Kentucky Basketball: 5 Things We Learned from the Wildcats' Victory over Kansas

The Kentucky Wildcats beat the Kansas Jayhawks 75-65 for their first quality win of the season.

The Wildcats roster features stud freshmen Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, as well as returning players Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb and Darius Miller. The team is ranked second in the country and has national title aspirations.

The game against Kansas was the team's first true test and it showed fans what to expect from such a hyped Kentucky team.

The roster is talented, no doubt about it, but it is by no means a finished product.

Here are five things we learned from the game.

5. Anthony Davis' Defense Is Just as Valuable as His Offense

Anthony Davis was the force behind the Kentucky Wildcats' run to open the second half. Yes, he had two dunks and got the crowd in the game, but more important than that was his defense.

Davis prevented Jeff Whitley and Thomas Robinson from scoring inside as they had earlier in the game. He also grabbed a number of key rebounds and kept his man off of the boards.

Even when Davis does not block shots, he can alter them simply by standing in the lane. His presence got Kansas’ offense out of sync and led to missed shots that Kentucky was able to capitalize on.

4. Marquis Teague Is Not There Yet

By all accounts, Marquis Teague is poised to be the next great point guard in coach John Calipari’s rich lineage. Against the Kansas Jayhawks, though, Teague struggled.

In the first half, he seemed out of control—forcing shots and making costly turnovers. His play contributed to Kentucky’s slow start. If a team’s point guard looks shaky, the rest of the team probably will as well. 

Teague settled down a bit in the second half and made some good passes. While there were still times where he tried to do too much, Teague looked more comfortable running the team and Kentucky responded.

The good news for Teague and Kentucky fans is that this was just their second game. Teague has plenty of time to learn the offense and get in a rhythm with his teammates.

3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Is for Real

The kid does some of everything. Not a little bit of everything, though. A lot.

He provides the Kentucky Wildcats with energy from the opening tip. John Calipari’s decision to start Michael Kidd-Gilchrist after a sluggish start in their first exhibition game is paying dividends.

Kidd-Gilchrist is also Kentucky’s best perimeter defender. When he switched onto Tyshawn Taylor to start the second half, Kansas’ offense stalled.

Furthermore, towards the end of the game, with the Wildcats trying to protect their lead, Gilchrist came up with a number of key rebounds, some over 7'0" center Jeff Withey, to give Kentucky the win.

2. Darius Miller Needs to Step Up

It has become almost mandatory to start each basketball season with the same demand: Darius Miller needs to assert himself.

Miller has all the tools and skills to be a great player, but far too often he is content to fade into the background and let Kentucky’s hyped freshmen shine. 

In his senior season, Miller will be a valuable asset to the team. He has been through three years at Kentucky. He knows what SEC games are like and he has been to the NCAA tournament twice, reaching the Elite Eight and the Final Four. Miller needs to steady the team and become a leader.

Against Kansas, Miller played his familiar role of playing solid, but unexciting basketball. Then, with Kentucky trying to hold onto a lead and stave off a late Kansas rally, Miller made two huge plays. He snuck past his defender to tap a crucial rebound to a teammate. Then, he drove into the lane, faked out two defenders, and made a very difficult shot while drawing a foul. 

In two plays, Miller got his team possession of the ball, drew two fouls on Kansas’ big men, and scored. If he could only keep up that style of play for an entire game, he could be one of the best players in the country.

1. Kentucky Is Young

Yes, the Kentucky Wildcats are a young team every year. Yes, it has been said and over-said many times before. Some years, however, Kentucky's youth is more apparent than others.

This season, despite starting two sophomores and potentially a senior—elderly by Kentucky’s standards—the Wildcats will experience some growing pains.

The team is still in the process of getting to know one another and learning how to best play together. Nowhere was this more evident than at the end of the game when Kentucky could not stop fouling and committed a couple of key turnovers while trying to protect a lead. 

However, John Calipari has demonstrated an incredible ability to build team chemistry in a matter of weeks. The more these kids play together, the better they will get.