Friday night was big night for Big Blue Nation. The offseason finally ended, and the Kentucky basketball team took the floor for the first time in an exhibition matchup against Little Rock. While it didn't end up being the best display for the Wildcats, they did get a 69-49 victory.
After the game, Mark Pope was quick to point out that Kentucky kept their game pretty vanilla, which makes sense. That was likely a part of the reason for their struggles. They turned it over 19 times, and looked out of sorts, especially in the first half.
Defensively, however, they were excellent. They rebounded the ball well, and totaled 9 steals and 8 blocked shots on the night. They also held Little Rock to just over 30% shooting overall.
It was just exhibition game number one, so it's important to not get too high or low. Fans had plenty of thoughts, and everyone is sure to have some thoughts. Overall, though, it was a fun night for Kentucky fans.
Though it was just an exhibition game, some guys did struggle, and some thrived. Here's a look at whose stock is up after the game, and whose is down.
Stock up: Mason Williams
Though he wasn't a top recruit, Williams looked like one on Friday. He had 10 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals in the game, and the offense seemed to flow better when he was in. He handled the press well, and had a terrific debut in Lexington.
Stock down: Offense against press
Little Rock went into a full-court press several times during the game, and it seemed to work for the most part. Kentucky struggled to even inbound the ball more than once, and it was responsible for more than one turnover.
Stock up: Three-point shooting
Most fans expect this team to be very good from behind the three point line. They started off slow, but got things going and ended up making 12 threes, with Milan Momcilovic knocking down four of them. They came from multiple players and positions. They look like they should continue to shoot a lot.
Stock down: Inside scoring
While Kentucky shot the ball well from outside, they didn't dominate in the paint like they should have with the size advantage they have. Malachi Moreno played well, but they got outscored inside by a much smaller team.
Stock up: Braydon Hawthorne
He didn't have huge numbers, but Hawthorne showed flashes of what he has the potential to be. He made a three-pointer, he drove to the rim, and he had the defensive highlight of the night, blocking a dunk attempt on a fast break. If he continues to improve, the sky is the limit.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Stock up/stock down from Kentucky's win over Little Rock