In our regular postgame feature, the Cats Illustrated staff offers its first impressions from Kentucky's 95-73 rout of No. 8 Miami on Tuesday night in the ACC-SEC Challenge at Rupp Arena.
JEFF DRUMMOND:
If this keeps up, these guys might be remembered as The Team That Saved Kentucky Basketball. After three seasons of joyless rock fights, win or lose, the Cats are playing a brand of basketball that is reminding everybody how fun this game can be. That was a really good team that UK faced tonight -- a team that returned almost its entire roster from a Final Four appearance last season -- and the Cats ran them out of the gym. Kentucky shot 60% from the floor and 43% from beyond the arc. The Cats dished out 26 assists and once again had a single-digit turnover game (8) against an older, more experienced, more physical Miami squad. Five guys in double-figure scoring again, led by Reed Sheppard with 21 en route to a crazy +35 in the plus/minus column. This was thoroughly impressive. The only downside was DJ Wagner going down with an ankle injury in the first half. Hopefully, that won't keep him sidelined too long as he was really building some great momentum with 50 points combined in two games last week.
JUSTIN ROWLAND:
It is so early in the season I feel like it's odd that I'm running out of things to say about this team, but that's a testament to what they're doing almost every single time out. How about the impact that Reed Sheppard had on this game? Heck, take Sheppard out of the game and this is still a good Kentucky team, but with him, they just appear to be on another level. They run some of the best offense that I've seen in college basketball in the last few years. This team looks like a clear national title contender and in my view, it's safe to say that John Calipari has Kentucky basketball back.
TRAVIS GRAF:
Well, that was an absolute butt-kickin’ from Kentucky tonight where the Wildcats dominated in every facet. It just feels different this year compared to years past, especially whenever Miami went on a huge run in the first half and recent teams have crumbled. It seems like Kentucky is playing a different sport than they have the past couple of seasons. Reed Sheppard is officially on one-and-done watch, and all of the backcourt pieces complement each other very well. Justin Edwards is starting to figure it out. Tonight was a resume-building victory and they’ll fix the rim protection problems shortly whenever the big men get back.
