Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky: Twitter Reaction, Grades and Analysis

It wasn't exactly shocking that Kentucky beat up on Western Kentucky in the Round of 64 on Thursday, but it was nonetheless impressive.

Kentucky used an array of athleticism, dunking and hard-nosed defense to lead by 19 points at the half, and Western Kentucky never caught up. By the end of it all, Kentucky had won, 81-66.

Any team in the NCAA Tournament should be worried about Kentucky at this point. The Wildcats have entered the tournament in true form: simply dominant.

Tweets of the Night

Perhaps taking a shot at freshman sensation Anthony Davis, the infamous Fake ESPN tweeted:

"

Sources confirm, hair between the eyes is a sign of virility in Kentucky.

—The Fake ESPN (@TheFakeESPN) March 15, 2012"

Not Bill Walton made his voice heard:

"

Kentucky & W Kentucky couldnt be more different. Kentucky players are paid in cash, W Kentucky players are paid in coupons to Golden Corral.

—The Bill Walton Trip (@NotBillWalton) March 15, 2012"

ESPN's SportsNation made Syracuse feel worse about its Round of 64 performance:

"

"Hey Syracuse, this is how you take care of a #16 seed" - Kentucky

—SportsNation (@SportsNation) March 15, 2012"

As it began to become rather obvious that Western Kentucky wouldn't be making an improbable comeback, Sal Masekala tweeted:

"

Pretty sure Western Kentucky wishes they had gotten a bid into NIT instead.

—Sal Masekela (@SalMasekela) March 16, 2012"

And there weren't a lot of nail-biters to start off the Round of 64 on Thursday, but Bruce Feldman of CBSSports.com spoke for everyone when he said he couldn't keep his eyes off of Kentucky:

"

Been a blah start to the NCAAs w less drama than normal but Kentucky IS putting on an eye-popping display of athleticism.

— Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) March 16, 2012"

Grades for Key Kentucky Players

Terrence Jones: A

Jones absolutely dominated from the start, scoring 15 points and grabbing five rebounds at the half. He made Western Kentucky look silly and was as determined as he's ever been.

Jones finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Doron Lamb: A

Lamb was Jones' partner-in-crime. He took over the game with Jones, posting 14 points and four rebounds in the first half alone. Not bad for a sophomore on the biggest stage in college basketball. 

Lamb closed with 16 points.

Anthony Davis: A

Every time I see Anthony Davis, I'm amazed. He impacts the game in so many ways. He can score, rebound, block shots and run off the fast break. He's the kind of player who intimidates anyone he plays, and he's just a freshman. No matter who you are, you play this kid for the first time and you're going to be amazed. 

Davis almost had a triple-double, with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks.

Grades for Key Western Kentucky Players

T.J. Price: A

Freshman T.J. Price deserves tons of credit.

While his teammates were getting hammered throughout the game, he stepped up and scored 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the first half alone...against the best team in the country. He has nothing to be ashamed of.

Price finished with 21 points.

Derrick Gordon: B

Gordon turned it on in the second half after a lackluster first half, but it was irrelevant. Kentucky had already built such a lead at the half that it was nearly impossible for Western Kentucky to come back. 

Gordon scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds.

George Fant: C

I'm going to go a little easy on Fant given the quality of opponent he was facing on Thursday, but the fact of the matter is he was one of the Hilltoppers' leading scorers before the tournament and he simply didn't show up against Kentucky until the game was well out of reach in the final minutes.

Fant finished with 13 points and four rebounds.

Stat of the Night: 55

Everyone knows Kentucky is explosive. On Thursday, the Wildcats didn't let anyone down, shooting 55 percent of the floor. Most of their conversions were dunks, accentuated by Anthony Davis' remarkable alley-oop throwdown. I wonder if anyone can stop this offense when it's in rhythm.

Game MVP: Terrence Jones

This could easily go to Anthony Davis, as well, but Jones helped set the tempo from the start and simply was on his game from the first minute of the game. There's something to be said about a player who was deemed to have character concerns leading his team to victory. Jones has turned a corner in his basketball career and all he needs is a national championship before he heads to the NBA.

What's Next?

Western Kentucky goes home after an early tournament exit while Kentucky goes on to face the winner of Iowa State and Connecticut in the Round of 32. 

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