Kentucky led by 26 points. Maybe eight minutes remained in the game. It was hardly the setup for a display of relentless effort.
Yet after a teammate missed a shot, Ashton Hagans did not concede the ball to an opponent with impregnable rebound position. And after failing to get the rebound, Hagans did not make a prudent save-it-for-a-more-urgent-time retreat to the defensive end. He tried to intercept the rebounder’s outlet pass, barely failing to succeed as he deflected the ball out of bounds.
This memorable sequence during Kentucky’s final game in the Bahamas raised an obvious question: Why?