Hopefully Lamar Wilkerson got that out of his system last night

Kentucky handled its business against NC Central last night, as expected. Now, the real challenge comes Saturday when Indiana rolls into Rupp Arena to reignite their old rivalry. And if you watched the Hoosiers play Penn State last night, you saw something Kentucky fans probably didn’t want to see. Lamar Wilkerson erupted for 44 points in a blowout win, snapping IU’s two-game skid.

Yes, Wilkerson, the one-time Kentucky lean, had a 44-point night in his warm-up before the trip to Lexington on Saturday. The former Sam Houston State star did it on 16-of-22 shooting, and a school record 10-for-15 from three, playing only 24 minutes in a 113-72 win. Yeesh.

In case you forgot, Kentucky recruited Wilkerson hard in the portal to help with its shooting this season. He was one of the priority guards on the board because he is exactly what Kentucky still needs today: an experienced scorer who can shoot it from anywhere. And then, in the final hour, he picked Indiana.

To make the miss worse, not only did it tarnish Ryan Lemond’s scoop credibility (he believed Wilkerson to UK was done), but Wilkerson has been steady all year for Indiana. He’s averaging 18.8 points per game, shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 43.2 percent from three, and logging over 30 minutes per night. Last night’s game wasn’t an outlier, though it was a historic performance. Wilkerson also had 23 against Marquette, 24 against Milwaukee, 18 against Bethune-Cookman, and he’s hit at least four threes in five of 10 games.

Still, 44 is ridiculous, even for a guy who averaged over 20 per game last season at Sam Houston. So, Kentucky meets him at a bad time. He’s feeling good, shooting with confidence, and fresh off the best game of his career, heading to play against the team that nearly signed him in the offseason. He even got the whole Keeneland experience, complete with a trip to the Winner’s Circle!

Hopefully, Wilkerson got his best game out of his system, and it’s cooling off time on Saturday in Rupp Arena. Indiana can have Wilkerson’s 35 made threes on 43.2 percent shooting from outside, and his season-high 44 last night. Just not on Saturday. Kentucky desperately needs to win a meaningful game. It’s the return of an old rivalry. And Wilkerson, who Mark Pope wanted in Blue, is on the other side.

If Wilkerson wants to cool off for one night on Saturday, Big Blue Nation would be very appreciative. We’ll call it even on the Keeneland trip.