Takeaways: A Reed Sheppard buzzer beater inches the Kentucky Wildcats past Mississippi State

What can we take away from Kentucky's buzzer beater win over Mississippi State?

Author:
Andrew Stefaniak
Publish date:
Feb 27, 2024 10:11 PM EST

In this story:

Kentucky Wildcats

Mississippi State Bulldogs

In a game some thought would be more of a rock fight, both teams' offenses showed up, leading to 180 points going up on the board.

Kentucky was able to fight back and win this basketball game 91-89 despite the Mississippi State Bulldogs leading for 34 minutes and 18 seconds.

Last week, Kentucky lost to LSU on a buzzer beater, killing all of the momentum they gained from the win over Auburn. This week, the Wildcats were on the other end of this as Reed Sheppard nailed a game-winner.

What can we take away from Kentucky's come from behind victory of the Mississippi State Bulldogs?

Reed Sheppard was dominant

Feb 27, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard (15) scores on the final shot of the game as Mississippi State Bulldogs forward KeShawn Murphy (12) and guard Josh Hubbard (13) defend during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports — © Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Reed Sheppard was incredible in this game. Whenever the Wildcats needed a shot to fall, a pair of free throws, or a big stop, he made a great play. Of course, Sheppard also nailed the game-winner with a second left on the clock. The freshman had 32 points on 11-14 shooting while grabbing five rebounds, dishing seven assists, blocking two shots, and securing two steals. This game is an excellent example of why Sheppard is a projected lottery pick. The biggest shot of the year belongs to Sheppard, as he got Kentucky the big win in Starkville.

Zvonimir Ivisic needs to be the starting five

Feb 27, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Zvonimir Ivisic (44) shoots as Mississippi State Bulldogs forward KeShawn Murphy (12) defends during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports — © Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Zvonimir Ivisic didn't score a ton, with only two points on 1-5 shooting, but he was the best of Kentucky's seven-footers when it came to defending Tolu Smith. Ivisic was the +/- champion with a whooping +17 in his 21 minutes on the floor. Ugonna Onyenso didn't have a good game as he was getting dominated by Smith and had Kentucky's worst +/- with a -21 in just 12 minutes. If Big Z can get more minutes and continue to improve on defense, there is no question he should be Kentucky's starter going forward. He had four rebounds, three blocks, and a steal in this win. Unlike the other two seven-footers, he can give you 20+ points on any given night.

Kentucky let Mississippi State back in the game late

Feb 27, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports — © Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky got the lead all the way up to eight points late in the game, but a few silly mistakes made this stressful. Now, to be fair, Josh Hubbard made some incredible circus shots, but a silly foul from Onyenso and a bad pass from Sheppard gave the Bulldogs opportunities to get this win. Kentucky winning is all that matters, but you don't want to lose a game in the NCAA Tournament making mistakes like Kentucky did late in Starkville.