You couldn’t have scripted a better test to level set where this Kentucky Wildcats team stood heading into their fifth game of the season.
The Champions Classic always produces a Final Four-like environment,
and who better to challenge the Cats’ toughness than a Tom Izzo-coached Spartan squad? To top it off, the game took place in one of the most historic arenas on the planet, which only tested players’ ability to perform under pressure even further.
Kentucky opened up the contest in decent shape, but any glimmer of positivity quickly evaporated. Michigan State completely blitzed UK in what was one of the more regrettable halves of the Mark Pope era.
The Spartans couldn’t make a shot all season and yet somehow went 7-13 from deep in just 20 minutes against Kentucky. The onslaught was demoralizing and resulted in a 44-27 deficit for UK at the break.
The lack of intensity was evident, and a comeback just wasn’t in the cards. After getting down as many as 19 points, Kentucky managed to cut the lead to ten multiple times, but ultimately never had the fortitude to beat Michigan State tonight.
Even though the calendar has yet to reach Thanksgiving, it felt as if this game had a make-or-break feel in terms of the overall expectations for this team moving forward. It didn’t take long for this one to get out of hand, signaling a real concern for what could be a regrettable season if the Cats can’t figure this out quickly.
The Champions Classic is such a terrific event that unfortunately Kentucky has underperformed in, especially as of late.
MVP
Not an easy night to pick a game MVP. Nobody on the Wildcat roster played particularly well, and Mark Pope struggled to find any lineup that produced success. In a game where the Cats desperately needed some juice, no player on the roster showed any sustained tenacity.
A few notable mentions would be Otega Oweh leading UK in scoring with 12 points on 4/12 shooting to go along with four rebounds.
It was at least good to see a few shots fall for Otega Oweh, but there’s no denying that he still doesn’t look like the same player who dominated college basketball just a year ago. For Kentucky to have any hope of making a run this March, it will have to be Oweh who acts as the catalyst.
Collin Chandler had some great spurts of play but was plagued with foul trouble. He’d finish with 10 points on 4/9 shooting.
Box Score
