The final exhibition game of the year for Kentucky basketball was a thriller, or as much of a thriller as an exhibition game can be. A buzzer-beater sent the game to overtime, where the Wildcats dominated UCF and won 90-76.
Overall, the jury remains out with many fans as to how this season will go. Many see the defensive prowess they've shown, the solid three-point shooting, and the players still returning from injury, and think the sky is the limit. Some, however, see the slow starts, the turnovers, and the blown lead on Wednesday.
Even critics have to admit that there have been some positives. Against UCF, there were some very good performances. Unfortunately, there were also plenty of things that Mark Pope will want to work on as the regular
season gets ready to begin.
Exhibition wins don't count, but it's nice to get them anyway. The victory over UCF wasn't as impressive as fans would have liked, but there was some good to be found. Here is whose stock is up, and whose is down after the game.
Stock up: Mason Williams
So far, Williams hasn't looked like a freshman. He has looked like Kentucky's best guard in exhibition play, and was key in Wednesday's win. Once again, he was an efficient scorer, posting 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and Pope relied on him late in the game when they needed big plays. He creates offense, dives after loose balls, and is emerging as a go-to player.
Stock down: Free throw shooting
In their first two games, Kentucky shot it pretty well from the charity stripe, but against UCF, it nearly cost them the game. They made just 13-of-21 overall, but two big misses late in regulation by Braydon Hawthorne were costly. He made just 1-of-4 in the game. Mason Williams made just 1-of-3.
Stock up: Braydon Hawthorne
The missed free throws nearly cost Kentucky the game, but overall, Hawthorne's play was tantalizing. He blocked 4 shots, and affected others. He also made two three-pointers, and scored 7 points. If he can continue to improve, he's going to be a key player off the bench.
Stock up: Malachi Moreno
This was the kind of game that everyone expects from Moreno. He nearly recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists. There were a few times he needed to play stronger, and hold onto the ball better, but overall, he was terrific, and controlled the paint.
Stock down: Defensive awareness
Kentucky led by as many as 13 points in regulation, but let UCF storm back, and even take a late lead. A lot of that was because of poor defense. Wildcats defenders got lost on switches, and shooters found themselves wide open from behind the arc.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Stock up, stock down for Kentucky after win over UCF
