard’s last-second heave upset No. 17 Kentucky despite a combined 61 points from Immanuel Quickley, Tyrese Maxey, Nick Richards, and Ashton Hagans.
We dig up those old wounds today to further appreciate last night’s Kentucky win in an unwelcoming arena. What do you say we spend some time talking about it this morning? You can do your work later. Come on. It’ll be fun.
Kentucky 86, South Carolina 76
First, the official statistics for anyone who didn’t already print them out and circle areas of strength and weakness.
The Bad Beat
A 10-point win on the road is a reason to celebrate, but a 12-point win would’ve paid for the celebration. Kentucky bettors needed one more basket for Kentucky to cover the 10.5 points, but Oscar Tshiebwe is too wholesome, too innocent, and too respectful of his opponents to hammer down a dunk to please the gambling crowd.
The end result? The bad beat of the year in college basketball for Kentucky bettors.
(I hope no one is seriously mad at Oscar. If you are, call this number.)
Injury Report: Another ankle
It’s time to have a difficult conversation with Kentucky’s ankle tape supplier because yet another ankle injury knocked a Kentucky player out of the game and maybe longer.
Last night it was Jacob Toppin’s turn to roll an ankle, his second time this season, and the injury occurred when Toppin was playing some of his best basketball to date. He checked in late in the first half and scored eight straight points for the Wildcats while two of Kentucky’s leading scorers were on the bench in foul trouble. Unfortunately, as Toppin was putting the team on his back, his ankle gave way on a rebound and he was done for the night.
After the game, John Calipari presented X-rays of Toppin’s left ankle and brought the team doctor up to the podium to explain the severity of the injury and Toppin’s timetable for a return. Just kidding. Calipari did not have an update right after the game but we should hear something tonight on his call-in radio show.
For what it’s worth, Keion Brooks said Toppin was in good spirits about everything, so that’s good.
John Calipari’s Postgame Press Conference
Oscar Tshiebwe, Keion Brooks Postgame Press Conferences
Postgame Stories
KSR’s top takeaways from Kentucky’s 86-76 road win at South Carolina
Balanced, efficient offense earns Kentucky another double-digit road win
Keion Brooks Jr.’s consistency pushes Kentucky from very good to special
Sahvir Wheeler still searching for the right offensive balance
Jacob Toppin’s injury halts his hot start against South Carolina
Postgame notes from Kentucky’s 86-76 win over South Carolina
Fan of the Game: Baby PJ Washington
Blue got in South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena last night. You could hear the Go-Big-Blue chants over the TV broadcast as the visiting Kentucky crowd planted yet another flag in an away arena.
Among those Kentucky fans in attendance was former Kentucky star PJ Washington, who made the two-hour drive from Charlotte on an off-night from NBA action. Accompanying PJ Washington was his young son, PJ Washington III, our KSR Fan of the Game.
Also Receiving Votes:
Calipari’s latest quote on Shaedon Sharpe, presented without comment
Against my will, here is yet another update on Shaedon Sharpe from the mouth of John Calipari. So you know, Calipari was asked about Sharpe by another media outlet so don’t blame Calipari or KSR for Sharpe being a postgame topic. We want to move on too, you know.
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The full quote:
“I had talked to the family and Shaedon and we talked it over. I said, ‘Has anything changed? Because we’ve got to make sure this doesn’t become a story because it doesn’t need to be.’ And the family said, ‘Look. He was going there to practice, to sit out, and get ready for the following year.’ And I said, ‘Well, has it changed?’ I said, ‘Why don’t you guys sleep on it and if it’s changed, let’s talk about it but if it hasn’t changed, I’m just going to say it hasn’t changed.’
“It is what it is. I know everybody will say, ‘Well, he isn’t coming,’ Yeah, well anybody can say anything. This kid comes back, he’s the No. 1 draft pick. In my mind, he’s the No. 1 draft pick. How can I say I know what the No. 1 draft pick looks like? BECAUSE I’VE HAD FOUR. That’s why I can say what it looks like. He can be the No. 1 draft pick.
“You know what? Would he be ready to go this year? Someone would take him and say we’re going to get you ready but playing in the NBA is a man’s league. Going through the gauntlet at Kentucky gets you ready to succeed. His family knows it. He knows it. He said the attention to detail here, he’s never seen anything like it. Well, guess what? When you move up, it’s even more so. But he’s a great kid. I love coaching this kid. I do. Love coaching him.”
– John Calipari in response to a question about Shaedon Sharpe
Read the full story here. I’m not doing this anymore. It’s unhealthy.
Calipari, Barnhart to address NIL in Frankfort today; Calipari on radio tonight
Moving on from last night’s win, today John Calipari will be in Frankfort for Name, Image, Likeness matters with the Senate Standing Committee on Education. He and Mitch Barnhart will testify for 22RS SB 6, a bill “relating to athletics and declaring an emergency.”
When he’s done at the Capitol, Calipari will return to Lexington for his call-in radio show on the UK Sports Network. We’ll likely hear a little about his day and hopefully some good news regarding Jacob Toppin’s left ankle.
Kentucky is a No. 1 seed in the new Bracketology
Before he turned out the lights in the Bracketology bunker, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi bumped Kentucky up to a No. 1 seed in his NCAA Tournament projections. As of last night’s update, Lunardi has Gonzaga, Auburn, Purdue, and Kentucky as the top seeds in next month’s Big Dance.
Arizona, Wisconsin, and UCLA are Nos. 2, 3, and 4 in Kentucky’s region; although, Lunardi’s late-night tweet did not include locations.
A new and complete Bracketology update will be out soon when Joe is ready. We’ll keep you in the loop.
Arkansas snapped Auburn’s 19-game win streak (but the teabag was unneccesary)
While Kentucky handled its Super Tuesday business on the road, Auburn was busy losing its first game since the day before Thanksgiving. Nineteen straight games Auburn won, including one against Kentucky, until Eric Musselman’s Razorbacks dealt the first-ranked Tigers their first loss in SEC play.
The dunk to seal the OT win was rude, yet awesome as the crowd flooded the court in the blink of an eye. If not for the crowd, Wendell Green might’ve gone looking for trouble.
Checking in from the postgame melee, a shirtless Musselman told ESPN2, “They danced on our logo before the game. We watched that. We watched that.”
Three College Basketball Games To Watch Tonight
Georgia @ Florida (-14) | 6:30 p.m. | SECN
#6 Houston (-7) @ SMU | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
#19 Tennessee (-1) @ Mississippi State | 9 p.m. | ESPN2
One Radio Show To Listen To This Morning
Kentucky Sports Radio. It’s on from 10 a.m. to noon with Matt Jones and Ryan Lemond’s reactions to the win.
Go Cats.
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