Kentucky Wildcats vs. Kansas Jayhawks is all you need to hear to know that this was a big-time matchup. Each team came in looking to make a statement, but it was Kentucky that walked away with the win. From the tip, both teams came out playing strong defense and made life hard on the offensive end of the floor, as it was 4-4 at the first media timeout. The Cats settled down and started running their offense, which led to a lot of open looks. Unfortunately, they just weren’t making them. Kansas started heating up and had built a 10-point lead, 16-6, with just under 10 minutes left in the half. Thankfully, Kentucky has a guy on the team named Reid Travis, and he came ready to play. He fueled the Cats’ comeback as they quickly made it a 20-17 ballgame. Each team would make their runs to close out the half, but the Cats would head to the break down 33-30. After the break, Kentucky came out and just like they have done the previous two games; they had a burst to start the half as quickly took a 35-33 lead. The Cats in the second half were much better offensively and seemed to be under control, whereas in the first half, they seemed to be rushing themselves. That flow allowed them to build up a 52-44 lead. Kansas kept battling, and with just under eight minutes left, they hit a three-ball to make it a three-point game, 52-49. But Kentucky closed out the game strong and never let Kansas any closer, as the Cats got a 71-63 victory. Thoughts on the game Reid Travis was the spark Early in the season, Travis was the reason we were winning games with his consistent play night in and night out. However, once SEC play started, Travis struggled with the length on the bigs he was matched up with. In this one, he wasn’t facing the length SEC bigs have,and he took advantage of it as he finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds (7 offensive rebounds). When Kentucky went down 10 early, he came in and made huge plays to spark to Cats. Travis also made a huge impact on defense, as he kept Dedric Lawson from taking over the game. Lawson is Kansas’ go-to guy, and he did get 20 in this one, but he did so on 7/18 shooting with one turnover and four fouls. Travis did better defensively than most expected him to do in this matchup. PJ Washington continues his hot streak The last eight days have seen three of the best performances in the career of PJ Washington as he was a dominant force at Auburn, backed it up against Mississippi State, then dominated again when Kentucky needed every bit of it vs Kansas. PJ finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks, an assist, and a steal. He was locked in from the start and was able to take advantage of the much smaller defenders he was matched up with. PJ Washington is the first Kentucky player with at least 20 points and 13 rebounds in a win against an opponent ranked in the Top 10 of the AP Poll since Michael Kidd-Gilchrist vs. #4 Louisville on December 31st, 2011 — Corey Price (@coreyp08) January 27, 2019 If this is the PJ that UK gets the rest of the year, look out. Keldon Johnson showed up in the second half The first half for Johnson was not his best performance but he came back out in the second half looking to make an impact. And that’s exactly what he did. He made big plays all throughout the second half, including 3/3 shooting from deep, including the dagger with three minutes left. Johnson finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, joining Reid Travis and PJ Washington with a double-double. This was the first time that three players on Kentucky recorded a double-double since DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, and John Wall did it. Ashton Hagans continues to gain confidence We all know just how good Hagans has been on the defensive end of the floor, and he continued that vs. Kansas, as he came up with three steals and made life hard or the Kansas guards. However, Hagans is starting to look for his shot more and more and in this one he had 12 points to go along with eight assists and some of his points came in different ways. Ashton Hagans is the first Kentucky player with at least 12 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals in a win against an opponent ranked in the Top 10 of the AP Poll since John Wall vs. #10 North Carolina on December 5th, 2009 — Corey Price (@coreyp08) January 27, 2019 He still got to the rim and made free throws, but he also knocked down a big three and hit a nice step back jumper late in the shot clock. If he continues