NCAA Basketball: A 1-bid Pac-12, overrated Oklahoma, & more takeaways

NCAA Basketball: A one-bid Pac-12, overrated Oklahoma and more takeaways

By Brian Rauf | Dec 23, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Bobby Hurley of the Arizona State Sun Devils reacts to a call during the second half of the championship game against the Utah State Aggies in the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Arizona State won 87-82. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 08: Ashton Hagans #2 of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts after making a basket against the Seton Hall Pirates during the second half of a college basketball game at Madison Square Garden on December 8, 2018 in New York City. Seton Hall defeated Kentucky 84-83 in overtime. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

5) Ashton Hagans sparking Kentucky‘s season

Kentucky entered Saturday without a quality win and had two losses (Duke, Seton Hall) that raised questions about just how good the Wildcats actually were.

Well, they took their first step towards proving themselves again on Saturday with that win over UNC (which I caught up on afterward, shoutout 2018 technology) thanks to the play of freshman point guard Ashton Hagans, who made his best Tre Jones impression with seven steals and lockdown defense all night against the Tar Heels.

The former Georgia commit, who reclassified to the 2018 class to play for Kentucky, has seen his role increase of late and moved into the starting lineup, playing at least 20 minutes in each of UK’s last five games.

Offense has never been a problem for this Kentucky team – Keldon Johnson has emerged as a legitimate star and Reid Travis continues to prove himself as Calipari’s go-to frontcourt player – but they needed to improve defensively.

Hagans’ defense at the point has given them the spark they needed on that end of the floor and may have turned around Kentucky’s season in the process.

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