Healthy Jaland Lowe and Mo Dioubate is exactly what this Kentucky team needed

The Kentucky Wildcats looked like a completely different team on Saturday against Indiana. The team was all smiles on their way to a 12-point win over the Hoosiers in Rupp Arena, in what was the biggest must-win game of Mark Pope's time at Kentucky. The Wildcats played with an intensity and effort on defense, and it translated into offense in the second-half. Among the team's efforts, there were two key players who were a big part in why they looked like a different squad: Jaland Lowe and Mo Dioubate.

Let's start with how much the birthday boy impacted the game, shall we? Dioubate made his return to the court for the first time since the Michigan State game, and man, was his presence felt. In Kentucky's losses against quality team's this season, their rebounding efforts were poor. They were outrebounded badly against Michigan State, gave up a lot of second-chance points to North Carolina, and were absolutely destroyed against Gonzaga, all the way around. Dioubate has been missed, and he made up for it against Indiana.

Dioubate finished with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Hoosiers, He was responsible for seven of Kentucky's 14 offensive rebounds, as well as six of their 18 second-chance points. He inspired Kentucky's effort and fight on the defensive end, and it translated to offense in the second half. Kentucky not only held Indiana to a season-low 4-24 from three, they also forced a season-high 18 turnovers and 23 points off them. Speaking of offense, Lowe's impact as a facilitator cannot be understanded. It is clear that when he's on the floor, Kentucky's offense just runs much better.

In Lowe's six games missed this season, Kentucky's offense has looked stagnant, as if everyone on the floor is looking for someone else to create and make a play. When Lowe is in, he creates for his teammates, and he did just that. He looked much more comfortable, too, in his third game back since re-injuring his shoulder. After playing very limited in the past two games, especially against Gonzaga, where he was never able to truly make an impact, everyone knew when he was on the floor against Indiana. The offense flowed better, guys were moving, and Lowe was creating space by attacking the rim, leaving the options widely open as to how Kentucky could score. Granted, the shots weren't falling from three, as Kentucky went just 3-15 on the night, but the offense finally had a flow to it again, and the Wildcats were able to take advantage of Indiana's defense in other ways.

It was good to see the two back on the court together for the first time in over a month, and it's very clear just how important those two are in how Kentucky operates on both sides of the ball. Dioubate's infectious energy combined with Lowe's creativity is a combo Kentucky cannot take for granted moving forward, as they hope their play on Saturday is a spark for the rest of the season. Now, let's get the much-anticipated debut of Jayden Quaintance started.