Andreas Carr, Otega Oweh, Amari Williams And Brandon Garrison were the obvious highlights in Kentucky’s win over Duke. They played both sides and it led to a long-awaited celebration of Mark Pope’s first win as head coach of his alma mater, with the Wildcats coming out on top for the first time since 2019.

It’s hard to nitpick a win of this magnitude when you know what it means for the program, but if you have to mention some of the issues: Jaxson Robinson And Lamont Butler are among the very few. However, let me first make it clear that both players are absolute game changers in their own way, especially the former in an attacking sense and the latter in a defensive sense. They will both win more games for Kentucky this season than they will lose, without a doubt.

But both of their battles on the big stage were notable, Robinson finishing with one point on 0-4 shooting to go with two blocks, one rebound, one steal and one turnover in 27 minutes and Butler adding nine points on 3-7 shooting with four assists, three rebounds and two turnovers in 24 minutes. That battle intensified in the first half, with the latter doing far too much and the former far too little.

How much did their play hurt Kentucky overall? Mark Pope says not at all. In fact, they helped the Wildcats get the big win regardless of what the box score said.

“We didn’t win without Jaxson because Jax has such an impact. You’re talking about a gravity man,” he said. “Just throw Jax on the ground and four guys lean towards him. His numbers may not have been huge, but he sure makes an impact when he walks in the gym.

Robinson finished the first half with zero shot attempts and the game with four total. His shooting production was minimal, but the defense always had to account for him, giving Kentucky opportunities elsewhere.

That means something.

“He has an impact on the scout, he has an impact on all those things. This team is built this way, Jaxson has grown into an exceptional leader. Exceptional,” Pope added. “These guys know it’s not about him – that doesn’t mean we don’t all care and want to be successful individually. We certainly do that. But it’s not just about Jax. Jax made a huge contribution tonight in all the ways he does. Come on, that’s a dangerous man. That is a very dangerous man.”

The same can be said for Butler, who had a horrific first half at both ends before finding his footing in the second. His shot selection was poor and his defensive errors were costly in the opening 20 minutes. That led to Pope pulling him aside at halftime to let him know his confidence hadn’t gone anywhere and that he trusted his starting point guard to get the job done.

Then he did just that, going for an efficient four points, three assists and zero turnovers in the second half.

“Lamont is the foundation of this team,” Pope said. “If you get to know Lamont Butler, he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met. That’s not an exaggeration. And he’s a winner – a winner.”

The conversation doesn’t change because of one ho-hum evening. Regardless, his belief remains strong, and the payoff in the second half was worth it.

“We ride or die together, man. That’s what this team is like,” Pope added. “I think that way about Otega, I think that way about Andrew. We are our boys, we are each other’s boys. We are not moving away from each other. If we have a bad half, a bad half or a bad game, we run back to each other.

“That’s the conversation I had with Lamont. He doesn’t need much, he has the heart of a winner. He had an incredible second half, he really gave us a huge boost in the second half.”

It was enough to earn the 77-72 win over No. 6 Duke, which is ultimately all that matters. One way or another, Pope will stand up for his men.