Shhhai: Gilgeous-Alexander Has Every Answer vs. Buffalo
BOISE, Idaho – It was a vintage game for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, save for one moment.
The freshman point guard seemed to have the ball on a string from start to finish. He kept Buffalo defenders on their heels with deft changes in direction and dizzying spin moves while drilling the occasional jumper on the rare occasions he wasn’t getting to the basket at will.
Still, there was that one moment.
It came with 6:54 left in the first half, just as Buffalo mounted a run to close a double-digit UK lead to five points. The 3-pointer Gilgeous-Alexander hit was characteristic, but his reaction was not.
Gilgeous-Alexander, sensing the gravity of the moment, put his index finger to his mouth in a “shhh” gesture. It was hardly an outburst by anyone else’s standards, but it was notable coming from the cool, reserved Canadian.
“I knew before the game the crowd was against us,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They were cheering for the underdogs and they had gone on a little run. The crowd was screaming. They were hollering. It was the loudest I heard it all game. And then the next play, I came down and hit a 3, I think, and I just silenced the crowd and I let them know that I silenced them.”
Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t show much of a reaction at all to any of his other big plays, but it wasn’t for lack of opportunity. He was nearly perfect from the field as fifth-seeded UK (26-10) closed strong and downed No. 13 Buffalo (27-9), 95-75, scoring 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting and adding six rebounds, six assists and two steals.
“We needed somebody to step up and he was somebody who stepped up,” Kevin Knox said. “He did a really good job of getting to the basket, getting everybody involved and he’s one of the best point guards in the country. I’m proud of him, the way he’s grown throughout the year. He led us to the Sweet 16 today.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, back to his normal self, was more measured in assessing his play.
“I played alright,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I had a little bit too many turnovers in the end when we were trying to pull away with the lead. I played alright.”
The coach whose defense Gilgeous-Alexander had just shredded was more effusive in his praise.
“I told the guys, there’s a reason this guy is projected to be a lottery pick,” Buffalo’s Nate Oats said. “He’s the best point guard we’ve seen all year. He passes it, scores it, he’s 6-6, he’s long.
“He gets open. And then he gets it. I saw some teams try to trap him; he throws over the trap, they dunk it. He throws it, they dunk it. He finishes at the rim. We really didn’t have an answer for him tonight, that was a major problem for us tonight defensively.”
Buffalo isn’t the only team for whom Gilgeous-Alexander has been a problem. Over his last nine games, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 15 points each time out, averaging 19.6 points and 6.9 assists. He has always been a tough matchup, but he has now become a nightmare.
“I watched a lot of film,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I was really taking what Coach was asking of me, what this team needed me to do. I just tackled it. Once I cleared that role out and stuff like that, I worked on my game and got better every day.”
John Calipari has praised Gilgeous-Alexander frequently for the tone he set by beginning an early-morning workout regimen in December. The impact that’s had on his team can’t be overstated, but it’s made an even bigger impact on his own game.
“Once you work hard and build your own confidence, you’ll perform in the game and confidence continues,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s what’s happening.”
That confidence shone through with that “shhh.”
“This whole group is a bunch of competitors, we go after it every day in practice,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We love proving people wrong, and that’s what we did today.”
