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basketball Edit

Report Card

UK Athletics
UK Athletics

Cats Illustrated game grades for Kentucky players based on performances against Alabama on Tuesday night can be found below.

It was Kentucky's worst loss to Alabama in Rupp Arena so the marks are down a lot from the Florida game.

Davion Mintz

Mintz brought the same attacking style he has become known for but was only 2/10 from the field for a very inefficient five points. He did have five rebounds while turning it over only one time but this was one of his worst games of the season.

Grade: D

Devin Askew

Askew kept Kentucky alive early in the game when Alabama was surging out in front after the opening tip, scoring the Cats' first six points of the game. He finished with 12 points (4/9 FG) and so slowed down. Askew played a team-high 36 minutes and will probably be one of the players who Calipari looks to as he tries to find guys who will "fight", but he turned it over three times as well.

Grade: C

B.J. Boston

Kentucky was outscored by 23 points in Boston's 25 minutes, the worst number on the team. He's not shooting and forcing as much of his own action as he was (2/7 FG) but he's also got limited value when he's not scoring. He did have five boards and only one turnover but continues to struggle mightily.

Grade: D

Dontaie Allen

Kentucky made up some ground when Allen was in the game in the first half. Then when he was substituted out the wheels started to come off and the 'Cats never really got on track. He was responsible for two of Kentucky's four three-point makes and had eight points in only 24 minutes. Allen's six rebounds continued a trend of him doing well on the glass. That was tied for the team lead. This was a tougher team for him to defend. He also had four turnovers, most on the team.

Grade: C-

Jacob Toppin

Toppin again flashed some potential that is beyond what most early reports after his transfer suggested he might possess. He tied for the team lead with six rebounds and scored five points, also chipping in a block and a steal.

Grade: B-

Keion Brooks

This was not the Florida game for Brooks. He forced too much action that didn't amount to much good. Brooks did score 10 points but he was 4/12 from the field, only had four rebounds, and turned it over three times. He struggled to seal on the block. It seemed like a frustrating performance.

Grade: D+

Isaiah Jackson

Talk about an active performance. Jackson stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points on an ultra-efficient 3/5 FG (8/10 FT) with six rebounds (three offensive), a whopping seven blocks, and two steals.

While Calipari said he wished he had played Lance Ware, Kentucky was only -4 in Jackson's 23 minutes. He was the biggest difference-maker on Tuesday.

Grade: A

Olivier Sarr

For a player who had started to round into more of the form everyone expected when he came from Wake Forest, this was a step back. Six points and surprisingly only 1/4 FG. He did get to the line better than in many other games. Alabama defended Sarr well in the post. Like Brooks, he struggled to establish the position that makes good entry passes easy, and his teammates making the passes also didn't help much.

Grade: D

Coaching

After the game Calipari admitted he wished he had put Lance Ware on the court. At times it seems like he forgets certain players are on the bench during game time. Calipari and staff did not have any answers for the Crimson Tide, which played a much more cohesive and orchestrated brand of basketball than what Kentucky did on offense.

Coaching: F

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