to improve his shot, he will be almost impossible to stop. Tyler Herro impacted the game in other ways Herro has been one of UK’s better scorers over the last several games, but in this one,his shots weren’t falling, which happens to everyone. However, not everyone does what he did, and that is impact the game in other ways. He was able to hold LaGerald Vick, arguably the best scorer Kansas, has to 10 points, and six of those came in the last minute on desperation threes. Herro locked him up for 40 minutes. Herro also crashed the glass as he came down with 5 rebounds. He was also getting the ball to his teammates in position to score, as he accounted for five assists. A very solid performance by Herro, even though his shots weren’t falling. Where was the bench? Recently, the team has been getting very solid production from the bench. But not in this one, at least on the offensive end. Aside from the five blocks by Nick Richards, the bench gave the Cats nothing on offense.<doc-sep>No. 8 Kentucky overcame a 3-point halftime deficit and outscored Kansas by double digits in the second half of Saturday's marquee SEC/Big 12 Challenge game to score a 71-63 win over the ninth-ranked Jayhawks. Kansas (16-4) started fast and Kentucky (16-3) started slow, which led to KU building a double digit lead early on in the first half. But as the Wildcats struggled to create offense, veteran Reid Travis came alive and willed his team to wake up, grabbing layups, smashing dunks and giving UK life it lacked but so desperately needed. In the second half it was back-and-forth, with Kansas riding Dedric Lawson to a tussle. But the Jayhawks didn't get much help elsewhere, as senior Lagerald Vick, who finished with 10 points, was mostly quiet down the stretch. PJ Washington led the Wildcats with 20 points and Reid Travis, Keldon Johnson and Ashton Hagans finished in double figures. All the more impressive for Kentucky is that it did not shoot the ball particularly well. Kansas outshot the Wildcats from deep, making 9-of-23 attempts to Kentucky's 4-of-18 from 3-point range, but UK manhandled its way to a win. It outrebounded the Jayhawks 50-33, outscored them in the paint 38-20, and collected a bonus 18 points off second-chance opportunities that ultimately provided the difference in the game. The game itself was a bit of a microcosm of the season -- for both programs. Kansas began its season by winning 10-straight and looking every bit the caliber of its preseason No. 1 billing. The Jayhawks have faded since, however, losing four of their last 10. An injury to big man Udoka Azubuike, the lack of production from the center position, and lack of consistent 3-point shooting has caught up to Bill Self's squad. Kentucky has taken quite an opposite path, much like it did on Saturday. It started slow -- losing to Duke to open the season and getting off to a 10-3 start overall -- but has since surged. It has now won six straight on the season dating back to Jan. 8, and whatever proverbial corner people often reference when talking about teams improving has seemingly been turned for John Calipari's Kentucky team. We suspected as much this past week with wins over ranked Auburn and ranked Mississippi State, but a decisive victory over KU could prove to be an inflection point of when things started trending upwards. "We are getting better," Calipari said. "We're taking that gradual climb." If you're having trouble viewing the updates, click here.<doc-sep>Kentucky and Kansas basketball entered Saturday night's top 10 matchup as the two winningest programs in college basketball history. Add one more to the Wildcats' total. No. 8 Kentucky pulled away in the second half to down No. 9 Kansas 71-63 at Rupp Arena. Three Wildcats (Reid Travis, 18; PJ Washington, 16 and Keldon Johnson, 15) finished with double-figure points as Kentucky won its sixth straight game. FINAL STATS: No. 8 Kentucky 71, Kansas 63 For Kansas, player of the year candidate Dedric Lawson led the way with 17 points — but it came on 6-of-16 shooting. Both teams came out of the gates slow and shot less than 40 percent from the field for the game. The Wildcats jolted ahead for good behind a 22-10 run right out of halftime, and they finished 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the final two minutes to clinch the victory. Follow along below for the full in-game recap of Saturday night's blueblood battle between Kentucky and Kansas: Kentucky-Kansas: STAT PREVIEW Kentucky Kansas Record 15-3 16-3 AP Rank 8 