Proo For 35 minutes Kentucky looked like it was heading to another frustrating loss. The play was overly physical, Mississippi State had a player go nuclear, Kentucky was missing some good looks, and the officiating was…uneven at best. The Cats kept grinding and pulled out a tough win in dramatic fashion.
Reed Sheppard The Hero
Reed Sheppard has had big games this season but this was no doubt his best performance against a really tough defense. 32 points (on just 14 shots), 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals is an elite stat line. Throughout the game it looked like Kentucky was on the verge of letting go of the rope but Reed was a steady force to keep the Cats in it before taking over in winning time. Tough pull-up jumpers, a steal with a runout layup, a blocked three, strong finishes through contact, and perfect from the FT line. The nation got a front-row seat to the Reed Show last night.
The most impressive thing about Reed’s final few minutes is that he had a really bad turnover to give Mississippi State a chance but still had the stones to make take and make that final shot. Kentucky has 3-4 guys who are not afraid of that moment, that helps in March.
Big Z Gives Big Minutes
Going into this game I thought there was zero chance Z could play. State is probably the most physical team Kentucky will play and that has been Z’s kryptonite. Instead, he gave the Cats 21 solid minutes despite just scoring 2 points, he also grabbed 4 rebounds and added 3 blocks. Z was thrown around at times but he did enough to bother the Bulldog bigs and turned them into a jump shooting team. He doesn’t have to bully anyone but if he can hold his ground his length will bother most teams.
This was an important step for Z to prove that he can stay on the floor in certain matchups.
Rob Delivers Despite Not Playing Well
Rob really struggled most of the game with the physicality and just never seemed to be able to get comfortable. Credit to Cal for still trusting him late in the game and Rob rewarded him. A big three to give Kentucky it’s first lead with about 4 minutes to go, a strong finish at the rim, and a good read on the pick and roll that led to a Bradshaw dunk. Rob scored 7 points in the final 5 minutes of the game and Kentucky needed all of them.
Most Kentucky fans have become accustomed to the Rob Rollercoaster but tonight we got the full experience. Credit to that kid for staying locked in to deliver in a big moment.
What Does It Mean
Program needed to have a win like this. Kentucky has struggled with physical play all season, well tonight it went against the most physical team in the SEC and took the punches and survived. Kentucky also survived a small guard (the Kryptonite of the program in several NCAA Tournaments) going absolutely nuclear.
Losing this one wouldn’t have been the end of the world as Mississippi State is a legitimate top 30 team but it became oddly important once they went up 8 in the final minute. The vibes around the program would have hit new lows if the Cats lose in OT and home wins over Vandy/Arkansas wouldn’t have done much to turn them around before ending the season in Knoxville.
Thankfully, the Cats found a way and we can enjoy a special performance from Reed before Arkansas comes to Rupp this weekend.
Go Cats.
