By David Schuh | Men’s Basketball Columnist

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This is not a time when teams typically find themselves.

Groups of freshmen normally don’t find the will to win against their most hated rival, the defending national champions, in front of 24, 396 people with their best player cramping in the tunnel.

UK did, and tomorrow looks a lot brighter because of it.

Freshman Julius Randle dominated the first half. As predicted, the Cardinals had no way of handling the Cats’ frontcourt, and Randle took full advantage.

UK led by five at the break, and Randle had poured in 17 easy points.

Early in the second, though, he began suffering cramps in both legs. Two attempts to play fared too painful, and the Cats had to finish their biggest game without the player they look to when the going gets tough.

And at first, they felt the burden.

As Randle sat, Louisville used a 6-0 run to give them their first lead in more than 20 minutes of game play.

But the Cats found another leader, one they’ve been hoping would take the reigns for three months.

Freshman Andrew Harrison controlled the game in the second half, notching maybe his best performance of his career.

From the time Louisville led 52-51, Harrison led all scorers with seven points. But it wasn’t as much about his stats as his leadership. When Randle went down, the Cats could have crumbled and had a valid excuse.

Instead, they surged. Harrison and fellow freshman James Young picked up the slack. Both finished with 18 points, with Young added 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

Harrison’s play steadied UK, but it was the Cats’ defense that allowed it to happen. After taking that final one-point lead, Louisville shot 3-17 from the field over the final 11 minutes.

They had nowhere to go. UK’s suffocating defense surrendered so few open looks that the Cardinals best chance was shooting contested 3-pointers.

The Cats’ size inside and out bothered Louisville all over the court. Chris Jones and Russ Smith can score as well as any tandem in the country, but they hadn’t been guarded by anything close to the 6-foot-6-inch frames from the Harrisons and Young, not to mention the 7-footers that guarded them off pick-and-rolls.

Jones and Smith combined for 37 points, but it took them 33 shots.

For the first time all season, UK played the game their talent and athleticism allowed them to play.

They scored inside, dominated the rebounding margin and defended at an elite level. They played hard for 40 full minutes.

“We know we have so much talent, but at the same time, in college, everyone has talent,” Andrew Harrison said. “Whoever plays the hardest is going to win. That’s what I think we’re starting to get.”

It was a huge win, but time will tell if it’s the launching pad fans think it could be. Head coach John Calipari reiterated after the game how much work his team has before their next game on Jan. 8.

It’s the confidence, though, that can carry them through. For the first time, these Cats faced adversity square in the face and overcame it.

They saw a game slipping from their grasp while their best player was nowhere to be found. Their talent showed. Their depth showed. Their heart showed.

It’s a small step. But finally, UK has faced the gauntlet and come out victorious.

What they do with it … well, we’ll just have to wait and see.