Mark Pope spoke to the media after routing Mississippi State and was much more chipper than on Wednesday when Kentucky crumbled down the stretch against Missouri. There would be no crumbling tonight. Kentucky piled on the Bulldogs in the second half, running away with a 92-68 win. He singled out a pair of Kentucky guards who he said had their "best night."
Jasper Johnson provides a spark off the bench
People had been clamoring to see the rotation change a little bit, and tonight, Jasper Johnson found himself with some playing time. He was +16 in just 10 minutes. Mark Pope noted that "it's time for him to step up."
Why? Well, first, he has a lot of natural talent and a shooting touch that few on the team possess. But more importantly, with Jaland Lowe being uncertain for the rest of the season, Johnson could be in line for a lot more playing time. Mark Pope said Jasper's "force was really good tonight" and that he has some "magic" to his game. That magic led to 5 points on 2-4 shooting for the freshman.
Denzel Aberdeen started to trust the pass
Another big-time moment in the game was when Kentucky finally started trusting the pass. Denzel Aberdeen has consistently struggled when driving to the rim; he often has his eyes on the backboard rather than his teammates.
Not in this game. He drove and began to look for an open teammate. Pope noted Denzel was "patient" and that there is "so much more there for him." He finished with 16 points and 4 assists. Those assists should keep climbing because he finds himself in the paint a lot. You need a guy willing to go in the paint and make plays for his teammates. Without Lowe, Aberdeen has the ability to do so.
Wrapping it up, he said that Aberdeen and Johnson had "by far their best night." Kentucky will need even more of that moving forward.