Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s comeback win over the Georgia Bulldogs

Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 85-71 win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.

1. It was Late Night with Oscar Tshiebwe

Welcome back, Oscar Tshiebwe. Through the first two months of this college basketball season, Kentucky basketball’s reigning national player of the year had been good but not quite great. After preseason knee surgery, he was jumping but not quite as high. He was playing but not quite as hard. He was producing but not quite to the same level as his ridiculous 2021-22.

And then came Tuesday. Especially for the final 20 minutes, UK’s 6-foot-9 forward put his team on his back and carried it home. With Kentucky trailing visiting Georgia 42-34 at the break, Tshiebwe scored the Wildcats’ first nine points of the second stanza. He finished the game with a jaw-dropping 37 points and 24 rebounds; the second half with 23 and 15.

“Oscar was a video game,” UK Coach John Calipari said afterward.

Oscar was also apologetic for his words just a week ago, when in the postgame interviews after the 71-68 home loss to South Carolina he called out his teammates for a lack of “fight,” without really realizing he was calling out his teammates.

“He speaks six languages,” Calipari said on Tuesday, “but English is probably the sixth.”

Apology accepted. Message accepted.

Said Tshiebwe on his terrific Tuesday, “Now I’m back.”

2. Kentucky’s defensive effort was key to the second half

More often than not, comebacks start on the defensive end. And after going 0-6 so far this season when trailing at the break, the Cats turned that stat around by turning their defensive effort around in the second half.

“The first half they were beating us off the bounce,” Calipari said.

You bet they were. First half, the visitors shot 55.6 percent. The Bulldogs went 15 of 27 from the floor, including 4 of 11 from three-point range on the way to averaging 1.225 points per possession. Terry Roberts, the Bradley transfer, led Mike White’s team with 13 points at the break.

Second half, Georgia was just 9 of 25 from the floor for 36.0 percent. The Dawgs made just three of nine shots and turned shaky at the foul line, making but eight of 15 free throws. They averaged just 0.803 points per possession. Roberts ended up with 21 points.

“I’d say just sticking with the scheme,” UK guard Cason Wallace said when asked about the turnaround. “We were kind of lacking on that part little bit, but we thought about locking in on that and slowing them down a little bit.”

Outscored 42-34 the first 20 minutes, Kentucky outscored Georgia 51-29 the final 20 minutes. That’s a turnaround. And a comeback.

3. Kentucky now has a bit of momentum

Kentucky’s 63-56 win at then fifth-ranked Tennessee last Saturday was impressive, but it was also one game. One of one. Calipari had told his team after the South Carolina loss that they needed to stack winning days and winning games. One game does not a winning streak make.

For the first 20 minutes Tuesday, the Cats appeared ready to squander the momentum earned in Knoxville. Georgia led 7-2 early, then 25-17 with 7:17 left in the first half and by eight points at the break. Sitting 3-1 in the SEC, the Bulldogs appeared fully capable of winning their first game at Rupp since 2009.

Thanks in large part to Tshiebwe’s heroics, Calipari’s club reversed course the second half to improve to 12-6 overall and 3-3 in the SEC. A two-game win streak might not sound like much, especially for a program so rich with tradition, but this particular team in this particular season is in a much different place than it was just one week ago.

“There’s a different vibe now,” Wallace said.

“I was scared to death of this game because (Georgia) can beat you seven different ways,” Calipari said afterward.

He also said this: “I told the team, ‘When are you guys gonna start believing what I’m telling you?’”

Surely they believe a little more now. What a difference a week makes.

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