LEXINGTON — A social media-shared photo captured Louisville freshman forward Khani Rooths giving a rather unorthodox gesture to some Kentucky fans at Rupp Arena during halftime. This incident seemed to be the only hint of tension in the first 35 minutes of the Wildcats' 93 - 85 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday.

The Game: A Clean and Competitive Affair

The game itself was a model of cleanliness. The teams combined for a mere 18 turnovers, with an abundance of big shots being taken and made, totaling 25 three-pointers. Individual performances will be long remembered, although Chucky Hepburn's 26 points and Terrence Edwards' 23 for Louisville were somewhat overshadowed.UK's Lamont Butler etched his name into rivalry lore with an astonishing game-high 33 points on 10 - for - 10 shooting, including six three-pointers. It was a game played at a high level, with competitiveness in full swing. But what was absent was the pettiness and hate that often define rivalries. There were no snarls, no stares, and no shoving. It was almost as if the two teams were being polite to each other.

New Coaching Regimes and Veteran Focus

UK coach Mark Pope and U of L coach Pat Kelsey ushered in a new chapter to the rivalry in their first years. Neither team had a single player with prior experience in this rivalry as both coaches rebuilt their rosters from scratch through the transfer portal. All these newcomers seemed to leave the hate behind.“You have two veteran groups that are highly focused on competing the best and giving themselves the best chance to win,” Pope said. “It's about being laser - focused on the task at hand and remaining super disciplined to avoid being distracted by emotions.”

Letters from the Past and the Present

UK had 15 former players write letters to the current team, explaining the essence of the rivalry. Surprisingly, the old Cats omitted the part about hating the rival. It was supposed to be a contempt that never fades. Just think about last summer when former U of L player Chinanu Onuaku tried to spit at former UK guard Nate Sestina after the Cats' alumni group beat the Cards' group in The Basketball Tournament in July.The closest they came to showing any dislike was after an incident with 5:07 left. U of L guard Reyne Smith was on the floor fighting for a loose ball with UK's Brandon Garrison. After Garrison was called for a foul, he lingered over Smith for a moment, which didn't sit well with J'Vonne Hadley.Hadley came in from behind and appeared to shove Garrison forward to help him get up. Garrison ended up leaning into the Cards' bench filled with red jerseys. Pope quickly left his bench to calm Garrison as only words were exchanged, with other UK players nearby. It seemed more like a collective group hug or a trust fall rather than an actual skirmish.“So, (Garrison) falls into the bench, and Lamont comes over and he's grabbing, I'm grabbing him, and we both smiled like, ‘We're good, we're good, we're good,'” Kelsey said.

Referees Keeping Order

After all the commotion, the officials did an excellent job of keeping everything under control. There were no additional fouls called, no technicals, and the game resumed as if nothing had happened. No chirping, no chippiness, and no testiness at all. It was as if the teams had prepared only for the game itself and not for the traditional hate.UK guard Otega Oweh said there were moments when things could have escalated, but the officials handled the situation well. “Obviously, in a rivalry, you want to be physical and battle, but the refs did a great job of keeping everything in check,” he said, finishing with 17 points.This season, with the restart of programs under new coaching regimes, the rivalry was relatively clean. But for next year, let's hope they bring back the heat. Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops, and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl - browns - latest to never miss his columns.