Some games are decided less by talent on paper than by the stubborn arithmetic of a few seconds, and this one at Rupp Arena fell into that old pattern. A program built on enormous expectations nearly stumbled against a winless visitor, and only a late three-pointer kept the familiar story intact. The moment reminds us how thin the line can be between a ranking and a result, and how much a team's future can hang on who holds the ball when the clock is nearly gone.
Kentucky Survives Northern Arizona 78-77 on Alex Wilkins' Last-Second Three at Rupp Arena
It didn't look like money well spent for 39 minutes and 58 seconds.
Mark
Kentucky won. Why is this a story at all?
Mimi
Because of the margin it was supposed to win by. Northern Arizona was a 30.5-point underdog and had lost its first three games by an average of 24, yet it led 77-73 with 22 seconds left.
Luke
Worth noting this is an opinion-leaning piece. The framing about money not being well spent is the writer's view, not a measured finding.
Mark
What actually turned the game?
Mimi
Two missed front ends of one-and-ones, by Max Majerle and then Chris Komin, who shot 82% last season. Kentucky took the second rebound with 7 seconds left and Wilkins hit the three.
Luke
Right, and that is luck as much as design. Two misses gave Kentucky its chance, so I wouldn't read the finish as proof of anything.
Mark
What about the history?
Mimi
The writer couldn't find a Kentucky loss as a 30-point favorite. Evansville in 2019 came at 25 and Gardner-Webb in 2007 at 26.
Luke
That's one writer's search, not an official record. It's a fair data point, but I'd treat it as his claim.
Mark
So what's the real concern?
Mimi
Defense. James Madison scored 80, Kansas 89, and NAU 77 on 13-for-26 from three, even though NAU averaged only 62 in earlier losses.
Luke
Three games is a small sample, though. We don't know yet whether this is a pattern or a rough stretch.
Der Puls
- Northern Arizona led 77-73 with 22 seconds left and a 30.5-point underdog was one possession from history.
- Kentucky's missed free throws and an unforced out-of-bounds touch turned a settled finish into a frantic scramble.
- Alex Wilkins took the rebound-fueled pass and sank a last-second three to steal a 78-77 escape.
- The win masks worrying defense: Northern Arizona shot 13-for-26 from deep, and the questions follow Kentucky into games against Grambling State and Indiana.
Some games are decided less by talent on paper than by the stubborn arithmetic of a few seconds, and this one at Rupp Arena fell into that old pattern. A program built on enormous expectations nearly stumbled against a winless visitor, and only a late three-pointer kept the familiar story intact. The moment reminds us how thin the line can be between a ranking and a result, and how much a team's future can hang on who holds the ball when the clock is nearly gone.
With 22 seconds left at Rupp Arena, Northern Arizona led Kentucky 77-73. The Lumberjacks had come in winless and as a 30.5-point underdog, and they were close to one of the biggest upsets in the building's history.
Kentucky cut the margin to two, then fouled on purpose. Max Majerle missed the front end of a one-and-one, a Kentucky player knocked the ball out of bounds on the scramble, and the Wildcats had to foul again. Chris Komin, a strong free-throw shooter last season, also missed the front end. Kentucky grabbed the rebound with 7 seconds left, and Alex Wilkins hit a three-pointer for a 78-77 win.
The writer argues the near-loss weighs heavily given a roster costing more than $20 million, and that Kentucky looked like poor value for nearly the whole game. A search for a comparable loss as a 30-point favorite turned up only Evansville's 2019 upset and Gardner-Webb's 2007 win.
He points to defense as the culprit, a concern he had raised before the Kansas game. Northern Arizona shot 13-for-26 from three and scored 77, while Kentucky's offense shot 56.4% with just four turnovers. Those numbers would normally suggest a comfortable night.
Kentucky hosts Grambling State on Monday and plays Indiana on Friday, and the defensive questions travel with the team.
With 22 seconds left at Rupp Arena on Friday night, Northern Arizona led Kentucky 77-73. The Lumberjacks had arrived winless and as a 30.5-point underdog, and they were close to finishing one of the biggest upsets in the building's history.
Kentucky answered first with a basket from Mason Williams, cutting the deficit to two. The Wildcats then had to foul on purpose. Max Majerle, son of former Phoenix Suns All-Star Dan Majerle, went to the line in a one-and-one and missed the front end. In the scramble for the rebound, a Kentucky player knocked the ball out of bounds, so Kentucky had to foul again.
This time the ball went to Chris Komin, who shot 82% from the line last season. He also missed the front end of the one-and-one. Kentucky grabbed the rebound with 7 seconds left. Williams passed to Alex Wilkins, who moved the ball into the frontcourt and hit a three-pointer for a 78-77 win.
The near-loss carries extra weight because of the roster. CBS Sports places Kentucky in its tier for rosters costing more than $20 million. The team that nearly beat it had lost its first three games by an average of 24 points. By the writer's account, Kentucky looked like poor value for 39 minutes and 58 seconds.
The writer went looking for a comparable Kentucky loss as a 30-point favorite and found none. The closest examples were Evansville's win at Rupp in 2019, when Kentucky was favored by 25, and Gardner-Webb's in 2007, when the Wildcats were favored by 26.
The explanation, he argues, is defense, the same concern he raised before the Kansas game. Kentucky had given up 80 points to James Madison and he questioned whether it could get enough stops against the Jayhawks. Kansas then scored 89 and won by 20. Northern Arizona had averaged 62 points in losses to New Mexico and No. 12 Arizona. Against Kentucky it shot 13-for-26 from three and scored 77.
The offense, by contrast, was efficient. Kentucky shot 56.4% and committed just four turnovers. Those numbers, the writer says, would normally suggest a game where walk-ons see some minutes.
Kentucky hosts Grambling State at Rupp on Monday and plays Indiana on Friday. The defensive questions travel with the team.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The writer says he could not find a Kentucky loss as a 30-point favorite; the closest were Evansville in 2019 and Gardner-Webb in 2007.— Fox News/OutKick writer
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