Handing out player grades following Louisville basketball’s big win over Kentucky.
Louisville basketball beats Kentucky in a game of hoops? That’s 2020 for you.
In all serious, this was the year that Chris Mack and the Louisville basketball program was going to get the monkey off their back.
In two years as head coach Mack has had a front row seat as John Calipari continued his annual tradition of beating Louisville (something he’s done 11 times since 2009). But on Saturday it was Mack who sent Cal & the gang back to Lexington with a 1-6 record.
Kentucky fans are already making all the excuses as to why this game shouldn’t and doesn’t matter, but it’s their team that looks destined for a losing record. Once again, five-star standouts Devin Askew, Terrence Clarke, and BJ Boston did nothing to live up to their lottery expectations combining to shoot 6/24 from the field for 18 points. In fact, throughout the majority of the game, they were significantly outplayed by Louisville’s backcourt of Carlik Jones and David Johnson as well as wing Dre Davis.
As I predicted all week, Kentucky showed up ready to play. As Mack stated previously, Kentucky’s talent and athleticism stand out no matter what their record says. There was no doubt Louisville was going to get their best effort and credit to the Cats, they fought hard all game.
Still, Louisville got a complete effort (though it was ugly) and walked away with a 62-59 win.
Here are our player game grades from the win over Kentucky.
Carlik Jones: A+
There wasn’t a single player for Kentucky who could stay in front of Jones, and it was single-handedly the biggest reason Louisville basketball won. The shot selection wasn’t always great, but Jones made the plays the Cards needed when they needed them most.
There’s a reason ESPN’s broadcast crew were glowing over Jones. The dude is a straight gamer and when Louisville needed him most, he came through. Whether it was handling the pressure of Kentucky. Knocking down last-second free throws, or slicing up the Kentucky defense over and over again – Jones was unreal.
He led Louisville with 20-points (7/16 from the field) and also grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists. He’s Louisville’s MVP and it’s not even close.
David Johnson: A
Players from the 502 having big games against Kentucky? That’s that sh** I do like.
Johnson grew up right in front of our eyes against Kentucky. When Louisville basketball was struggling to score early, Johnson came through. He hit three’s and made countless other drives that led to fairly good looks or open shots for a teammate. Johnson did a great job defensively on Askew, although it started rocky. Overall he made the right plays (although he did turn it over 4 times) and filled the stat sheet in a way that helped Louisville win, including 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Dre Davis: B-
Offensively, Davis wasn’t much more than an active rebounder going 2-9 from the field and never looking real comfortable. Defensively, he played like a tested veteran. Drawing a matchup with likely lottery pick BJ Boston, Davis limited him to 11 points (tied for lowest outing of the season) on 3/11 shooting, including just two points in the first half.
Davis made Boston a non-factor for 3/4 of the game and it’s that type of defensive performance that makes him one of the most important pieces this season. Being able to take away an opposing teams top scoring option is a special trait, and though it was ugly, Davis did that against Boston in a big way.
Improving his shooting from deep is a must moving forward. Davis continues to put up deep shots (albeit they are usually open) but they just flat out aren’t going in. In order to take the next step in his game, he’s got to improve his jumper.
Sam Williamson: C-
*Tries to not think about going down the same path as V.J. King*
Louisville basketball won and that’s all that matters, so Sam gets the benefit of the doubt with the grade. However, it was without question his worst game of the season.
Going up against Isaiah Jackson, Williamson struggled with the athleticism and length of the Kentucky freshman. It was clear he was never comfortable, going 2-6 from the field. There were spurts where the struggles from Williamson were pretty obvious, but none more so than when he was replaced by Quinn Slazinski. That led to a nice run by Louisville where Slaz contributed a corner three and a charge on Jackson, which was followed up by another charge on Jackson.
More than anything, Williamson disappeared for the majority of the game. I know he’s been dealing with injury, but this is the type of game where his play should elevate. As a former five-star McDonald’s All-American going up against a bunch of guys who were the same, you want to see him stand out and be head and shoulders better than everyone else.
That never happened and though it didn’t lead to a loss, it’s disappointing to see Williamson struggle to get going. His lack of assertiveness really hurt him, and if it continues like it did today, there’s a chance Mack could make a change to the starting five.
JaeLyn Withers: B+
Kentucky’s big men combined to go 3/15 from the field for 12 points, and outside of Jackson really struggled. A big part of that was because of the play of redshirt freshman JaeLyn Withers. Though his travel late in the game will be what a lot of fans remember, Withers played a great game defensively and had the dunk of the season in the 3rd quarter. Overall, he finished with a near double-double with 8 points and 9 rebounds.
Wither’s defensive effort was most noticeable on former Wake Forest big Olivier Sarr, who was 0/4 on the night. I can’t remember Sarr getting a post-touch or any shots around the rim that looked good, that is, until his last-second shot. Though Withers was late to close out on Sarr, his effort led to a missed potential game-winner.
Withers growth and maturation has been so much fun to watch, especially knowing he’s playing out of position. His skill and athleticism are evident every time he touches the floor, but as you might expect, he’s making freshman mistakes along the way.
Quinn Slazinski: B+
Kentucky’s players got one look at Quinn Slazinski and immediately labeled him a non-factor (not really but I bet they did). Before they knew it, Slaz put a three in the eye of Isaiah Jackson, followed it up with a charge, and called him a “f**k boy” on the way into the timeout.
Quinn’s energy and emotion gave Louisville a much-needed spark in the second half, and honestly could be labeled as the turning point of the game. As mentioned, the Cards took two (maybe even three chargers) nearly back-to-back following Quinn’s three and it came after he replaced the struggling Williamson.
Though Quinn has really struggled this season shooting the ball from deep, his second half three and defensive intensity had to give Mack confidence. Shooters have to have the right mentality, especially when shots aren’t falling. To see Slaz keep fighting and come up with multiple big plays was great to see in such an important game.
J.J. Traynor: C
We all hoped that the Bardstown native would have a memorable play against Kentucky, but it wasn’t in the cards. Traynor’s most notable achievement was picking up three fouls in five minutes. But we shouldn’t overlook him blocking two shots and playing tough defense against Isaiah Jackson and Olivier Sarr.
Josh Nickelberry: B+
Nickelberry did what he was put into the game to do; shoot. Though he went 1-4, hitting his first shot from deep stretched Kentucky’s defense out even more and opened up room for others to drive.
Appearing in just his second game, Nickelberry was a little trigger happy and could improve his decision making. But again, he did his job.
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