Kentucky dropped a close game to Ohio State in Las Vegas, 71-65, and some of John Calipari's players performed at a higher level than others.
Here's Cats Illustrated's report card with game grades for every Wildcat who saw the court.
| Player | Grade | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
Ashton Hagans | A | Kentucky's best player for the season was Kentucky's best player on Saturday. Hagans gave the 'Cats 14 points (5/10 FG) and nine assists with three steals. His on-ball defense is the best thing the Wildcats have going for them and he got tough baskets against a stingy Buckeye defense. |
Immanuel Quickley | C+ | Quickley got some tough baskets to keep Kentucky in the game at one point but finished just 4/11 from the field with three rebounds and two assists. It was neither his best nor his worst game. |
Tyrese Maxey | C+ | Maxey hit a big three-pointer in the second half but missed his other five attempts from beyond the arc. He's now shooting about 20-percent from outside on the season. Maxey had 15 points, second-best on the team, to go with six boards and three assists, but he committed five fouls and turned it over three times. He was 5/13 from the field. |
Keion Brooks | D | Brooks just didn't give Kentucky much against the Buckeyes. In only nine minutes of action he was 0/3 from the field and he had a single rebound. He did have two blocks but is not doing enough to earn consistent minutes. |
Kahlil Whitney | F | He struggled mightily once again and only saw 11 minutes. Whitney looked lost at times when he was on the court. He took a very ill-advised three-pointer at an important moment in the second half and had two points (1/3 FG) with one rebound. |
Johnny Juzang | D | Juzang was poor defensively, seemingly unable to stay in front of Buckeye guards when defending the perimeter. That put a strain on UK's defense at the rim. In eight minutes he was 1/3 from the floor with two points and three rebounds. |
Nate Sestina | A | The only gripe about Sestina in this game would be the four rebounds in 32 minutes. Ideally, that number would be higher and it's one reason UK struggled on the glass. But Sestina hit five three-pointers and without his long-range proficiency this would not have been a close game. His 17 points were a major step forward, especially for a player who many believed wouldn't be back in action yet at this point. UK needs a lot more of that moving forward. |
EJ Montgomery | D | Montgomery struggled on both ends of the court against Ohio State's mature, physical front line. In 27 minutes he scored four points (2/4 FG) and had five rebounds. |
Nick Richards | F | Richards had zero rebounds and was only able to stay on the court for 12 minutes because of foul trouble, although the second whistle against him appeared to be a tough break. |
