Never mind that rout of North Carolina in Las Vegas. Never mind that trouncing of Tennessee at Rupp Arena. Never mind that domination of Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.
You can make a strong case that Kentucky's 90-81 victory over visiting Alabama was the Wildcats' most meaningful victory of this pleasing 2021-22 college basketball season.
The reason? Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington were the reasons. UK's starting guards were both sidelined on Saturday, Wheeler nursing a wrist injury, Washington out again by a nagging ankle problem. Talk about vital to the Cats' cause. Wheeler is the table-setting point guard on offense and a persistent pest on defense. Washington is the mature-beyond-his years combo guard and multiple SEC Freshman of the Week honors winner.
"We had two days (to figure out) how the hell are we going to play?" UK head coach John Calipari said Saturday of the pregame prep after finding out that Washington and Wheeler would be unavailable. "What do we do? Who are the subs? Do we sub? Do I use my timeouts, which I've done in the past, to give them rests? That's what I did today. I said, 'Look, we're riding this group.'"
Ride they did. Kellan Grady played 39 minutes and scored 25 points. Oscar Tshiebwe played 35 minutes and scored 21 points with 14 rebounds. Keion Brooks played 37 minutes and scored 18 points with eight rebounds. Jacob Toppin played 39 minutes and scored 13 points with six rebounds. Davion Mintz played 39 minutes and did not commit a turnover.
Better still, unlike in Tuesday's loss at Tennessee, the Cats took Bama's best shot and punched back. The visitors scored on their first seven possessions, made six of their first eight three-point shots, and nine of their first 12 while rocketing to a 41-28 lead with 5:33 left in the first half. It didn't matter.
From then on, it was all Cats all the time. UK went on a 13-0 run to close the first half for a 47-46 lead, then outscored the Tide 43-35 in the second half to improve to 22-5 overall and 11-3 in the SEC, just a game behind first-place Auburn in the conference standings.
"In my experience in college," Grady said, "this was probably one of the most rewarding wins I've ever been a part of, just knowing what we were up against."
Countered Alabama head coach Nate Oats, ""This was a really disappointing loss."
After shooting 3-for-30 from beyond the arc in its 66-55 loss at home to the Cats two weeks ago, Alabama ended up 14 of 40 from three-point land Saturday. Keon Ellis was 7-for-11 on the way to 28 points. Jaden Shackelford was 5-for-12. "We wasted a good shooting night," Oats said.
Meanwhile, UK's Grady was 7-for-9 from three-point territory, including one in which he wasn't looking for a Mintz pass that hit him in the leg. No problem. Grady calmly retrieved the basketball and drilled the three-pointer from the left wing. That's when you know it's your night.
Or maybe it was when Grady caught a cross-court, thread-the-needle delivery Toppin, took one dribble, then nailed a three-pointer from the left corner with 44 seconds left in the first half for a 47-46 Kentucky lead as the Rupp crowd of 20,374 went nuts.
"Keion told me that was the loudest he's ever heard Rupp Arena," Grady said.
Here's what Toppin said: "In past games, when players were injured, people were questioning the depth of this team, and it just shows how good a team we are. It shows how well, not just me, but my teammates are, and how we could step up in big moments and perform."
So much of this is about confidence. Yes, Kentucky wants to show the nation it is a team capable of winning the NCAA title. Before it can show the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, however, it has to show itself. Saturday, it did.
Said Calipari, "I keep saying, I like my team. There are good teams out there, but I'm taking this one."
