Kentucky got the unique opportunity of welcoming the #1 team into Rupp Arena on Friday night, as they faced off against the Purdue Boilermakers. The Wildcats were faced with circumstances though, as they were without point guard Jaland Lowe and star big man Jayden Quaintance, but they won, and in convincing fashion. Kentucky played incredible defense all game, shutting down arguably the best offense in college basketball.
They certainly made a statement on Friday, but the stars of the game weren’t who you might think, as in-state freshmen Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno looked to have the best performances of anyone else on Kentucky’s squad. Many assumed Otega Oweh would have to have a very good game to win, and even though he still had 10 points in 17 minutes on the floor, it was the two freshmen who took the game into their own hands. Johnson finished with a team-high 15 points on 6-10 shooting overall and 3-7 from three, while Malachi Moreno had 8 points on 4-5 shooting, 4 rebounds and an assist.
Moreno looked very comfortable, running the floor well, and he even had a few highlight dunks. Pope raved about him early in his postgame press conference. He has seen a lot of progress from Moreno, and it’s looking like it’s already paying off…