Myriad of Minutes for Kentucky's Starters Display Good, Bad for Wildcats Without Wheeler, Fredrick

John Calipari didn't make a substitution in the second half. His hand was forced without having Sahvir Wheeler and CJ Fredrick, yes, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing for the five Wildcats that earned their 82-74 win over Florida.

Wednesday night's 82-74 win over the Florida Gators in Gainesville was Kentucky's third in a row without guards Sahvir Wheeler and CJ Fredrick.

The pair missed their fourth consecutive game — fifth for Wheeler alone — as they both continue to nurse nagging injuries — an ankle issue for Wheeler and a cracked rib for Fredrick. 

While the depth, leadership and prowess of both men is sorely missed, it has provided an opportunity for Kentucky's new starting lineup of Cason Wallace, Antonio Reeves, Chris Livingston, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe to see an uptick in minutes. 

That didn't start out as a positive thing. In UK's 75-68 loss to Georgia in Athens, Ga. on Feb. 11, the Cats took their first swing without the veteran guards, as four of the five starters played 35 or more minutes. 

Kentucky wilted down the stretch, emphasized by a comment from Reeves after the fact:

"Playing 40 minutes is tough for anybody, to be honest. I think that me being out there too much, it got a toll on my legs."

At the time, it wasn't expected that both Wheeler and Fredrick would go on to miss the next three games after that defeat. Once it became clear that their returns wouldn't be immediate, though, the focal point quickly surrounded how the top rotation would handle the additional time on the floor.

All five played 32 minutes or more in the win over Mississippi State in Starkville on Feb. 15. All but Reeves hit the 30-minute mark over the weekend in the home victory against Tennessee. 

A new level was hit on Wednesday, though, as head coach John Calipari handed out just 11 bench minutes against the Gators, none of which came in the second half. For the first time this season, the same five Wildcats opened and finished a half of basketball with no substitutions. 

Toppin managed 35 minutes, while the other four all played 38 or 39 in the victory. It wasn't just for experience sake, either. Calipari did it out of a necessity to win.

"I just went with the five guys because I was trying to win the game," he candidly told reporters postgame. 

It panned out, too. 

Tshiebwe erupted for 25 points, Toppin and Livingston each churned out double-doubles, Reeves scored 16 and Wallace ran the point, totaling eight points and six assists, though he did turn the ball over six times. 

Florida never let the game get too out of hand, though, as it used multiple runs to whittle the deficit down the stretch. With less than a minute to go in the game, UK's lead was just 74-72. 

Tired legs would've burned the Cats in a game like that just two weeks ago. Wednesday's outing instead showed a well-conditioned group of five that wasn't ready to let a Quadrant 1 opportunity slip through the cracks. 

Livingston summarized the vibrant late-game energy, as he scurried for an offensive rebound after a missed 3-pointer by Wallace with less than a minute to go, putting the board back up, making the layup while getting fouled in the process. He'd then hit the free throw to put the Cats up 77-72 at the 46-second mark. 

"His stuff is that energy," Calipari said of the freshman forward. "He's been a monster."

After the win, Toppin was surprised to find out that all five starters actually played the entire second half, though he knew everyone was capable of doing so. 

"You're not really focused on that. Obviously, we want to just win the game. So I don't think — I mean, Oscar doesn't look tired. I don't look tired. Nobody really looks tired. I feel like in practice, we're in great enough shape to play that many minutes. So we're good," he said. "If we need to play a lot of minutes, we definitely can because we're conditioned enough."

Conditioning at this point in the season is a must. Closing out games around the month of March is a good omen, especially for a team that's still hopeful it's getting two vital guards back in the rotation at some point soon. 

Calipari again didn't have a significant update on either Wheeler or Fredrick after the win in Gainesville. He did however, express their importance moving forward. 

"They’ve got two different kinds of injuries, but they’re injured," he said. "But I told them both, 'we need you. I’ve got no subs. It’s hard.'"

It begs the question, how will either player fit upon their return to the rotation? Wheeler's topsy-turvy minutes debacle has been well-documented this season, while Fredrick has been far from consistent when he's been healthy. 

Even still, the pair combine to average 15 points, 7.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds-per-game. That's not chump change, by any means. 

Calipari disclosed Fredrick's current thought process after the game: 

“You know what CJ said? ‘When I come back, Antonio and Chris are playing so well, I know I’m going to go in, and I may make some threes, and I’ll play more, but I know my position right now because I’m watching.'”

Wallace would especially benefit from the return of Wheeler, as the point guards are different players from one-another, making for a nice change of pace when one subs in for the other. 

“Sahvir makes us different,” Calipari said. “Cason plays one way. Sahvir is flying and a couple of easy baskets, creating a turnover because of his defense. We need them both."

It remains to be seen if either player will return to the court on Saturday, Feb. 25, when the Wildcats host the Auburn Tigers inside Rupp Arena. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. EST and will air on CBS. 

More on the win over Florida HERE.

Game notes from the victory can be seen HERE.

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