9 Points per game 80 78.1 Opponent points per game 67.5 70.2 Strength of schedule rank 34 1 Field goal percentage 48.6 48.1 3-point percentage 35.7 35.6 Rebounds per game 38.4 38.2 Assists per game 14.3 13.9 Steals per game 6.9 7.4 Turnovers per game 13.7 13.2 Kentucky Kansas preview, prediction, keys to the game Can Kansas get Kentucky off the glass? Kentucky is one of the best teams in the country on the boards. The Wildcats are the fifth-best team in the nation in total rebound percentage, collecting 57.1 percent of all available rebounds. They’re also the ninth-best team in offensive rebound percentage at 37.9 percent. If that weren’t enough, Kentucky has held opponents to 28.9 total rebounds per game — the third lowest amount in Division I. Kentucky defeats Auburn, 82-80 Kansas is quite a bit behind, with a total rebound percentage of 51.6 (ranked 130 in the country) and an offensive rebound percentage of 29.2 (ranked 163). Without Udoka Azubuike and his 6.8 rebounds per game (second on Kansas only to Dedric Lawson), that problem is only exacerbated. Since the Jayhawks have the 114th-best offensive rating in the country — they average just 107.5 points per 100 possessions — they can’t allow the Wildcats to dominate on the boards, or a lack of possessions will come back to haunt them. Kentucky needs to limit fouls The Wildcats average 16.2 fouls per game, which is the 43rd-lowest in the country. Yet against Duke, they racked up 25, and against Seton Hall, they had 21. It’s no surprise that the Wildcats lost both matchups. Duke had 28 points from free throws against Kentucky, while 24 Seton Hall had 24 of its 84 points come from the line. There’s a bit more of a margin of error for this against Kansas, which shoots 64.2 percent from the line (266th in the country), but if you put any team on the line 20+ times, they’re bound to make you pay. Tennessee tops Andy Katz's Power 36 3-pointers will be sparse (but key) When looking at 3-point attempt rate (what percentage of field goal attempts are 3-pointers), Kansas ranked 314th at 32.6 percent, and Kentucky ranks 340th at 29.9 percent. Combined, the two teams have only taken 676 3-pointers this season. Savannah State leads Division I with 754 3-point attempts on the year. But when they do take 3-pointers, both teams are slightly above average from deep. Kentucky hits 35.7 percent, while Kansas is at 35.6. RELATED: It's time to consider we counted out Villanova way too early For Kansas, a lot of that success is owed to Lagerald Vick and Devon Dotson. Vick’s 45.7 percentage from deep leads the Big 12, and he’s doing it while taking an average of 6.7 attempts per game. Dotson only averages 1.9 attempts per game, but hits at 41.7 percent, making him a constant threat. While the Jayhawks don’t rely terribly on their 3-point prowess, all three of their losses came when they shot below 32 percent from beyond the arc. Only one of those saw an inordinate number of attempts, as Kansas took a season-high 28 3-pointers against Arizona State. Prediction: Kansas will need a big game from Lawson or Vick to come out of Lexington with a win. In all likelihood, Kentucky’s depth, dominance on the glass, and home court advantage will provide the edge for the Wildcats. SCORE PREDICTION: Kentucky wins, 78-73 How we're doing with these predictions We're at 6-6 on the season, but we can feel a hot streak coming. Michigan State vs. Iowa (Jan. 24) Our pick: Michigan State Result: Win Kentucky vs. Auburn (Jan. 19) Our pick: Auburn Result: Loss Virginia vs. Duke (Jan. 19) Our pick: Virginia Result: Loss Virginia Tech vs. Virginia (Jan. 15) Our pick: Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Result: Loss Ohio State vs. Michigan State (Jan. 5) Our pick: Michigan State Michigan State Result: Win Virginia vs. Florida State (Jan. 5) Our pick: Virginia Virginia Result: Win Kentucky vs. North Carolina (Dec. 22) Our pick: North Carolina North Carolina Result: Loss Gonzaga vs. North Carolina (Dec. 15) Our pick: North Carolina North Carolina Result: Win Kansas vs. Villanova (Dec. 15) Our pick: Kansas Kansas Result: Win Gonzaga vs. Tennessee (Dec. 9) Our pick: Gonzaga Gonzaga Result: Loss North Carolina vs. Michigan (Nov. 28) Our pick: North Carolina North Carolina Result: Loss Duke vs. Auburn (Nov. 20)<doc-sep>PJ Washington, Reid Travis and Keldon Johnson all register double-doubles as the No. 8 Wildcats knock off the No. 9 Jayhawks 71-63. (1:48) LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Between the two of