Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at Ole Miss
One of the signs of a championship team is not allowing one loss to turn into two (or more) losses. No. 14 Kentucky has had a lot of success this season in avoiding losing streaks.
The Cats are 15-6 this season and are 4-1 in games following a loss. UK has lost two in a row just once this season, falling to Alabama then Vanderbilt. However, after every other loss this season, Kentucky has won the following game.
UK hopes that trend continues on Tuesday night. The Cats lost to Arkansas 89-79 on Saturday night and now face a road test at No. 25 Ole Miss on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). Forward Andrew Carr thinks both his teammates and his coaches deserve praise for helping this team prevent losing streaks.
“That’s a credit to the players we have and the experience we have but also the coaching staff,” Carr said. “We have done a great job so far this year about trying to turn the page and understand that it’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems. You go through so many different emotions throughout a season. We feel like we know how good we are, regardless of how it goes. At this point, we’ve just got to continue to get better and we know that. I feel like we’ve been able to grow throughout the year and really focus in on things we want to do. I feel like that’s why we’ve been able to respond game after game so far this year. And we’re excited to do so again on Tuesday.”
The Cats will face an Ole Miss team that is 16-6 on the season. The Rebels, like every team in the Southeastern Conference, have faced a brutal schedule. Since beating then-No. 4 Alabama on Jan. 14, Ole Miss has lost four of five games, with all four losses coming to ranked teams. Most recently, the Rebels fell to No. 1 Auburn 92-82 on Saturday in Oxford.
Kentucky has started its initial scout on Ole Miss and Carr has been impressed with what the Rebels do on both ends of the floor.
“They’re a super talented team,” Carr said. “Their defense is a little unorthodox. They switch everything and are super aggressive to the basketball. A little unpredictable. Offensively, they’re one of the better iso-type of teams we’ve played against. It’s going to be a big test for us.”
The Cats have battled through some injury issues this season, including Carr who has been dealing with back troubles. After missing one game entirely, in addition to parts of others, Carr believes he is past the worst of his ailments.
“It was certainly a tough stretch for me for a little bit,” Carr said. “I spent a lot of time with our trainers and I’ve been able to recover and stabilize a little bit and feel a whole lot better. I’m in a good spot.”
Having a healthier Carr on the floor adds another piece of the puzzle for the Cats as they face yet another ranked opponent on Tuesday night.
Kentucky Falls to Arkansas
Amari Williams scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but No. 12 Kentucky lost to Arkansas, 89-79, on Saturday at Rupp Arena.
Jaxson Robinson had 20 points for the Cats while Ansley Almonor had 12. Otega Oweh added 10 points for UK.
Kentucky made 10 of 23 from beyond the arc, while Arkansas made 13 of 25 from distance, the Razorbacks’ second most made 3s in a game this season.
The Wildcats led for the majority of the first half, but a late Arkansas push sent the Razorbacks to the locker room with a one-point edge, 46-45.
Arkansas opened the second-half on a 12-2 run and UK could get no closer than six the rest of the way.
Some additional notes from the game:
• Kentucky had two players with at least 20 points for the second time this season, first time since the Jackson State game
• Wildcats played without starting point guard Lamont Butler for the second consecutive game
• Amari Williams posted his sixth double-double of the season and fourth in the last six games
• With 22 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, Williams is the first UK player to lead the team in all three categories in the same game this season. He also shared team lead with one steal
• Jaxson Robinson was 4 of 6 from deep, and has now made at least three triples in six straight games
• Ansley Almonor scored a season-high 12 points for the third game in a row
• Otega Oweh has scored in double figures in every game this season
“Ans”-wering The Call
Injuries to several Kentucky starters have presented the opportunity for others to step in and fill the void. No one has done so better than senior transfer, Ansley Almonor.
In Kentucky’s eight games from Dec. 3 to Jan. 7, Almonor played no more than 17 minutes in any contest and scored no more than six points.
In the six games since, the Spring Valley, New York, native has averaged 21.9 minutes per game and 10.5 points. He is 17-28 from 3-point range during this span, good for 60.7 percent. Almonor has started the last three games for the Cats and knocked down at least three triples in each of his starts.
