Fresh off its first win over a ranked opponent, Kentucky wants to continue reestablishing itself as it hosts Bellarmine on Tuesday afternoon in Lexington, Ky.
The Wildcats (8-4) are coming off their most impressive win. They rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit and pulled away for a 78-66 victory over No. 22 St. John’s on Saturday in Atlanta.
Kentucky entered 0-4 against ranked teams. However, the Wildcats have been trending upward after falling out of the Associated Press Top 25 rankings a couple of weeks ago. They are riding a three-game winning streak, highlighted by victories over Indiana and St. John’s.
“It’s just been slow for us to grow up and embrace who exactly we are, and we’re in that process,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said after the St. John’s victory. “Sometimes it’s ugly, but sometimes it’s beautiful like it was at moments in the second half of this game.
“I love the journey of a season. Even when it’s bad, I love the pain of it because it makes these nights awesome. I think these guys have a chance to have a lot more of these nights. I really do.”
Kentucky benefited from the return of forward Jayden Quaintance (ACL), a transfer from Arizona State who made his Wildcat debut on Saturday. Quaintance had 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 17 minutes.
“I felt good on the court,” Quaintance said. “I felt like if I was able to have time to shine, I felt like I would make it my moment, and I felt like I did that (Saturday).”
Quaintance is expected to become a bigger piece for the Wildcats as the season progresses. Otega Oweh, who had 20 points against St. John’s, has been the most consistent scoring threat to date, averaging 14.5 points per game.
Bellarmine (5-6) is coming off a 79-64 victory over Chattanooga last Wednesday.
Jack Karasinski, who is averaging 20.8 points and 5.9 rebounds, put up 20 points and 12 rebounds against the Mocs. Kenyon Goodin is another player to watch as the Knights’ top deep threat with 20 made 3-pointers.
Bellarmine alumnus and first-year head coach Doug Davenport has said the mindset he wants to instill is to play to a standard, not the scoreboard.
“I think those (high-profile) games are a great test of our maturity as a group, both coaches and player, to do that,” Davenport said in the preseason.
These teams have faced each other once, a 60-41 Kentucky victory on Nov. 29, 2022 at Rupp Arena.
