TRAVIS GRAF:

1. The SEC is the best basketball conference I’ve seen in my lifetime, and road wins are going to be hard to come by. Winning a game on the road, let alone in a ranked matchup, is huge for Kentucky’s resume.

2. Jaxson Robinson came to play. If he could give you 75% of that each game moving forward, it raises the ceiling of this team so much. This is what people envisioned when Pope brought him over from BYU.

3. Kentucky needs to sure up some things on the defensive end. They struggle with athleticism and need to make up ground on that end of the court when shots aren’t falling like they were tonight.

JUSTIN ROWLAND:

1. Jaxson Robinson can rise to the occasion. The BYU transfer hit some big-time shots. There was zero hesitation when he had an opening and he powered Kentucky through some key moments of the game. He was throwing it into the ocean and you could see the confidence rise.

2. Kentucky more than held its own on the glass. They fought for the ball and won a lot of 50/50s. They matched the Bulldogs' effort and even exceeded it at times.

3. The Cats ran some really excellent offense tonight. Mississippi State is on the cusp of a top-25 defensive rating and Kentucky carved them up at times. Of course, it helps to knock down shots. That makes everything look better. But the ball movement and the cuts were impressive. It wasn't perfect but when you shoot nearly 60% from the field for most of the game against that team, on that court, you're running good offense.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

1. We are only three games into SEC play, and it feels like the Wildcats have played two "Instant Classics" with their 106-100 win over Florida and tonight's 95-90 win over Mississippi State. It was nice to see them bounce back from a disappointing performance at Georgia. They needed to "steal" one like this on the road to right the ship. That makes four Top 15 wins for Mark Pope & Co. on the season, the most in the country.

2. Jaxson Robinson was sensational. I think this is the version of Robinson that most fans envisioned when he was UK's top transfer portal target this summer. After a tough night at Georgia, he came out aggressive and delivered a huge 27-point effort. I loved how he was seeking out his shot early and often.

3. Ansley Almonor was the surprise hero tonight, scoring nine of his 11 points in the second half, including a flurry of three 3-pointers late in the second half after MSU had rallied from 14 down to briefly take an 80-78 lead with 8:17 remaining. Almonor hit a 3-pointer to give the Cats the lead back for good, then buried two more for good measure to frustrate the Bulldogs. What a weapon to have from the fourth guy off your bench.

DAVID SISK:

1. This game tells you how much I know. Not only did I pick Mississippi State by five, I projected the point total to be 143. It turned out to be 185. Kentucky won this game playing its style. The physical advantage for the Bulldogs never came to fruition. The pace was frenetic, and there were 72 3-pointers taken. MSU took 40 of them. The game played into Kentucky’s hands.

2. Kentucky made 16 of 32 from the arc. That will be the beauty and the frustration with this team. They are capable of beating anyone, but also prone to lose as a favorite. It depends how the 3-ball is falling. It was falling tonight, and that was with Koby Brea only making one. Jaxson Robinson ended up making six in the first half. Then seldom-used Ansley Almonor struck for three huge ones down the stretch. Mark Pope and the team truly believe in what they are doing.

3. I did like Kentucky’s willingness to scrap against one of the more physical teams in the country. They took one more free throw. The Cats were also plus-eight in the rebound category. Kentucky quietly had 37 points and 22 rebounds from the 4 and 5 spots tonight.