Sweet Revenge! UK moves past UCLA, into NCAA Elite Eight
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Many times this season, the best idea shifted for how the Kentucky Wildcats should play and what and who would make them most dangerous in March.
Enough debate. Kentucky's identity appears to be whatever the opponent's identity is. Fast or slow, shooting 3-pointers or making defensive stops, Kentucky keeps marching on by beating teams at their own game.
The Wildcats won with two defensive plays and in a slow-paced style against Wichita State in the Round of 32. That led to questions all week about how Kentucky would try to slow down the high-powered, multi-weapon UCLA Bruins in the Sweet 16.
The answer from No. 2 seed Kentucky was an efficiently run offense in a 86-75 win against the third-seeded Bruins in FedExForum to move on to a rematch with North Carolina in the Elite Eight at 5:05 p.m. (Eastern time) Sunday. Kentucky advanced to the regional final for the fifth time in John Calipari's eight seasons and for the 37th time in school history.
It was the backcourt duo of De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk playing like veterans again on a stage not yet big enough to overwhelm the two 19-year-old freshmen. Fox finished with career-high 39 points and Monk had 21, with senior Dominique Hawkins chipping in 11 for the Wildcats (32-5). Bam Adebayo failed to score a point for the first time in his career, but set a personal and team best with five assists.
"Since the postseason started, I've been in attack mode," Fox, who has led Kentucky in scoring in seven straight games, said.
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The Bruins (31-5) were paced by freshman forward TJ Leaf and senior guard Isaac Hamilton, each with 17 points, and Lonzo Ball finished with 10 points, eight assists and four turnovers.
UCLA shot 52.7 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, but 13 turnovers and Kentucky's 10 offensive rebounds led to enough extra possessions for the Wildcats to pull away.
"You get seven more possessions, they got eight more shots," UCLA coach Steve Alford said.
The lead changed hands 13 times in the first half as both teams tried to answer the question of the week: Which team would be most transformed from what we saw in the regular-season meeting in December. UCLA won that track meet at Rupp Arena 97-92. Could Kentucky play defense and slow down UCLA? Would the Wildcats dare play at the Bruins preferred lightning-quick pace?
Kentucky did a little of both.
The Wildcats managed to slow the pace some in the first half by averaging 21 seconds per offensive possession. The tempo picked up in the second half and Kentucky hit 5 of 11 3-point attempts and 13 of 15 free throws to secure the victory.
Could the Wildcats win a grind-it-out tough tournament contest? It did against Wichita State.
Could Kentucky push the pace and hit enough shots to beat a talented blue-blood program? UCLA is headed back to the West Coast empty-handed.
"Next game it may be we play through Bam or it may be Malik, and they'll be fine with it," Kentucky coach John Calipari said.
So far, the Wildcats identity is whatever identity is needed.
