So much of Kentucky Basketball’s success this season has been credited to their guard play. However, it could very well be their big men that make or break the team’s postseason run.
With Tre Mitchell returning to the rotation on Saturday, Kentucky had all four big men healthy and finish the game for the first time this season. Utilizing a deep rotation was one of the keys to Kentucky pulling away from Arkansas to win their third straight game, 111-102.
Perhaps the best part about Saturday was what came after the victory that shows just how close this team really is.
Aaron Bradshaw dominated in the first half with 12 points in seven minutes of action, making all four shot attempts, including a 3-pointer. He was incredibly physical inside and finished through contact.
Coming into the season, he was viewed as a unique player with a lot of upside. Going into the postseason would be the perfect time for Bradshaw to hit his stride, and we saw glimpses of that in the first half.
However, Bradshaw didn’t play most of the second half and finished with 15 points, as John Calipari largely went with Zvonimir Ivisic down the stretch.
Bradshaw had no problem with that.
“If he’s (another big man) playing better than me, I have to realize that he’s playing better,” said Bradshaw during postgame interviews. “It’s not his fault. It’s my fault. Him playing better than me or Ugo playing better than me, that’s selfish. You feel me? If they got it going, they got it going.”
That was certainly the case in the second half with Big Z. The Croatian center scored 10 points, didn’t miss a shot (3/3), only missed one free throw (5/6), and pulled down six rebounds while blocking a pair of shots in 20 minutes in the game. He played a key role in Kentucky pulling away at the end and continues to prove he has some serious talent.
“I’m proud of my boy (Ivisic). Proud of him because, just like me, we’re both dealing with the same thing. Seeing him get that block and push the ball, man, I just love it,” exclaimed Bradshaw while later adding, “We all love each other.”
