NASHVILLE, Tenn. — John Calipari understood it hadn’t been easy for Dominique Hawkins the past four years.

Buried behind a plethora of talented guards during his Kentucky career, Hawkins has watched from the bench as 10 of his teammates left for the NBA. Three more on this year’s team could also be drafted.

Hawkins has never been the first option at guard during his career. But in his senior season, during the SEC championship game, Hawkins played his best game yet in a Wildcat uniform. He scored a career-best 14 points, gathered four steals during 27 minutes of action and brought the crowd to life with his defensive energy during Kentucky’s 82-65 win.

“I'm just so happy,” Calipari said after the game. “I mean, here's a young man that waited his turn. It’s hard to do these days.”

Hawkins and fellow senior Derek Willis are two Kentucky-born kids who have earned key roles during their senior season. That was never more apparent than on Sunday, when Hawkins and Willis hit back-to-back three-pointers late in the first half to push Kentucky’s lead to double-digits. Kentucky pushed the lead from six points to 12 in the final minutes without a single freshman on the floor.

“Late in the season, it's almost like you're waiting to put him in the game,” Calipari said. “Like something has to happen so you can hurry up and put him in. His energy level, his aggressiveness.”

His teammates have taken notice. De’Aaron Fox -- who was named SEC Tournament MVP after averaging 22 points in three games -- said Hawkins proved during this tournament that he deserves to be on the national stage.

“Today he had 4 steals and yesterday we talked about the guys he's had to guard over the years,” Fox said. “That's just made him better. Just coming in to practice every day, he's better.”

With the win, Kentucky has now won three straight SEC Tournament titles. But never has Hawkins played such a large role on a championship team. In last season’s SEC title win over Texas A&M, Hawkins played just one minute.

“This tournament means a lot to me,” Hawkins said. “Been here for all four years to the finals of each four years as well, but I never had a game like I did today. I felt I took advantage of my playing time today.”

The end goal, has it been every season for Hawkins, is to win the national championship. He played significant minutes during Kentucky’s 2014 national runner-up team and virtually no role during the 2015 Final Four season. Both times the season ended in heartbreaking defeat.

If Kentucky is to get over the hump and win its ninth national championship, Hawkins will surely be one of the key reasons why.