JUSTIN ROWLAND:

If Kentucky didn't have its best shooting game of the season from outside then they might not have won today but that's going to happen sometimes. On the other end, they did a good job of guarding the perimeter. I was very impressed with Alabama, particularly their backcourt. They're an 8-7 team but that doesn't tell the story of who they are. For this team to win its first three games in the SEC and four in a row counting the Louisville win is a big step forward from where they were after the Vegas trip.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

This was one of those games where one is occasionally reminded you can't always figure out the matchup before the teams play. Alabama came in as one of the most dangerous 3-point shooting teams in the country. The Crimson Tide made a season-low four from beyond the arc. Kentucky came into the game dominating the paint rather than the perimeter. The Cats make nine treys but gave up 16 offensive rebounds and were outscored 44-20 in the paint. Go figure. But some things you can count on lately, and two of them are UK center Nick Richards and combo guard Immanuel Quickley. They were both huge again today in helping the Cats hold off Bama's upset bid. Richards had another double-double (13 & 11) and blocked five shots. Quickley went 5-of-6 from deep and finished with 19 points. He's had 18, 23, 15 and 19 in his last four games.

TRAVIS GRAF:

Kentucky held an explosive offensive team that averages 85 points per game on the season to 67. Before the season, we heard from the staff that Immanuel Quickley had taken a PJ Washington type of leap going into his sophomore year, and he continues to show it. He’s been such a steady hand on both ends of the court. EJ Montgomery’s performance tonight is about where Kentucky can realistically want him to be on a nightly basis. Eight points and six rebounds for the sophomore big man. Bottom line, when this team makes shots from the outside and plays sound defense, they can compete for a title this season. If one of those drastically falls off, this team’s play will fall off with it. Being a threat to shoot from the outside just obviously opens up so many offensive opportunities for the Cats.

DAVID SISK:

The next step for Kentucky is to stay on the gas for forty minutes. They had it well in hand early in the second half, but allowed Alabama to cut the lead to three. Kentucky struggled defensively with block outs and seeing cutters. Offensively they went through mental lapses with turnovers, but also missed lots of shots at the rim. To their credit they closed 13-7 in the final five minutes which is indicative of their style. Their last four games prepared them for the home stretch on Saturday.