LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Numbers maven Ken Pomeroy made it official this weekend. Of the 230 Division I teams that played Friday and/or Saturday, Kentucky was the youngest. UK's players in the opening-night victory over Utah Valley averaged 0.19 seasons of college experience. The smallest average experience since Pomeroy began keeping track was 0.27 by The Citadel in 2007-08.
In beating Vermont 73-69 Sunday, Kentucky showed its age. Or lack thereof.
Kentucky survived as much as it won. The Cats never got into a rhythm as suggested by being called for charging four times. On defense, the matchup of freshman Quade Green and Vermont senior Trae Bell-Haynes proved problematic.
On the plus side, Kentucky won despite a huge disadvantage in experience _ which figures to be a continuing theme this season.
Vermont's players made a cumulative 136 starts last season, and 254 in their careers. UK's eight freshmen and three sophomores had 28 previous starts. And that included the five first-time starters in Friday's opener against Utah Valley.
Vermont, which Collegeinsider.com ranked No. 3 in its preseason top 25 of mid-major teams, had not beaten a ranked opponent since 2006 (77-63 over No. 14 Boston College on Nov. 13, 2006). Since then, the Catamounts had lost seven games against ranked opponents.
But Vermont, which returned four starters from a team that won 29 games and made the NCAA Tournament, was not expected to be a pushover.
Kentucky led most of the game, but never by more than 14 points and only 65-61 with 5:55 left. A 3-pointer by Ernie Duncan, a fourth-year junior, reduced UK's lead to 72-69 with 1:14 left.
That was still the score when Vermont called time with 17.8 seconds. The Catamounts got two shots at tying it. Duncan missed an open 3-pointer from the right wing with six seconds left on the clock.
Then Payton Henson missed a more contested shot from about the same spot.
PJ Washington, who set the final score with a free throw in the final second, led UK with 17 points. Hamidou Diallo added 16, Green 15 and Kevin Knox 11.
Bell-Haynes led Vermont with 16 points.
Little in this victory brought reassurance for UK's next game against No. 4 Kansas in Chicago on Tuesday.
After a messy, disjointed first half, Kentucky led 36-24. Diallo led the way with 13 points, which included UK's only 3-point basket in five shots from beyond the arc. It came with 1:12 left and set the halftime score.
The final 72 seconds served as fitting punctuation. Vermont called timeout, presumably to set up a shot. It was a missed 3-pointer (the Catamounts were three of 13 from 3-point range in the half).
Then UK called time. A walking call against Green (he shuffled his feet starting a drive) snuffed out the plan.
The chances for highlight material dimmed early. Bell-Haynes picked up his second foul at the 16:49 mark. Maybe this made him cautious as he ended the half with six points and one assist.
Momentum swung back and forth. UK took the early initiative and led 13-4 inside the first seven minutes.
Then Vermont scored nine straight points in the next three-plus minutes.
Later, Vermont's Anthony Lamb wrapped his arms around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to try to prevent a fast-break layup. Gilgeous-Alexander made the shot and three-point play.
Washington picked up a technical foul _ and a lecture from UK Coach John Calipari _ in the aftermath of the play.
The teams traded baskets and timeouts early in the second half.
As the football people might say, Green figured on both sides of the ball. His 3-pointer and purposeful drive put UK ahead 47-33 and prompted a Vermont timeout with 16:27 left.
But in that same period, Green got beat by Bell-Haynes for a layup off an inbounds pass, then again on a fast-break drive that prompted a UK timeout with 15:34 left.
That signaled that it would not be easy.
