Halftime Thoughts: Kentucky Cruising at the Break

The Wildcats lead by 19 at the break over SC State

Here are some halftime thoughts as No. 4 Kentucky leads South Carolina State 49-30 at the break: 

• Oscar Tshiebwe hasn't played like Oscar in his first half minutes. Not working as hard for some of those classic offensive rebounds we've seen him wrangle, and the finishing on the offensive end isn't quite there yet. Maybe it's a long-term adrenaline dump from Tuesday night's showing, maybe it's something SC State is doing down in the paint. Six points and three rebounds in seven minutes for the reigning NPOY. 

• Adou Thiero had quite the six minutes in the first half, scoring three points and adding a pair of rebounds, while also turning the ball over twice and picking up three fouls. Tonight was a good opportunity for the true freshman to get some valuable minutes on the court. He still may get some tick in the second half, but needs to be more careful when around the basketball. 

• Antonio Reeves may also still be recovering from his off night in Indianapolis. Calipari ran the Illinois State transfer for just nine minutes, where he shot 0-2 from the floor, making a pair of free throws. After leading the team in points the first two nights, things have perhaps caught up with the shooting guard a tad. 

• Say what you will about SC State, the Bulldogs are fighting. While the shots haven't fallen, Erik Martin's group is hanging in there on defense, not allowing as many easy looks for the Wildcats. Kentucky was able to force just six turnovers through 20 minutes. SC State is clearly overmatched on the court, but the heart is certainly there. 

• Thus far, Jacob Toppin is playing with that physicality that Calipari has been searching for. He hasn't taken many contested shots and is getting in the lane, fighting for rebounds and being vocal on defense. He's got four points, four boards, two assists and a block at the break.

• Sahvir Wheeler didn't score in the first half, but he enters the locker room with a plus-minus of plus-14, the best of any Wildcat. He has five assists and a pair of rebounds. The combination of Wheeler and Wallace is so dynamic, it's clear to see why Calipari wants them out on the court together. 

Wildcats Today will have live coverage of the second half from Rupp Arena.