The Kentucky basketball team is once again expected to be a national title contender, and they came into the season ranked #16 in the country. The Wildcats looked like they might pull off a big upset in their third game of the season when they played #1 Kansas, but the Jayhawks staged a late comeback to pull off the win. Still, Kentucky has looked impressive so far this season, and they moved up to #12 in the country before their huge matchup with #8 Miami basketball on Tuesday night. The Wildcats came to play, and they ended up beating the Hurricanes by 22 points.

This was expected to be a close game throughout, and it was in the first half. However, Kentucky basketball dominated the second half and came away with a 95-73 win. The Wildcats were only up by five at the break, but they outscored Miami 53-36 in the second half to earn the impressive win.

Two of the best performers in this one for Kentucky came off the bench as Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard both shined in this matchup. Dillingham finished with 12 points and was a perfect 2-2 from deep, and Sheppard led the Wildcats in scoring as he dropped 22 points, with 15 coming from behind the arc. Miami basketball head coach Jim Larrañaga was impressed with their talent.

“Those two are NBA guys,” Larrañaga said after the game, according to a tweet from Jack Pilgrim. “Great college players, yeah, but they'll play beyond.”

That's some high praise, and it is likely accurate. Kentucky is a team that consistently sends guys to the NBA, and Dillingham and Sheppard will likely continue that trend.

Kentucky seems to be on track for another impressive season. They are now 6-1 after the big win over Miami, and they are back in action on Saturday at home against UNC Wilmington.