them, No. 9 Kansas and No. 8 Kentucky played eight top-30 recruits from ESPN's 2018 class in their Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup on Saturday. Yet the crux of the battle, won 71-63 by Kentucky, was staged in the paint, where Dedric Lawson (20 points, 15 rebounds) and Reid Travis (18 points, 12 rebounds) fueled their respective squads. They're two of the best big men in America. They're also both transfers who sought -- and found -- greener pastures after they left their former schools. "It was a big decision," Lawson said of his choice to leave Memphis in 2017 before sitting out last season due to NCAA rules. "It's something you dream about as a kid. I cherish most the opportunity to play against PJ Washington. He's like a little brother to me. It was fun. But like you said, we wanted to get the win." A sea of reporters three rows deep fenced in Travis after his team's win. He said he left Stanford last summer to join Kentucky as a grad transfer in part because he craved moments such as the one he experienced Saturday in Lexington, where thousands showed up to watch ESPN's College GameDay earlier in the day. "It was a big part of it," Travis said. "For me to put in a lot of work, I wanted to play against the best players in the country, wanted to play on the best stage in the country. This was the best place for me, and I think tonight really showed that." If you listen to some of college basketball's coaches and commentators, you might think Lawson and Travis -- and others like them -- are part of the problem. In recent years, reports of 700 transfers per year have been touted by the game's old guard as proof that a weaker generation of players can't handle tough coaching. Those folks will also tell you that young people aren't as resilient as they used to be. But Saturday's exciting matchup between a pair of premier players (and transfers) offered another example to rebut the false narrative that has percolated in college basketball. Reid Travis is guarded by Dedric Lawson in Kentucky's win on Saturday. AP Photo/James Crisp Yes, coaches at all levels have valid concerns about the stability of their programs, knowing that their best players might transfer. It's a more pertinent concern for non-Power 5 coaches, who wonder if their top athletes will become grad transfers and blossom in final seasons at schools that play on national TV. But the 700 transfers are also 700 stories. They're 700 different reasons. They're 700 difficult choices. Any suggestion that they all fit the same profile is unfair. Yet that's how coaches describe them. On Saturday, Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin praised senior Justin Jenifer for staying with the Bearcats all four years. "People talk about guys quitting, and there's 700 transfers in college basketball," said Cronin, who was hired from Murray State in 2006. "Justin Jenifer told everybody in Baltimore, 'I'm going to play in Cincinnati, and I'm going to show you!' Instead of quitting and transferring, he said, 'I'm going to get better, and I'm going to do what the coach is asking me to do, and I'm going to believe in the coaches.'" These false badges of honor that coaches pin to the jerseys of players who refuse to transfer are the same ones they leave on their desks when they bolt for new jobs and leave behind the players they recruited. The coaches who leave schools do it for the same reasons Travis and Lawson sought fresh starts: They want to enhance their careers. Lawson and his brother, K.J., left Memphis for Kansas after Tubby Smith demoted their father, Keelon Lawson, and a team blessed with talent finished 19-13 and lost in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament. Lawson, perhaps the best player in a top-10 matchup on Saturday, has never been to the NCAA tournament. Today, he's the leader of a Kansas team seeking its 15th consecutive Big 12 title and a legit NBA prospect. Those are opportunities he did not have at Memphis. But when Lawson first came to Lawrence, he got into a fight in practice, and coach Bill Self called him into his office and told him that he couldn't do that and expect to keep his scholarship. Then, Self left Lawson home when the team went to Italy for a foreign tour. That punishment changed Lawson. It made him a better leader. It made him re-evaluate himself as a player and a young man. This season, he might win the Wooden Award. Do you think he made the right choice to transfer? Travis endured a heartbreaking knee injury