In our regular postgame feature, the Cats Illustrated staff offers its first impressions from Kentucky's 85-84 win over Oklahoma on Thursday night at the SEC Tournament in Nashville. Each staff member will share his three main takeaways from the game.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

1. Otega Oweh. Again. Wow. Not only is it incredible that he hit two game-winning shots against his old school this season, but you may never find a tougher degree of difficulty on two short shots like the ones he hit under pressure at Norman two weeks ago and down in Nashville tonight. Those were shots that, if you hit them against a friend or family member in the driveway, they may throw the ball back at you hard and say "Prove it."

2. Kentucky overcame a lot tonight. When the euphoria wears off from winning a thriller, attention will shift to Lamont Butler's left shoulder and how badly he reaggravated it. The last 90 seconds or so (in which UK lost a 10-point lead) shows how important he is to the stability of the team. That game may end in a double-digit win for the Cats if he doesn't go down.

3. Koby Brea (22 points, 8/12 FG, 4/7 3PFG) was a difference-maker again tonight. I love how he's hunting shots, and not just 3s. The Cats need this aggressive, attack-mode version of Brea the rest of the way.

JUSTIN ROWLAND:

1. It's really incredible that Otega Oweh can have that kind of heroics against his former team one year removed, not once but twice in the same season. Kentucky almost gave that game away at the end, failing to respond to pressure defense, but Oweh saved them. He certainly has the willingness to take control at the end when Kentucky needs someone to go get a bucket. Obviously we're going to be talking about Lamont Butler. Kentucky needs Oweh and Brea to play at a high level, given those issues, and they did tonight in a big way.

2. That felt like Kentucky in the SEC Tournament. You really can't be surprised by any possible loss the rest of the way. That's how stacked the field is. But the energy of the Big Blue Nation came through, and the team played with a lot of effort. Kentucky could have still hurt its seed a bit with a loss, but not much. This was mostly big for the fan base. One you didn't want to lose, but it turned out to feel fun and like something from a few years back. I mentioned the boards in By the Numbers before the game, and Kentucky won them. That helped them win second-chance points as well. Kentucky had several steals and brought a lot of effort. They looked tournament-ready.

3. Kentucky's other big men stepped up. Amari Williams had a limited impact. Brandon Garrison even played as much as he did. That has been a trend. Andrew Carr did a lot of work inside, even if he could have scored even more. It was a team effort because Williams typically gives them more.

TRAVIS GRAF:

1. Otega Oweh delivered against his former team yet again. When it looked like Kentucky might be dead in the water, he and the team delivered a core memory for the Wildcat fans in attendance. He and Koby Brea are going to be huge catalysts for the Cats tomorrow as well.

2. Kentucky needs to figure out the ball-handling situation moving forward if Lamont Butler is out for more than a game. The lack of available handlers on the roster is concerning, and it was part of the reason that Kentucky almost blew the game in the last two minutes in a brutal way.

3. The rotation is tightening some, and that’s a good thing. I look for Kentucky to run a very tight rotation for the rest of the season. Tomorrow is a big one that could make people become real believers in this team’s tournament chances, and I really like this lineup against non-SEC programs especially.