The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Colgate Raiders on Wednesday night in Lexington by a score of 78-67.

The Cats got off to a brilliant start and took a commanding 17-0 lead. However, the Raiders were undeterred and responded with an 11-0 run of their own. Kentucky looked like they were just going through the motions as they took a 38-36 lead into halftime. Surely Mark Pope was up for it, right?

After halftime, Colgate took a three-point lead early in the half before Kentucky finally woke up and realized they might actually have to play this half. It wasn’t always pretty, but the Cats regained their power from deep and continued to pound the Raiders as the game progressed.

Kentucky is now 9-1 with two huge wins in Pope’s inaugural season. It wasn’t, but it’s still another W.

The Cats next face the rival Louisville Cardinals on Saturday afternoon in Lexington.

Here are three things to know about the Cats’ win over the Raiders.

Still no butler

Lamont Butler missed last Saturday’s game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs due to what was reported to be a minor ankle injury, but he missed his second straight game tonight.

Butler twisted his ankle late against the Clemson Tigers last Tuesday but was able to finish the game. He also warmed up before the big match against the Zags, but didn’t get to try it. The good news is that while the injury appears to be minor, two consecutive absences are raising some eyebrows.

The bad news is that the Cats really miss Butler’s presence. Butler provides experienced stability at point guard on both sides of the ball. He’s a lockdown defender, arguably Kentucky’s best, and he’s capable of getting Kentucky a basket when they desperately need it.

Butler’s ability to run the show and drive downhill at will, coupled with his elite defense, is difficult to replicate. Pope will be happy to have his point guard back, especially since Kerr Kriisa is expected to miss significant time.

Brea wakes up

Koby Brea has slowed down a bit after his stellar start to the season, as he has only scored in double figures once in the last four games. Brea has shown an inability to make free throws against some of the better teams on Kentucky’s schedule, but sometimes just the threat of having him on the court can go a long way.

After a short sleep, Kentucky’s sniper has awakened. Brea is the best three-point shooter in the country, and he lived up to that claim in this game. The Dayton transfer is known for his shooting ability, but he’s also 6-foot-3, so it’s safe to assume he can do even more on the court.

Brea isn’t a great defender, but his length helps. He was a solid rebounder but appears timid when he gets inside the arc on offense. To put it simply, he’s not completely one-dimensional, but when his shot isn’t falling, it’s really difficult to keep him on the floor.

With Butler and Kriisa missing out on this and perhaps more, Brea stepping up would be a big development. He was on fire in this game with 17 points and five three-pointers and reminded us all why he is dangerous. Let’s hope he keeps it up.

Freshman struggles

The freshmen – Travis Perry, Trent Noah and Collin Chandler – have played sparingly this season. Most of their minutes were against the really bad teams, with Chandler getting a few minutes here and there against the better teams just to give some players a breather.

It’s clear that none of these three players are ready to contribute at the moment. All three are still getting used to the speed and physicality of the college game, but that’s okay because sometimes that’s just what you get with freshmen. The Cats aren’t as reliant on these three as they have been in years past, so their slow development is okay and perhaps even welcome.

However, it’s difficult right now when you’re out of your starting and backup point guards and need minutes from someone. It’s way too early to make any real judgments about these guys. So let’s take a look at what they look like once they settle in – be it this year or in a few years.

Now the Cats get the Cardinals and Pat Kelsey in his first season in Louisville. Things haven’t looked great for the Cards so far, but the rivalry always sparks a little something in the BBN.

Let’s hope for an entertaining one. Come on, cats!