as a sophomore at Stanford, where he earned all-Pac 12 first-team honors as a redshirt junior. The Minneapolis native worked as hard as any player in the country during his time with Stanford. He returned from that injury and matured into a potent power forward. After he made just 46 percent of his free throws in the 2014-15 season, Travis turned to technology for assistance. A group of techies at Stanford designed a free throw virtual-reality simulator that allowed Travis to put on a pair of goggles and shoot free throws in simulated road environments throughout the offseason. This year, Travis has made 72 percent of his free throws. But his growth and hard work led him and his team only to the NIT. When he worked out for NBA teams last summer, they told him he'd benefit from another year against better competition. Travis didn't leave Stanford because he had a problem with his coaches. He didn't leave because he was a wishy-washy 20-something who couldn't make up his mind. He left for the same reasons Cronin might one day leave Cincy. For the same reason John Calipari left Memphis.<doc-sep>
Rupp Arena was the loudest it’s been in quite some time, and rightfully so, as the nation’s eighth & ninth best teams met on the hardwood for an SEC-Big 12 clash. The eighth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats played host to the ninth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks for the right to make a significant jump in the AP standings. Both offenses struggled early, with Kansas taking the slight 33-30 edge into halftime. The Wildcats were much more efficient to start the second period, making 4-7 baskets for 11 points to the Jayhawks’ six points. Behind the efforts of their front court, as well as the defensive back-bone that is Ashton Hagans, Kentucky went on to claim their best victory of the season, 71-63. Big Blue Nation Shows Up 24,387 people were in attendance for Saturday night’s match-up, the highest total this season for a Kentucky game in Rupp Arena. Fans were lined up hours before tip-off, anxiously waiting to walk through the entrance and find their seat in the basketball sanctuary. Big Blue Nation was the loudest it’s been in quite some time, even bringing vibrations to press row. The effort by fans was mirrored by each Kentucky player, which should warrant such turnouts even more as the remainder of the season unfolds. Travis & Washington Answer the Call With Udoka Azubuike sidelined for the Jayhawks on Saturday, Kentucky’s top-priority was to attack the painted area on offense. Starting forwards PJ Washington and Reid Travis answered the bell, combining for 38 points and 25 rebounds in the contest. Kentucky needed their two veteran big men more than ever on Saturday and they absolutely came through. Not only did they bring it on offense, but they also threw bodies at Kansas’s Dedric Lawson. Though the KU star had 20 points, nearly every shot he took was contested. Receiving offense from the UK duo was something Big Blue Nation had seen before. This sudden urge on the defensive side of the ball, though, is a significant plus. Hagans Sounds Off Ashton Hagans continues to “wow” fans during his freshman campaign at Kentucky. The sensational point guard scored 12 points, dished out seven assists and picked up three steals in Saturday’s winning effort. His ability to command the offense and still contribute maximum effort at the defensive end may remind some of Gary Payton. That’s exactly the type of player the Wildcats need to lead their team as they enter the heart of SEC play. Offense Struggles in First Half Kentucky was absolutely brutal when attempting to execute their offense in the first half. The Wildcats shot 33% from the field and failed to make any of their eight three-point attempts. Kentucky was lucky to find themselves down just three points at the break, as the heavy lifting from Travis kept them afloat. As Kentucky enters a tough slate of road games next week, first-half struggles should be atop the list of issues to be fixed. Give credit to Kansas, however, as they came into this game with a KenPom top-10 defense, and they looked every bit of it as they smothered Kentucky on the perimeter. Kentucky won’t face many teams with as much backcourt talent and depth as Kansas has. But as good as they were, the Wildcats still did enough to come away victorious. Up next for the Wildcats will be a trip to Nashville where they’ll face the Vanderbilt Commodores on Tuesday night. Tip-off is set for 9 pm EST.