If Kentucky makes a Final Four run the win over Alabama will be the reason why

Kentucky fans will always look back at this win over Alabama with a smile.

After the painful buzzer-beater loss to LSU in the midweek, the Kentucky Wildcats bounced back, making a big statement, blowing out the SEC's top team, Alabama, 117-95. 

It's hard to lose a basketball game when you shoot 61.8% from the field and 54.2% from three, which is why Kentucky's offense was unstoppable. Aside from garbage time, Kentucky played pretty good defense against Alabama, who is number one in points per game in all of college basketball. The Wildcats held Alabama to only six made threes, so the plan to extend the three-point line worked. 

While there were many bright spots in this game for Kentucky, the brightest was how well Justin Edwards played. The freshman wing scored 28 points while going 10-10 from the field and 4-4 from three. Edwards also had five rebounds, two assists, and didn't turn the basketball over once. After the game, Edwards admitted he has been struggling mentally during the season but has been feeling better lately, and this performance will surely give him a confidence boost. Edwards will, of course, not do this every game, but if he can start giving this Kentucky team double digits every night, the Wildcats can win a National Championship. 

Coach Calipari had this to say about Edward's performance against Alabama, "You know, I kept saying you're going to break through; I believe in you. He said coach, I believe in you. And I said you just got to stay the course. What I said to the team today he has lived in the gym. He made every shot. I took him out because he reverted back, and he was going to spin, move, and throw the ball. I took him out because I said you're playing a perfect game. I'm not going to let you screw it up."

If Kentucky does end this season hoisting some hardware and Edwards plays great for the rest of the season, Big Blue Nation will look back at this blowout win over Alabama as the game that got him going. With all of the potential he possesses, if Edwards can keep playing well, he could work his way back into the first round of the NBA Draft.