KENTUCKY 75, KANSAS 65
Nov. 15, 2011
Madison Square Garden; New York, N.Y.
Kentucky's Anthony Daivs battled Kansas forward Thomas Robinson for a rebound in the Wildcats' 75-65 win over the Jayhawks on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (247Sports Photo by Jeff Drummond)
SUMMARY
NEW YORK – Kentucky’s fabulous freshman claimed playing in famed Madison Square Garden would be no different than a pick-up game in some far-flung playground.
Oh, those kids.
Kentucky looked rattled in the first half but unleashed the type of spurt this squad may become known for by year’s end, turning a hotly contested game into a 75-65 runaway.
The Cats (2-0) outscored Kansas 17-4 to start the second half, erasing a halftime tie and igniting a pro-UK crowd in downtown Manhattan. Doron Lamb, who was playing close to his Queens, N.Y. home, buried three consecutive three-pointers during one second half stretch on his way to 17 points.
CALIPARI TALK
“At the end of the game if you wonder why I was going crazy it was, again, learn to finish off a game. If that was a 10-point game we probably lose. It happened to be 17, but I like their will to win.”
OPPOSING VIEW
“I really thought they played a lot better offensive the second half and they made shots, but their best offense for a long period of time was our offense. Our bad shots and turnovers led to runouts, dunks and easy baskets that have a hard time defending.” – Kansas coach Bill Self
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
“I always tell Marquis to control the ball, listen to Coach and just run the offense. Let the game come to you and get everybody involved before you go. He was a little frustrated and was a little excited and tried to go one-on-one in the first half.” – Doron Lamb, on freshman guard Marquis Teague’s poor first half
GAME BALL
Anthony Davis continued to draw rave reviews from just about everyone who has seen him step on the basketball court, shining as the best player on any of the four teams that appeared in Madison Square Garden on the night. Davis’ athleticism and length proved vexing even for one of the best programs in the country, as he stormed to 14 points, six rebounds, seven blocked shots and two steals. The freshman forward gave the MSG crowd more than enough to buzz about with high-flying act.
TURNING POINT
Plagued by nerves and inexperience on a stage such as the one Madison Square Garden presents Kentucky played the type of first half you could see coming from a young team. The Cats were erratic and out of sorts – evidenced most by freshman point guard Marquis Teague’s six turnovers – but somehow managed to pull into a tie at the break. After trading buckets to start the second half, the Cats used a pair of dunks in transition and a three-pointer but Teague to spark a 24-7 run capped by three consecutive triples by Doron Lamb.
DID YOU NOTICE?
John Calipari drew laughter after the game when he told reporters that freshman point guard Marquis Teague tried to blame his six first half turnovers on the officials, but there was a lesson to be learned in that comedic turn. Teague is as quick as anyone Calipari has coached but he’s also a little erratic and will need to learn to make the simple plays instead of trying to do too much, especially with so much talent surrounding him. Teague was much better after halftime, finishing with 12 points and three assists without any further turnovers.
UNSUNG HERO
Darius Miller’s stat line won’t cause anyone to go proclaiming he’ll be a First Team All-Southeastern Conference player this season but his steadiness can’t be discounted on this night. Miller began the game on the bench and watched Kansas jump out to an early 10-3 lead before his experience in similar environments helped settle his younger teammates. When the dust settled Miller had quietly contributed five points, four rebounds and four assists in just 20 minutes of action, but his bushels of experience was critical.
KEY NUMBER
33.9 – When Kansas coach Bill Self spoke at the postgame press conference he repeatedly referenced Kentucky’s talent and length being enough to help it overcome defensive mistakes, especially early in the year. The Cats swarmed on that end of the floor all night, holding the Jayhawks to just 33.9 percent shooting on the game, including 28.1 percent after halftime. Kansas began the game 4-of-7 from the field and managed to connect on just 30.8 percent the rest of the game.
FINAL THOUGHT
Kentucky’s non-conference schedule isn’t as loaded this season as last, in part due to the fact the North Carolina, Louisville and St. John’s games are all in Rupp Arena. Indiana will surely give UK a challenge in Bloomington – and an incredibly hostile crowd – but playing a game in a venue like Madison Square Garden is invaluable experience for a team that has its sights set on the Final Four.
NEXT
Kentucky (2-0) will remain in the New York City area before heading to Connecticut to face Penn State at noon on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Mohegun Sun Arena.
