When the news broke just before tipoff that Jaland Lowe was out with "soreness," a collective wave of anxiety rippled through Big Blue Nation.
We have talked all week about how thin Kentucky is at the point guard position. We have worried about what would happen if Lowe had to miss time. We have debated whether Mark Pope needs to go into the portal for insurance.
Jasper Johnson spent the next 40 minutes silencing those fears.
Thrust into the primary ball-handling role, the freshman didn't just survive; he thrived. Johnson finished with 11 points, 7 assists, and just one turnover in 22 minutes of action.