With chaos and intensity and physicality swirling, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist knew he was in the right game.

A rivalry game with toughness and plenty of whistles? Kidd-Gilchrist doesn’t mind it.

“Almost relishes it,” head coach John Calipari said.

Kidd-Gilchrist controlled the game from the start, scoring 24 points with 19 rebounds in UK’s 69-62 win over Louisville.

“This is me right here,” Kidd-Gilchrist said. “This is what I live for right here. I’ve always been that way. I got a lot of heart.”

He showed that heart in front of a national TV audience and 24,387 people in attendance — but two in particular stood out.

One was Jay-Z sitting in a courtside seat. Of course he was excited; during player introductions, with Jay-Z’s “N***** in Paris” pulsating in the background, Kidd-Gilchrist threw up the rapper’s trademark diamond sign.

“I can’t really explain that feeling,” Kidd-Gilchrist said of having the star as close to him as his own coach.

But he was happier to see someone else, someone not famous. His mother, who had been hospitalized a week ago, had made a full recovery and came to Lexington to watch. After a big play in the first half, Kidd-Gilchrist pointer to her in the crowd. Those were emotions he was more familiar with.

“She was just smiling, “Kidd-Gilchrist said. “I just smiled back at her. I’m very happy and blessed.”

UK is blessed to have Kidd-Gilchrist, who reaffirmed that he is the Cats most important player.

Anthony Davis is close. He’s more skilled, and he alters a game in a way nobody else can. In the first half, Davis was limited to seven minutes because of foul trouble. Davis watched from the bench, knowing full well what his team was missing.

“It was very tough, especially when they start grabbing the ball and making layups,” Davis said. “That could have been me in the middle, blocking shots or contesting it.”

In the second half, he was out there, doing precisely that — blocking two shots within the opening minutes and continuing that. He finished with 18 points, all in the second half, and 10 rebounds.

“When I put him back in at the start of the second half, you’ll see what he does for you guys,” Calipari (correctly) told his team at halftime.

But Kidd-Gilchrist was a constant throughout. When Davis was out, he made a concerted effort to step up the rebounding.

“Anthony is a monster down low,” Kidd-Gilchrist said. “So I just took on that challenge. That’s what I did today.”

While everyone else was shuffling on and off the court with foul trouble — UK was called for 23 fouls, with three players committing four or more — Kidd-Gilchrist was always in the game and always producing. He played all but one minute.

Kidd-Gilchrist has long been a Calipari favorite. The way he talked about him, back when Kidd-Gilchrist was new, was on a different level. You could tell Kidd-Gilchrist would quickly grab the starting spot he was fighting for, and it didn’t take long before he became UK’s most consistent player.

He captures the admiration of anyone who sees him play — media, teammates, fans, Jay-Z, coaches who just lost because of him.

“Kidd-Gilchrist is one of the nicest young men you can be around,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino told 247Sports.com, “and he plays every possession as if he’s going to die tomorrow.”

He’s got heart and grittiness and drive, and talent to match. It’s a confluence of attributes not often seen in college players, especially not when they’re the youngest player on a team full of young players.

When he came to campus, he said he was “scared” to lead. It’s coming more natural for him now.

“On to the next game,” Kidd-Gilchrist said minutes after toppling Louisville. “We got practice tomorrow. We’ll just go from there.”

Follow @KernelASmith

or email him at [email protected]