By LARRY VAUGHT

LEXINGTON — All Kentucky had to do to climb to No. 1 in the national rankings was beat Arkansas.
Current No. 1 Texas lost at Kansas State and it was a given that a UK win would put the Wildcats back on top — something that seemed impossible last March.
However, Kentucky didn’t want to back into the top spot with a so-so performance even after Texas lost again Saturday to Connecticut. Instead, the Cats played perhaps their best half of the season and went on to crush Arkansas 101-70 here Saturday in a game that was never really a game.
Arkansas looked as disorganized and discouraged as the Cats did near the end of last season when it was obvious coach Billy Gillispie had lost the team.
Kentucky looked like a team with the swagger, confidence and ability to win a national championship in coach John Calipari’s first season as it dominated every phase of the game.
How good was Kentucky? Well, the Cats limited Arkansas to 30.6 percent shooting, won the rebounding battle 59-39, blocked nine shots, got a career-high 18 points from Darius Miller and once led by 46 points early in the second half.
The Cats were so good that even Calipari — who had made the Cats practice like they were on a two-game losing streak because he didn’t like the way UK won at Florida or Auburn — could not complain.
“It was as good a 20 minutes as we have played (in the first half),” Calipari said. “Arkansas is a good team. They hit a buzz saw. We would have done this to 360 teams today. They just hit us on a bad day.”
Arkansas coach John Pelphrey didn’t want to argue after watching his team get dismantled in the same arena where his retired jersey hangs.
“We didn’t do a whole lot to slow them up,” Pelphrey said. “They are very good. Their size and speed separate them. Quality frontcourt and depth makes them unique in college basketball. They are really good. They have a chance to be the best in college basketball this year.
“This is by far the best anybody has played against us and by far the best physical talent we have played. They are very good.”
Which is what  No. 1 team in the nation should be.
“I sure hope we looked that way,” UK freshman Daniel Orton, who had six points, five rebounds and four blocked shots in 13 minutes, said. “We all played incredibly and all clicked. We did our best effort today. That is the Kentucky we are.”
If it is, another championship banner could be on the way.
Freshman DeMarcus Cousins had 16 points and 14 rebounds despite having the caps on his two front teeth knocked out early in the game. Freshman John Wall had 16 points and seven assists. Junior Patrick Patterson had nine points and seven rebounds. Freshman Eric Bledsoe had 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
“They wanted it bad. That is why they played this way. I think it was a pride thing,” Calipari said of the impending No. 1 ranking. “I try to tell them those seven national titles are not a burden. They’re a badge of honor. Number one in the country is not a burden. It’s a badge of honor, and so for us we’ll see how we respond now.
“The issue that I’ve had in the past where my teams have started off on win streaks like this and become number one in the country is they were all veteran teams. They had been there. They had been to Elite Eights the year before. This team was an NIT team. I’m playing with a bunch of children, but they’re very good children. But they’re young and all of this is new. That’s why I’m trying to raise the bar and drag them along. We have a good team. ”
A good team? Kentucky is 19-0 and just handed Arkansas its most lopsided Southeastern Conference loss ever. Calipari was downright giddy over the play of reserves Orton and DeAndre Liggins and if Miller plays like this, UK already has the most talented starting team in college basketball.
“I don’t mind they want to be the best. What is wrong with that?” the UK coach said.
Nothing at all.
“We do feel a little bit like No. 1 now, but we know it’s a long season,” Bledsoe said. “But I won’t lie. We wanted to be No. 1. That’s why we really poured it on today. There was no letting up like we had in some games.”
Calipari knows the critics won’t go away. He remembers when his Memphis teams were ranked No. 1 and the knock was the Tigers couldn’t win a national title because of poor free throw shooting. He knows skeptics now will question UK’s schedule strength.
“We’re not playing to be No. 1. We are playing for a one seed (in the NCAA Tournament),” Calipari said.
Then he welcomed the skeptics to take their best shots.
“It kind of inspires us. In this information age, I don’t have to say it. My guys see everything,” Calipari said.
Just like Arkansas got to see just how good Kentucky can be when it is playing at its best.

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