TyTy Washington was far from great. He took nine shots, missed eight of them and finished with just two points. A triumphant return, it was not.
But he played!
Which meant Kentucky was able to start and finish with its lethal backcourt healthy and available. And what's becoming increasingly clear as this season progresses is that the Wildcats are capable of beating anybody — and perhaps anybody badly — when their lethal backcourt is healthy and available.
What a performance.
Final score: Kentucky 80, Kansas 62.
The Wildcats led by as many as 24 points on the road and never let Kansas get closer than 14 points in the second half. They exposed the Jayhawks' just-OK defense while shooting 50.8% from the field. The blowout victory improved UK to 17-4 overall — including a 14-2 record when both Washington and Sahvir Wheeler are healthy enough to start and finish.
"We've won a lot of games against ranked teams — all kinds of different ways," Kentucky coach John Calipari told reporters afterward. "I've done this a long time, and I've been in many of these games on the road where it's Game Day. I told the team, 'All the pressure is on the other team. If you play for 40 minutes, watch what happens.'"
Kentucky's résumé now includes a 29-point win over North Carolina inside T-Mobile Arena, a 28-point win over Tennessee inside Rupp Arena, and an 18-point win over Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse. When the Wildcats are good, they're really good. And that's among the reasons they've moved to No. 3 in Sunday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Auburn remains No. 1 for the 19th consecutive day.
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Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Auburn is 11-1 in the first two quadrants and on a 17-game winning streak. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Alabama. | -- | 27-8 |
| 2 |  | Gonzaga has won 10 straight games since losing to Alabama. The Zags' next game is Thursday at San Diego. | -- | 27-8 |
| 3 |  | Kentucky is 7-4 in the first two quadrants with all four losses coming in Quadrant 1 games away from home. The Wildcats' next game is Wednesday against Vanderbilt. | 6 | 23-10 |
| 4 |  | UCLA is 7-2 in the first two quadrants thanks to a six-game winning streak highlighted by a victory over Arizona. The Bruins' next game is Thursday against the Wildcats. | 1 | 16-17 |
| 5 |  | Baylor is tied for the national lead with seven Quadrant 1 wins and is 10-3 in the first two quadrants. The Bears' next game is Monday against West Virginia. | 2 | 24-11 |
| 6 |  | Arizona is 6-2 in the first two quadrants with the losses coming at Tennessee and at UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday against UCLA. | -- | 27-9 |
| 7 |  | Houston's 10-game winning streak features eight double-digit victories. The Cougars' next game is Wednesday against Tulane. | -- | 32-5 |
| 8 |  | Purdue is 7-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Villanova and Illinois. The Boilermakers' next game is Sunday against Ohio State. | -- | 34-5 |
| 9 |  | Kansas is 10-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Michigan State and Texas Tech. The Jayhawks' next game is Tuesday at Iowa State. | 5 | 23-11 |
| 10 |  | Wisconsin is 10-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Purdue, Houston, Ohio State and Marquette. The Badgers' next game is Sunday against Minnesota. | -- | 22-14 |
| 11 |  | Villanova is 9-1 in its past 10 games with the lone loss in that stretch coming to Marquette. The Wildcats' next game is a rematch against the Golden Eagles. | -- | 18-16 |
| 12 |  | Michigan State is 11-2 in its past 13 games with double-digit wins over Wisconsin and Michigan. The Spartans' next game is Tuesday at Maryland. | -- | 20-15 |
| 13 |  | Texas Tech is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with all five losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Red Raiders' next game is Tuesday against Texas. | -- | 23-11 |
| 14 |  | Duke is 6-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Gonzaga and Kentucky and losses to Miami and Florida State. The Blue Devils' next game is Monday at Notre Dame. | -- | 27-9 |
| 15 |  | Providence's 4-1 Quadrant 1 record includes wins over Wisconsin and Texas Tech. The Friars' next game is Sunday against Marquette. | -- | 21-14 |
| 16 |  | Marquette is 8-6 in the first two quadrants and on a seven-game winning streak highlighted by victories over Villanova and Xavier. The Golden Eagles' next game is Sunday at Providence. | 1 | 27-10 |
| 17 |  | Ohio State is 5-4 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Buckeyes' next game is Sunday at Purdue. | 1 | 22-14 |
| 18 |  | Xavier is 9-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Ohio State and Marquette. The Musketeers' next game is Saturday at Creighton. | 5 | 16-18 |
| 19 |  | LSU is 9-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kentucky and Tennessee and losses to Arkansas and TCU. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Ole Miss. | 3 | 17-16 |
| 20 |  | UConn is 5-4 in the first two quadrants and the only team with a win over Auburn. The Huskies' next game is Tuesday against Creighton. | -- | 37-3 |
| 21 |  | Iowa State is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Texas Tech, Xavier and Texas. The Cyclones' next game is Tuesday against Kansas. | -- | 29-8 |
| 22 |  | Illinois is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with a win over Michigan State. The Illini's next game is Wednesday against Wisconsin. | 2 | 29-9 |
| 23 |  | Texas is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Tennessee and Oklahoma. The Longhorns' next game is Tuesday at Texas Tech. | 2 | 21-13 |
| 24 |  | Tennessee's 6-6 record in the first two quadrants includes zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Vols' next game is Tuesday against Texas A&M. | 5 | 27-9 |
| 25 |  | Saint Mary's is 5-4 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Gaels' next game is Thursday at Portland. | 1 | 26-8 |
| 26 |  | Alabama's résumé includes wins over Gonzaga, Baylor and Houston and losses to Memphis, Missouri and Georgia. The Crimson Tide's next game is Tuesday at Auburn. | NR | 25-12 |
