Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s win over the Arkansas Razorbacks

Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 63-57 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena.

1. An ugly win is a step forward for this team

Many times in the past, John Calipari said the games he loves the most are the ones in which his team shoots a low percentage but still finds a way to win. Saturday, his Cats missed 15 of their first 16 shots. They wound up shooting 29% the first half and 36.5% for the game. And found a way to win.

Does that qualify?

“When I was younger,” said the UK coach, who turns 65 on Feb. 10. “When I was younger.”

But after losing at South Carolina by 17 points on Tuesday night in a slowdown, physical battle that would age any Kentucky basketball fan, the Cats took a step forward against Arkansas. The nation’s highest-scoring team scored four points in the game’s first 10 minutes, then pulled within two points at the half, then forced Eric Musselman’s Razorbacks to miss 13 of 15 shots down the stretch to pull out the win.

To be sure, Arkansas is not a good basketball team right now. The Razorbacks dropped to 1-6 in the SEC. Before the game it was announced that Devo Davis, a fifth-year player and major cog in past success, had “stepped away from the program.” Musselman looks like a coach at wits’ end with his team.

Still, Bud Walton was packed. And rocking. And the Razorbacks got the Cats to play at Arkansas’ pace. For Kentucky, there will be more of these types of games moving forward. There will almost certainly be at least one of these types of games in the NCAA Tournament. To advance, you have to win playing different styles.

After South Carolina, there was a question as to whether this UK team can do that. Saturday answered that question.

What changed? Calipari said he scrimmaged his team the last two practices, an unusual tactic for the coach this time of year. Reed Sheppard called the practices “very physical.” And Antonio Reeves said the team, especially the younger members of the team, learned a lot from the loss in Columbia. And put it to good use on Saturday.

2. Reed (Sheppard) and (Antonio) Reeves were outstanding

In the 2022-23 regular season finale at Arkansas, Antonio Reeves scored 37 points as the Cats beat the Razorbacks. He didn’t quite match that total this time around, but he wasn’t that far off. On a night when his teammates had trouble putting the ball through the rim, Reeves finished with 24 points on 9-for-20 shooting, including 4-for-8 from 3-point territory.

The super-senior has now scored double figures in nine straight games. He has scored 20 or more points in nine of the Cats’ 19 games. Night after night, game after game, he is easily the team’s most consistent scorer.

Then there’s Reed Sheppard, who played just 15 minutes in the loss at South Carolina. That was unusual. He scored just three points. That was unusual. And he did not have an assist. That was very unusual.

Saturday, the freshman sensation was back to himself. The 6-foot-3 guard finished with 14 points, four rebounds, five assists, just one turnover and four steals. Those four steals were huge. In fact, it was a Sheppard steal-and-slam that gave UK’s first lead of the entire game at 38-37 with 12:56 remaining.

“That’s what his mother did,” repeated Calipari in a line he’s used all season, giving praise to Stacey Reed, while needling Sheppard’s father. “All Jeff did was shoot.”

3. Repeating: Ugonna Onyenso will be a key to this team

Late in the game, when Calipari took sophomore center Ugonna Onyenso out of the game, the UK coach greeted Ugo with “I’m so proud of you” while giving the 7-footer a hug.

“Ugo was the difference in the game,” Calipari said.

Why and why the hug?

“I like what he’s been through,” Calipari said after Onyenso. “The foot (injury), having to wait his turn, fighting for what you want. I keep telling him the rest of his basketball life, nothing will be given to you. You either take it or someone will take it from you.”

Before he got hurt at the beginning of UK’s trip to Canada, I wrote that Onyenso would be a key to this team. The injury obviously set him back. And he’s obviously still raw in a lot of areas. Still, he has a world of potential.

Saturday, he finished with six points, four rebounds and three blocked shots in a season-high 25 minutes. His plus/minus was a team-high plus-14.

“He was incredible,” Reeves said. “Ugo has definitely gotten better. He’s reading plays. One time, on a give-and-go to me, he tried to give the ball to me, (instead) he faked it and dunked the ball. Tough plays like that we need out there.”

Kentucky’s offense looks bad again, but it was good enough to beat struggling Arkansas

Box score from No. 6 Kentucky basketball’s 63-57 SEC win at Arkansas

Shot charts from No. 6 Kentucky basketball’s 63-57 win at Arkansas

John Calipari shakes up Kentucky starting lineup. Justin Edwards will come off the bench.