JUSTIN ROWLAND:

I'm resisting any temptation to draw big picture conclusions after two exhibition games because we've seen how much Calipari teams change over the course of a season, though I will point out this is a much older team. Still, they're just coming together and it's early.

When a team that can defend, like Miles, knocks down shots like that in the first half you just have to take the punch. I don't care that they're called Miles College, you just have to take the punch and hope the odds win and they cool down later. That happened and UK avoided an embarrassing upset.

Put Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington, and Jacob Toppin in the pros column and just about everybody else in the "needs improvement" column. Dontaie Allen was hunting his shot. Kellan Grady did some nice things in the first half. This team is a project defensively and on the glass. But the offense is going to be good enough that I think most of our expectations before exhibition season are still on the table.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

This really didn't play out how anyone imagined it would tonight at Rupp Arena, but I think UK coach John Calipari is going to try to spin it into a positive if it helps get the Cats' attention going into the highly anticipated season opener against Duke on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

We all saw the glaring negative: defending the 3-point arc. The Cats gave up 15 of them, including 11 in the first half. It sounds like the Cats over-compensated for their shaky interior defense in the first exhibition game and paid for it as Miles College came in shooting like the rims were twice their actual size. I can't ever recall any UK opponent being that hot from deep to start a game. The numbers came back to Earth in the second half, but red-hot shooting gave the visitors a huge confidence boost that kept them in the game all night long.

On the positive side, I loved what Sahvir Wheeler brought to the table on both ends of the floor. He sparked the comeback with his aggressive on-ball defense that flustered Miles College ballhandlers all night long. They paid him some big compliments after the game, calling him a "pest" and a "game-changer." Calipari hasn't had that type of guy at the point in recent years. Wheeler, TyTy Washington, and Kellan Grady combined to give UK 43 points in the backcourt, including a combined 8-for-10 effort from the 3-point arc. That looks like an area that will be vastly improved this season.

DAVID SISK:

The SEC Network announce crew called Kentucky's performance Friday night a mixed bag. The 80-71 final score was not what Big Blue Nation wanted or expected, but this was an exhibition which allows John Calipari to find weaknesses and work on them before a Tuesday night clash with Duke. There were plenty of errors to find. Miles College had 46 points in the first half and made 11 of 15 from deep. But on the flip side, after trailing 46-37, Kentucky went on a 26-4 run. The defense was much better and more energetic in the second half until the final few moments.

If there was one player that stood out to me on that end it was Sahvir Wheeler. He hounds the ball handler and disrupts. We don't know exactly what this team is offensively either. They certainly shot the long ball much better. They quietly made 11 of 19 trifectas for 57.9%. But for this offense to click, every player is going to have to be accountable.

The backcourt trio of Ty Ty Washignton, Kellan Grady, and Wheeler was the offense for much of the game. Add Jacob Toppin to that list and the quartet was a combined 22 of 37 for 59.5%. The rest of the team was nine of 26 for just 34.6%. The lack of inside scoring was a particular concern. Oscar Tshiebwe, Damion Collins, and Keion Brooks combined for just 10 points. We don't know what this team is yet. We don't know what they will be after Tuesday night. What we do know is Friday was another early step in a long, long season.