| Louisville Courier Journal
Brandon Boston: John Calipari calls for freshman to return to the UK
Could Brandon Boston return to Kentucky for a sophomore season? John Calipari argued how it could work after a victory over South Carolina.
Jon Hale, Louisville Courier Journal
LEXINGTON – Freshman bodyguard Kareem Watkins made his Kentucky basketball debut on Saturday in the final minutes of a burst victory over South Carolina.
This tells you everything you need to know about the boost in morale provided by the Wildcats’ 92-64 victory before a mandatory SEC tournament.
“We were finally able to take a break in the last three minutes and just enjoy the game,” said striker Isaiah Jackson. “I feel this is a good boost for next week. We are just going to go out, try to have fun and keep doing what we are doing.”
UK coach John Calipari said before the game that the goal against the Gamecocks was to gain momentum before the trip to Nashville, where the United Kingdom must win the league’s automatic offer for the NCAA Tournament to compete in the Big Dance on this one. season. It is impossible to know whether that momentum will continue until next week, but Calipari’s team at least completed the first stage of the goal.
Senior guard Davion Mintz took 20 points, 17 of them in the second half, to turn an eight-point lead at halftime into the Wildcats’ biggest margin of victory since the season opened against Morehead State.
Mintz hit five 3s in a 3 1/2 minute stretch at the start of the second half to open the game. Kentucky overcame South Carolina by 39-6 in the 3-point range in the game.
The bank was comfortable enough that Calipari could clean his bench with Riley Welch, Zan Payne, Brennen Canada and Watkins walk-ons, all playing for several minutes.
“We are usually in games like this over the year, where I can play more Zan and I can play more Riley and Brennen and Kareem,” said Calipari. “It is like the first chance they had to play, the last game of the regular season.”
With the victory, Kentucky closes the regular season with a record 9-15 and 8-9 in the SEC game. The Wildcats will open the SEC Tournament game on Thursday as the eighth place in the ranking against the ninth place in Mississippi State. The winner of that game will face SEC champion Alabama in the quarterfinals on Friday.
John Calipari: Egos are “out of the window” in the last effort to prolong Kentucky’s season
In addition to Mintz’s stellar performance, there were several encouraging signs for Kentucky on Saturday if it wants to host a SEC tournament.
Freshman point guard Brandon Boston scored 21 points, the best of the season, scoring only the second time this season that he topped the 20-point threshold. Freshman striker Isaiah Jackson continued his impressive end-of-season wave with his second double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes). Senior striker Olivier Sarr made 6 of 10 shots, and first-year goalkeeper Devin Askew looked better than his recent fall after losing his initial job.
Kentucky recorded 17 assists in 33 baskets and kept South Carolina with 38.2% of shots.
“In the last two games, you have had a chance to win both games,” said Calipari. “If we had done this and hit (them), we would all be saying, ‘Wow’.
“I always come back to when you are on this boat – and it is difficult for young children – you have to take the approach of how I would feel if we had won these two games? Where would my mentality be? It has to be. You have to have this kind of trust. “
Kentucky won the SEC tournament in six of Calipari’s first 10 seasons as a coach – the tournament was canceled last year, before Kentucky played due to the pandemic – and reached the final in eight of those 10 years. However, in the other season of the Calipari era, Kentucky needed to win the SEC tournament to play in the NCAA tournament, lost in its first game in 2013 and ended up at NIT.
Players from Calipari and the UK have preached the mindset one game at a time since it became apparent that they would need to win the league’s automatic bet to play in the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina’s explosion was a positive step in that direction, but the inconsistent record so far will leave those outside the locker room understandably skeptical about whether it really is a sign of a magical week to come.
“Just before we left on a trip like this … it gives us that confidence,” said Mintz. “Still playing in the back, knowing that we are the underdogs and we are chasing and that everyone will give us their best when they play at the University of Kentucky.
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“… Things happen for a reason. If we get a chance to go out there and play for 40 minutes, it’s never too late. So, we’ll see next week. ”
Email Jon Hale at [email protected]; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.