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Kentucky basketball: Oh my God the Wildcats win! UK rallies to down Auburn

By Eric Thorne

Isaiah Jackson of the Kentucky Wildcats. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Isaiah Jackson of the Kentucky Wildcats. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Davion Mintz of the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Wildcat stars of the game

Everyone.

This was a total team effort to pull this win out something this team hasn’t been capable of as individuals or a collective unit.  Normally one or two players missing in action or something breaks down but honestly, there was little to complain about with this effort.

It won’t go down in history for greatness, but this team will always seem to try even if it’s ugly at times.

Calipari will find the negatives, but there were positives as well.

"Then the great news? Davion came back and made that three at the top. That’s a big play for this team and it’s a big play for Davion. BJ is playing so much better. You know why? He’s playing for his team. All the stuff you saw early on, which was like an AAU game, you’re not seeing it now. Now he’s playing for his teammates. And again, a couple rebounds, he and Jacob (Toppin) both and even Keion (Brooks Jr.), a couple rebounds we needed to get. But you know, overall, 15 assists and 13 turnovers, we’re getting closer; last game, 11."

Kentucky has made 24 3-pointers in their last two games which is the most made in consecutive games in the Calipari era with the previous high being 22, accomplished times before.

Jackson was clearly the standout of the game and unbelievable just recorded his first double-double with a career-high 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds.  He racked up 13 of his points in the second half.

If Boston was a consistent game in and game out where would this team be? He had 17 points for the second-consecutive game, including 14 in the second half. The freshman nailed 5 of 8 on threes and was 9 of 13 from long range in the past two games.  That along with three assists and four steals.

He’s the first UK player to hit four or more 3-pointers in consecutive games since Immanuel Quickley had four against Florida on Feb. 22, 2020, and eight at Texas A&M on Feb. 25, 2020.

Boston talked about his floor game and “breaking ankles.”

"“My dribbling, that’s the first thing I ever learned to do when I picked up a basketball is to dribble. I feel like it is something I have been doing throughout my years, just breaking ankles and shooting the three, and I have a lot of confidence in that move right there.”"

Keion Brooks Jr. was solid as usual coming off the bench to get12 points and five rebounds while tying career highs with four assists and two steals. He has scored in double figures in each of the last four games and is averaging 11.6 points per game since returning 10 games ago.

Sarr got off to a very slow start but finished with nine points, including a 3-pointer, and had a season-high four blocked shots. He has made at least one long shot in each of the last four games, totaling 7 of 11 during that span.

Askew seems to always give it his all which you never quite know what that will add up to be, but made few mistakes except a near-fatal one late throwing a backward pass that led to an easy Auburn bucket. He chipped in with nine points, a career-high-tying five rebounds, and four assists, and now has at least four assists in the past four games.

The Wildcats return to action on Wednesday when they tangle with Vanderbilt at 7 pm.

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