Calipari 1.22 - Well-Rounded Cats Pounce on Rebels

Seriously? Seriously.

Kentucky got out fast and never looked back Tuesday night at Rupp to get past formerly ranked Ole Miss, 85-75, and run their record to an insane 21-1. Multiple first half runs pushed the margin to 18, but a game Ole Miss squad cut the lead in half by intermission. After the Rebels trimmed the UK lead to three in the second half, Coach Cal & Co. got the offense to perform when it was needed down the stretch.

To the highlights:

• The 26 NBA scouts that were on hand for the game got a little bit of everything and had to be impressed from nearly everyone they came to see, even the Ole Miss guys. Fast breaks, And-1's, blocks, step-back 3's, reverse alley-oop layups. Meh, just another day at the office.
• Big Cuz (18 points - 13 rebounds - 4 blocks) has single-handedly entered his name into the National Player of the Year discussion after absolutely destroying any SEC comers. Come to think of it, he's dominated everybody this year and it's not even close. The scouts have to LOVE this guy. Attitude be damned, you have to think there aren't five better players in the country at this point.
• Freak Show (17 points - 7 assists - 4 TOs) got back on track and hopefully silenced ESPN & friends for the time being after showcasing a complete game offensively and defensively. The four turnovers are hated, but it's become the norm for Mr. Wall. I repeat: He is a Freak.
  
• The missing piece seems to be Darnell Dodson (14 points - 3 rebounds, 4-5 3PM). He started off the game 4-4 from behind the arc and is exactly what we need from the three spot. Double D's defense isn't to be celebrated, as he gets abused by all comers, but the offense is sorely needed. I love Darius, but to see court time, it's apparent you have to offer something offensively. Right now, Darnell has the edge.
• DeAndre Liggins (5 points - 5 rebounds) put together another beastly game off the bench as he was all over the court doing anything the Cats needed. His energy off the bench is unmatched and it's easy to see how much more comfortable he is compared to 2008-09.
• I think it's safe to say everyone holds their breath when Eric Bledsoe (8 points - 8 assists - 4 steals - 7 TOs) is involved with any play. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.
• It almost seemed to me that something was wrong with Pat (12 points - 6 rebounds - 2 assists - 2 steals) tonight. Like he was keeping an injury on the DL. Something just didn't seem right. Coming out of the under 12 timeout, though, he played like a man possessed. They fed him the ball on back-to-back trips, he had some nasty rebounds, and filthy block to shut me up.
• Daniel Orton (4 points - 5 rebounds - 16 minutes) played some much needed minutes tonight and was able to give Pat a fairly long rest. He played solid, got some key rebounds when Ole Miss clawed back into the game and only had one foul!

All in all, another solid win for Big Blue as we lead the SEC, Big East, and whatever other conference you want to lead. Our tough stretch is around the corner, so rest up Big Blue Nation and get ready for Mardi Gras Saturday.

Go Cats.