CLEVELAND – On Oct. 17 UK head coach John Calipari stood before a rowdy crowd of UK fans and spoke four simple words before dropping the mic at Big Blue Madness.”Enough talking, let’s ball!” he said.Over five months later, those same four words would have been quite applicable.After Wednesday’s media opportunities, many of the stories centered on Mountaineers’ freshman guard Daxter Miles Jr.’s comments in which he said the Cats would be 36-1 and that he didn’t think they played hard.Instead of biting at the bait, UK simply listened, and on Thursday night the Mountaineers heard plenty as the top-seeded Wildcats put together as impressive a performance as they’ve had all season in doubling up West Virginia 78-39 to advance to the Elite Eight.”I was really pleased with the energy of our team,” Coach Cal said. “I was pleased with how zoned in they were.”Oh, there was no need to worry about the Cats being zoned in for this game. They say to never poke a sleeping bear. In spite of the difference in species, the same concept applies to this group of Wildcats. When they hear chatter, they may stay quiet, but they listen and they remember. After Thursday’s win in which UK (37-0) became the first team in Sweet 16 history to double up its opponent, a lot of folks will remember.”I don’t know why they would do that at all,” sophomore guard Aaron Harrison said, who hit each of his first four shots in the game. “I guess they woke us up.”We were super motivated. … That (talk) was fuel to the fire. And we just wanted to go out there and make a statement to them and the rest of the country.”Mission accomplished.It wasn’t the first time a team has chosen to talk a bit of trash to Kentucky before facing the undefeated squad though. Arkansas twice talked to Kentucky this season. The end results were a 17-point victory at Rupp Arena in which the Cats once led by 31, and a 15-point victory in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship in which the Cats had led by 21. UK never trailed in any of the three games, including Thursday’s romp.”I think you could probably sneak up on us if you didn’t talk anything before,” junior forward Willie Cauley-Stein said.Which brings up the season-long question yet again: How do you beat Kentucky? Perhaps a start is to not say anything whatsoever to the Cats prior to tipoff.”If they didn’t do that you’re probably just going to coast into the game and not really be focused on it,” Cauley-Stein said. “You’re just going to let it come to you. But when you hear that type of stuff you’re focused for the whole preparation. All the hard practices you’re thinking of that type of stuff. That’s what gets you going, especially this team. We have a bunch of competitive dudes so you hear that type of stuff and you’re like, ‘Nah, we have to show them who they are and what they are.’ “One of the strategies thrown out by many, and predicted by some in the media to be successful, was West Virginia’s press. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, the famed “Press Virginia” appeared to look more stressed with UK scoring quickly and easily (UK shot 60.9 percent in the first half).And again, the doubt of how Kentucky’s guards would handle the WVU press was another source of motivation for Aaron Harrison and others.”We consider ourselves the best guards in the country and for a team to say they can press us and we won’t be able to pass the ball and things like that, we thought that was really dumb and ridiculous,” Aaron Harrison said.”I hope not,” Cauley-Stein said when asked if he thinks this will put to rest the notion that UK struggles when facing the press. “I hope teams continue to press us.”The Cats used the Mountaineers’ talk not only in the game, but in their preparation as well.”I knew it was going to be like this,” Ulis said. “We’ve been talking about it all day.”The Cats scored 18 of the game’s first 20 points and held the Mountaineers scoreless for nearly seven minutes as West Virginia didn’t connect on its second field goal of the game until eight minutes and 42 seconds had elapsed. By halftime, UK led 44-18, marking the lowest point total by the Mountaineers all season.Instead of easing its foot off the gas – or throat, as UK referred to it – Kentucky remained focused and only added to its record-breaking performance in the second half by not allowing a West Virginia field goal for the opening 8:18.”That was up there with like the Kansas game and the UCLA game where we came out and tried to put our foot on their throat and just keep going,” freshman guard Tyler Ulis said.But was it the most impressive performance of the season? Cauley-Stein said it may still be too early to say.”Could be,” said Cauley-Stein, who finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal. “I mean, we still have some games left.”