Three things we learned: UK-Utah Valley

When it comes to Kentucky basketball there's no shortage of opinions from fans and writers.

Here are three takes on what we learned about the 'Cats after a close win in their fourth game of the year.

There's no quick fix for some of the issues ... If you were one of the Kentucky fans who tuned in expecting the Wildcats to let out a week's worth of frustration on an inferior opponent after a humiliating home loss, you might have been surprised at how Monday evening's game played out. UK got the win but it wasn't easy. It was clear early in the game that Kentucky wasn't going to just run Utah Valley out of the gym and then put it on cruise control. While the 'Cats did extend the lead to 14 points at one moment in the second half, this was a close game that probably got a little closer than it should have at the end.

There are reasons that Kentucky followed up an upset loss with a near upset. It's not uncommon for John Calipari teams to struggle early in the season. Immanuel Quickley and E.J. Montgomery were out and that left Kentucky with a short bench. Those issues aren't as concerning in the long run.

There's just no quick fix when you consider some of the offensive issues. Executing a halfcourt offense was less a problem against Utah Valley than it was against Evansville and that's a good thing. But shooting is a real concern and Kentucky is going to have to find a way to forge an identity that doesn't involve being a great or maybe even a very good outside shooting team. That's possible, but there are less paths to being a very good offensive team without the long ball. There are also a number of players on Kentucky's currently short rotation that are still getting their feet wet and appear to be unsure of their role. Patience will be required and success in the short term might need to be judged by things other than margin of victory.

A healthy and confident Ashton Hagans makes a big difference ... Calipari said Hagans wasn't 100-percent in Kentucky's loss to Evansville but he looked a lot better against Utah Valley. That was one of the main differences between the loss and a win.

Hagans put the ball on the floor and got to the rim at will. He missed too many shots around the rim but ultimately shot 50-percent for the game and he made things happen with the ball. He didn't play mistake free (see: six turnovers) but for a team that is struggling offensively, having a point guard making plays and attacking the rim non-stop is much preferred to having him play timid.

The flip side is this: Hagans scored 26 points, was perfect from the foul line, and dished out five assists ... But Kentucky barely escaped.

Nick Richards is getting it done (so far) ... It's easy to point out the plays that don't go well when a man of Richards' size misses shots around the rim, but he was not the reason for Kentucky's close call against Utah Valley. The junior big man played one of his better games in a Kentucky uniform for the second time this year. He has not played perfectly this year, but in four games he's played well three times, only having a down game in the loss to Evansville.

Tonight Richards finished with 21 points (8/11 FG, 5/5 FT) and 10 rebounds. He stayed out of foul trouble and defended the perimeter well at times.

There's still work to do and Richards still has to prove he can sustain this level of play, but three good games in four is a positive.