TRAVIS GRAF:

This game helped take some of the sting out of this week’s South Carolina loss. You can rack this one up as another Quadrant 1 win and a nice addition to this team’s resumé. Kentucky grew up in some ways today after Calipari’s ejection. The Cats went on a huge run to pretty much put the game away and made key stops when they needed them. Ashton Hagans had a pretty pedestrian game, but you saw how important he was to the flow of the offense whenever he was out of the game with foul trouble. Keion Brooks and Johnny Juzang had promising games off the bench. I look for those guys to get extended playing time sooner rather than later, and I think Brooks might be Kentucky’s man at the power forward spot more often than not when they play more athletic opponents.

DAVID SISK:

With the score tied at 44, John Calipari was tossed with 8:19 remaining. Three made free throws made it 47-44 Hogs. After that, Kentucky went on a 15-2 run. The coaching staff also elected to go zone and Arkansas only made one of their next nine shots. Offensively the Cats got out on the break. Also, Nick Richards, who went over 13 minutes without a shot attempt, finally started getting post touches against the smaller Razorbacks. I also liked how the players seemed to be more vocal with the fate of the game put in their hands. Hopefully, this can build confidence, but I still don’t like the mental lapses. Kentucky was seemingly in control at 38-27 and then was outscored 17-7. The Cats also had a 12-point lead cut to as low as five in the final few seconds.

JUSTIN ROWLAND:

John Calipari's ejection, intended or not and regardless of the merits of the call(s), seems to have been the catalyst for a huge win for this Kentucky team. Nick Richards avoiding foul trouble and being able to stay on the court was a huge part of this win. So was Ashton Hagans returning and playing well with four fouls. Tyrese Maxey made some big plays in the clutch. For the second straight game Kentucky faced a frantic opponent in the second half on the road and this time they responded well. This is a Quadrant 1 win that helps to balance some of the bad losses. That is no small thing. Very big win for Kentucky.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

This was a surprisingly strong response to adversity for a team that folded under it just three days ago at South Carolina. Let's face it: most of us thought the Cats were cooked after Arkansas surged to the lead. Whether John Calipari's rapid-fire technicals and subsequent ejection was by design to light a fire under the Cats is up for debate, but there's no doubt it was the turning point. Kentucky went on a 15-2 run to silence a frenzied crowd in one of the most difficult venues to play in the SEC. It doesn't hurt to have a team capable of hitting 16 of 20 free throws under pressure the final 6:53 of a game. When you look back on the week, UK traded a bad win for a good one and wound up probably where it should have been all along.