Kentucky Basketball: 3 takeaways from blowout loss against Duke

Keldon Johnson is a budding star

If there was one bright spot in this game for Kentucky, it was Keldon Johnson. Even though his teammates struggled around him on both ends of the floor, it was Johnson that *attempted* to keep the game close. In the end, his efforts were far from achieving that goal but his performance should still be commended. He was the best two Wildcats on the floor against Duke and his quick rise to stardom at the college level could pay major dividends down the road for UK.

On the whole, the lengthy wing was arguably the best defender on the floor for Kentucky and posted 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting. And while these numbers are not exactly spectacular, he flashed signs of brilliance at times. There should be no concerns regarding his potential as a star for the ‘Cats this season.

In terms of help, only Stanford transfer Reid Travis really stood as having a solid game. He finished the night with 22 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field. He will surely be a steady force for the team throughout the season and it seems as though Johnson might not be that far behind if he develops well throughout the year. His numbers in this one might not have been spectacular but he flashed signs of greatness, especially early.

In the end, though, Kentucky is going to need more than two guys. Tyler Herro, who was the third-leading scorer, came away with a strong stat-line of 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists but struggled greatly from the floor and had a poor game defensively. The other two starters, PJ Washington and Ashton Hagans, struggled mightily offensively as well as they combined for just 10 points.

In summary, Kentucky is going to be just fine. This was a disastrous performance in the season opener and it may haunt the team for the next couple of weeks but they will still be an elite team. UK might be down for the team being but they are far from out. The season has a long way to go.