By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
NASHVILLE — Dominique Hawkins is used to playing his best basketball in March.
“I’m always ready at that time,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins is no stranger to making big plays in the postseason. Three years ago this week, the junior guard led Madison Central High School to its first state title in 2013 and made contributions off the bench during Kentucky’s Final Four runs during the past two seasons.
The Kentucky junior guard was definitely prepared in his team’s postseason opener Friday night. Hawkins provided a spark off the bench for the Wildcats in an 85-59 rout of Alabama in the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena.
The junior guard finished with seven points, grabbed a pair of rebounds and dished out an assist in 20 minutes. Although the numbers were small compared to the performances by Jamal Murray (23 points), Alex Poythress (20 points) and Tyler Ulis (17 points), his contributions were timely and paved the way to an a third straight victory over the Crimson Tide this season.
Kentucky coach John Calipari wanted Hawkins to provide veteran leadership while on the court.
“Coach told be to be aggressive and if I had an open shot, definitely take it and he needed me for my defense,” Hawkins said. “I just wanted to get into the game and start playing.”
Once he got on the court, he was active from start to finish. Hawkins knocked down a 3-pointer and connected on another bucket during an 11-0 run in the first half that gave the Wildcats some spacing and the confidence they needed to produce a third straight blowout. In addition to his scoring, Hawkins also was productive on the defensive end during his 20 minutes on the floor, another added bonus for Kentucky.
Hawkins said the first trey was all it took for him to get over the proverbial hump and all he needed to get through the remainder of the contest. His seven points were the most he has scored since netting nine in a win over Georgia on Feb. 9.
“Once I hit my first shot, it gave me confidence, made me more aggressive to score and more aggressive on defense and things like that,” Hawkins said.
Derek Willis, also a junior, was impressed by the performance of Hawkins.
“He played great defense, hit a three and changed the tempo of the game a little bit,” Willis said. “That’s all we can ask of him and he filled his role perfectly.”
Although an upperclassman and one of the team’s most experienced players, Hawkins had to wait his turn to in order to make meaningful contributions this season. Hawkins injured his hand in practice before the season even began and suffered another setback with an ankle injury. Hawkins overcame both hurdles in time to give Kentucky a much-needed weapon off the bench to begin the team’s march toward a second consecutive SEC tournament title.
The wait to re-enter the rotation wasn’t easy for Hawkins, but he knew what to expect once Calipari gave him the opportunity.
“I’ve always had to be patient,” Hawkins said. “I’m so used to be patient and definitely when to get that time, you’ve got to take advantage of it when you’re on the court.”
Calipari said the performance by Hawkins is what he’s been yearning for since Hawkins made his return to the lineup.
“I love what Dom did coming off the bench,” the Kentucky coach said. “We need that.”
For just the fifth time this season, Kentucky had a full roster intact, giving the Wildcats more options off the bench, which Hawkins said will prove to be beneficial as the team delves deeper into the postseason.
“We need everybody on this team that’s playing,” Hawkins said. “It’s March. It’s either win or go home.”
Game tracker: Kentucky vs. Georgia, SEC Tournament, 3:30 p.m., Saturday. TV/Radio: ESPN, 98.1 FM WBUL.
Keith Taylor is a columnist and senior sports writer who covers University of Kentucky athletics for KyForward.com