Kentucky rolls past Minnesota State: 3 things to know and postgame cheers

The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks in their final exhibition game, as the regular season will now officially begin. The final score was 98-67.

The Cats got off to a slow start, which seemed like an afterthought after their first blowout win. 3s weren't falling early, Kentucky looked sloppy, and Minnesota State was ready to go. Before long, however, Kentucky hit its stride, thanks in large part to Jackson Robinson, and extended its lead to 43-23 and never looked back.

In the second half, Mark Pope's squad did not get off to the same start as in the first half. Kentucky quickly jumped out to a 53-25 lead before the first media timeout. The Cats continued to extend their lead, but the defense stopped significantly. To be fair, though, the offense looked overwhelming.

There's a lot you can take away from exhibition games, but it's fun to imagine all the possibilities with this team. They still have a long way to go, and hopefully, injuries don't set them back (see below), but it should be a fun ride.

Despite a rough start with turnovers, the Cats finished with just eight for the game compared to 28 assists.

That will do.

Next, the Cats open the Mark Pope era in Lexington on Monday night against the Wright State Raiders.

Here are three things to know from another fun night at Roop Arena.

Injury update

There is good news and bad news. The good news is that Kerr Chrissa made his debut after sitting out the Blue White and Kentucky Wesleyan games with a hamstring injury. The bad news is that Amari Williams suffered a lower leg injury in the first half and did not return to the game.

Williams returned to the bench and rode a bike for a while, but let's hope his absence was just precautionary. The Drexel transfer could be Kentucky's most important player, especially given Pope's reliance on passing in the offense.

Williams has looked like an elite passer thus far, and when you throw in his ability to alter shots on the defensive end, it's easy to see why the Cats took a few minutes to adjust after going down.

Anyway, let's get back to the good news, which Brandon Garrison filled in nicely in Williams' absence. Garrison isn't quite the same passer as Williams, but Pope didn't force the issue and instead dropped the former McDonald's All-American into the post, where he took advantage.

Jackson Robinson can fill it

Robinson was widely expected to be Kentucky's best player, at least the best scorer, and he completely lived up to that hype. The BYU transfer looked good in Kentucky's first exhibition game, but he went nuclear from the 3-point line in his second exhibition game.

Robinson came into Kentucky known as a threat from beyond the arc, but if he shoots anything like he did tonight, he'll be tough to stop. The 6-foot-6 guard was lethal and didn't even need a two-point basket to do it, as all 24 of his points came on 8/12 shooting from deep.

The fifth-year senior isn't Kentucky's most talented player of the past decade, but make no mistake—this kid is a future NBA player.

His length makes his shot difficult to contest, and that's good because he definitely likes to float outside the 3-point line. It would be nice to see him attack the basket a little more than he does, but as long as those shots are falling, we're nitpicking at that point.

What does Kentucky do when 3s don't fall?

This is the biggest concern of most fans, and it's valid. How much does Kentucky depend on the 3, what happens when no one seems to be dropping out?

Well, the answer tonight looks like it's an easy one. Just keep shooting!

The shots didn't fall early for Kentucky tonight and Minnesota State was able to put the game away for the first 10 minutes. However, they just keep shooting up more and eventually, they start hitting them.

As I mentioned above, Garrison also played a role in the post, and it helps to have a few guys like Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh who are hard to keep from the basket. Butler and Oveh look like constant presences to help the cats whenever they need them.

Neither player is the best outside shooter, but they both get to the rim at will and hunt down opposing guards on the defensive end. 3s are fun, but you have to have a guy or two who can go get a bucket while not going down. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the course of the season.

It's time for the real fun to begin. Go cat!