The Kentucky Wildcats are 2-0 on the season after a dominant 107-59 win over Valparaiso tonight at Rupp Arena.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, leading by 32 at halftime to cruise to victory. The Cats scored 58 points in the first half and dominated throughout, thanks to a much-improved offense.
The Cats kept it going in the second half, scoring 49 points.
The Cats had a much better offensive flow, shot the ball better from deep, and asserted their dominance on both ends in the win.
Overall, it was one of those feel-good early-season wins you like to see headed into a big matchup next week.
Here are a few things to know from tonight’s win.
The offense looked significantly better; Lowe’s playmaking ability on display
The biggest takeaway from the game tonight was that Kentucky’s offense looked MUCH better than it did against Nicholls earlier in the week.
The Cats got off to a much better start and were able to get in an offensive rhythm early in the game, and were almost scoring at will, particularly in the first half, where they scored 58 points and shot nearly 65 percent from the floor.
It was good to see Kentucky start strong, particularly after seeing the first-half struggles against Nicholls on Tuesday.
Jaland Lowe made his debut for the Wildcats, and while the numbers aren’t eye-popping, Lowe’s playmaking ability was on display, dishing out five assists with zero turnovers. He’s able to quickly get to where he wants to go on the floor and does a great job putting his teammates in position to score.
There was plenty to like from Lowe’s Kentucky debut.
Everyone getting involved
Kentucky finished with nine different players in the scoring column and six different players with at least 10 points, including all five starters.
Tonight wasn’t a one-man show, and Kentucky’s depth was on display.
Kentucky moved the ball well, finishing with 27 assists on 37 made baskets. That’s a pretty good ratio, something Pope loves to see.
It may have come against a mid-major, but this is the first time we’ve seen a complete performance by the Cats on both ends since the exhibition season.
Great performances by the bigs
Kentucky’s big guys were solid throughout the game. Brandon Garrison and Malachi Moreno each finished with double-figure scoring and made some impressive plays.
Yes, Valparaiso is a mid-major, but they’re a little unique in that they have quite a bit of size. This wasn’t a situation where Kentucky’s bigs simply towered over the opposing frontcourt.
Moreno, in particular, has been a pleasant surprise to start the season. He finished with a double-double tonight and looked like a guy who can be a difference-maker for this team.
Free-throw shooting was much improved
After shooting just 12-22 from the free-throw line on Tuesday, the Cats were much improved at the charity stripe tonight, finishing 22-26 from the line.
Tuesday’s free-throw performance was likely more of an anomaly, but it was good to see the Wildcats convert their free-throw attempts tonight.
Cats need to be stronger on the defensive glass
If you’re going to take away a negative from this game, it’s probably how many offensive rebounds Valpo was able to grab (12).
The Cats easily won the overall rebounding battle, but Valpo was able to grab several offensive rebounds.
I don’t think it’s a problem to be concerned with moving forward, but it will definitely be something Mark Pope and the coaching staff are preaching heading into Tuesday.
Time to get ready for Louisville
Speaking of Tuesday… The Kentucky-Louisville game should not be this early in the season, but alas, we are just days away from seeing the Cats take on the Cards at the KFC Yum! Center.
Both teams have had a couple of games against mid-majors to prepare for this marquee non-conference matchup. I think there was a lot to build off of heading into the matchup with the Cards in what should be one of the top non-conference matchups of the season.
But now, let’s celebrate another Kentucky victory! Go Cats!!
