Kentucky was punched in the mouth early by Auburn on Saturday but the Wildcats pounced back and held on for a characteristically close victory.
Here are CI's game grades for every Wildcat who saw the court in the game.
| Player | Grade | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
Ashton Hagans | C- | Hagans only had one turnover and if you had told UK fans that before the game they probably would have been thrilled. The problem? He was 2/13 from the field and didn't shoot a single free throw. His 5-to-1 assist to turnover ratio is something to build on and important because nobody shoots 2/13 often. But had even just two or three more of those many misses gone in, this game is more comfortable for the 'Cats. There is probably no reason normally for Hagans to attempt 13 field goals except Quickley was also cold and Richards was often out. |
Immanuel Quickley | A | We should be expecting anything less from the SEC's best player. How many other players in college basketball could turn a 3/10 shooting day as an off the ball guard into 18 points and 12 rebounds. He has this undeniable knack for understanding how he needs to tweak what he's doing each game to adjust for what's not working and what defenses are giving him. |
Tyrese Maxey | A- | Maxey doesn't need to shoot a high percentage from the field. He didn't (5/13), and that's okay because he chipped in with seven boards, four assists, and only turned it over once. UK's freshman guard scored 17 points. This was pretty much a standard game for what has been a much improved second half of the season for Maxey. |
Johnny Juzang | C | Juzang is the hardest player to grade game in and game out because he has been the opposite of a stat sheet stuffer. He doesn't turn the ball over and he hasn't been missing a lot of shots in any given game but he also doesn't rebound, assist, block or steal much. You can only look at his defense, passing, and whether he made smart decisions. "C" is just a standard grade but perhaps misleading because it's more of a default, close to N/A, than actually indicative of anything good or bad. Juzang played eight minutes. |
Keion Brooks | B | Four points (2/3 FG) and three rebounds is a solid chip-in effort for Keion Brooks. Kentucky was +3 in his 13 minutes. |
Nate Sestina | A- | It wasn't Sestina's season high but if you could lock him in for 11 points (4/6 FG) in 19 minutes you would take that every time. His lone three-pointer was a very timely shot in the first half to help stunt Auburn's momentum and spark Kentucky's comeback. With his frontcourt mates combining for less than usual, Sestina's contributions were essential to UK emerging victorious. This A- is admittedly shaped by expectations for him. He was better and more important than usual. |
EJ Montgomery | B- | Montgomery only scored five points in 31 minutes but that is not uncommon as UK's fifth or sixth scoring option. He grabbed six rebounds. |
Nick Richards | B- | When Richards played, he was effective. He almost always is, though the numbers will vary from game to game. He's become one of the most consistently solid big men in America. The problem Saturday: Fouls. Two early in the game and four total kept him off the court for more than half the contest. UK was fortunate to survive with him on the bench for so long. |
