What did we learn from Kentucky's 98-67 win over Minnesota State?

Takeaways from Kentucky's 98-67 win over Minnesota State.

Oct 23, 2024; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Jaxson Robinson (2) holds the ball during the second half against the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats had their second and final exhibition game ahead of the 2024-25 season and beat Minnesota State 98-67. This Minnesota State team is not a joke, as they won the Division II National Championship last year.

In the first ten minutes of this game, Minnesota State's aggressive hands were causing turnovers, but the Wildcats were able to adjust as the game went on.

What did we learn from Kentucky's 98-67 win over Minnesota State?

The most important lesson learned is that defense will keep Kentucky around when they are turning over the ball, or shots aren't falling. Last season, Kentucky's defense was so bad that if shots didn't fall, they would get down a lot. This team was able to keep a small lead while the shots weren't falling, then went on a massive run once they did.

The second thing Kentucky fans learned in this game is that Jaxson Robinson is going to be an All-American. In this game, Robinson was 8-13 from the field and 8-12 from three, scoring 24 points. He also added six rebounds and three assists to the stat sheet. It's going to be a special season for the BYU transfer.

The final thing learned in this game is that Brandon Garrison is going to be special. He played extra minutes in this game for the banged-up Amari Williams and shined. Garrison was 6-9 from the field for 12 points and added four rebounds plus an assist. There won't be much drop off from Williams to Garrison this season.

This was an excellent win for Kentucky, where they started shaky but were able to dial in and blow out the defending Division II National Champions.