LEXINGTON, Ky. — The list of embarrassing issues and dreadful play by the Tennessee men’s basketball team on Saturday appear limitless.
But if any positive can be taken from Kentucky’s 77-58 dismantling of the Vols, it may be the effort of Scotty Hopson.
The freshman guard returned to his home state with high expectations, and plenty of boos and chants cascading down upon him at Rupp Arena. But the highly touted guard rose to the occasion and led UT with 14 points, going 6-of-14 from the field.
“It felt good because this is close to home for me,” said Hopson, who attended University Heights in Hopkinsville, Ky. “My family and friends were here cheering me on. It was just a blessing to be back here playing.”
Hopson has pressed in other key games, including against Marquette in Nashville on Dec. 16 as well as when Kentucky came to Knoxville one month later. But he appeared more relaxed and aggressive on Saturday, and it was highlighted with a dunk in the second half when he took a pass from the top of the key, drove the lane, and threw it down.
“I thought Scotty competed,” UT Coach Bruce Pearl said. “He has made a lot of improvement and a lot of progress. I thought that Scotty was one of those guys that did keep his poise.”
Harsh words: Pearl didn’t hold back in his postgame press conference.
“I have been a head coach for a lot of years and my team has finished first or second in every conference that we have played in,” Pearl said. “Those teams have played hard and unselfishly. This team doesn’t do either.”
Stepping in: After Kentucky guard Jodie Meeks scored a school-record 54 points at UT last month, the Wildcats knew the Vols were going to attempt to lock him down.
UT did a solid job and held Meeks to 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting Saturday, but others took advantage.
“They had a person on him everywhere he went,” said Kentucky freshman Darius Miller, who scored a career-high 17 points. “We had a lot of open shots and open driving lanes, so we were trying to take advantage of that.”
Feeling fine: Kentucky center Patrick Patterson started for the first time after missing two games with an ankle injury. The sophomore scored a game-high 19 points.
“It feels great,” Patterson said about his ankle. “I had to tell (the trainer) if it hurt and it hasn’t. There was no pain during practice this week.”
Extra points: The Wildcats shot a season-high 59.6 percent from the field. It was their highest percentage since shooting 56.6 at UT on Jan. 13. … The crowd of 24,394 was a season high for Kentucky, and the fourth-largest crowd in Rupp Arena’s history. … UT outscored Kentucky 30-10 on second-chance points.
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