LEXINGTON — Early on, everything came easy for Aaron Bradshaw.

Three points and a block in 12 minutes off the bench in his first appearance for Kentucky this season. A memorable outing versus Penn — in Philadelphia, just outside his hometown of Camden, New Jersey — came next. Then 12 points and two blocks in a neutral-site win over North Carolina in Atlanta.

In his first nine games in 2023-24, the five-star freshman scored 10 or more points five times. But as the Wildcats entered the meat of SEC play, his minutes diminished, coinciding with a dip in on-court production.

Bradshaw put forth a bounce-back effort Saturday versus Arkansas — and No. 15 Kentucky needed everything he could muster. The 7-foot-1, 226-pound Bradshaw had 15 points and five rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench as the Wildcats fended off the Razorbacks, 111-102, at Rupp Arena.

"How about Aaron today? Aaron played really well," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "For me as a coach, I get as much enjoyment out of that kind of stuff as I do anything."

Bradshaw was flawless from the field, making all four of his attempts (including one 3-pointer.) And he posted a plus-minus rating of plus-10.

Bradshaw played so well in the first half — 12 points and three rebounds in just six minutes as a reserve — he was part of the Wildcats’ (21-8, 11-5 SEC) starting five to begin the second.

Yet as well as Bradshaw played Saturday, he still had to split second-half minutes with Kentucky’s two other 7-footers, Zvonimir Ivišić and Ugonna Onyenso. Bradshaw played five minutes after the break, two more than Onyenso (three) but far less than Ivišić’s 12.

Bradshaw checked out with 11:31 to play. He watched the remainder of the game from the sideline.

"I was hot and I did what I had to do," said Bradshaw, who said he wasn't surprised or upset not to play more Saturday. "We all have our stretches. So we've just got to play."

Of course, at one point this season, he played far more. After his debut against UNC Wilmington, he started 10 of the next 11 games. Ironically, his last start came in the Wildcats' first matchup with the Razorbacks, Jan. 27 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Onyenso has started every game since. And in that span between Onyenso's first start (Jan. 31 versus Florida) and Saturday, Bradshaw's minues have continued to shrink.

Exhibit A: He played 20 or more minutes eight times in his first 11 contests this season; he hasn't reached that figure again since.

He's taken his ever-changing role in stride.

"If he's playing better than me, I have to realize that: He's playing better," said Bradshaw, referring to Ivišić and Onyenso. "It's not his fault. It's my fault. So (Ivišić) playing better than me or Ugo playing better than me, it's not a — that's selfish of me (to care about my playing time), ya feel me? If they've got it going, they got it going."

Which makes this group, Bradshaw said, different than any team he's ever been around.

"A lot of other schools or players, I don't know, they hate on each other," he said. "Us? We don't do that. We all love each other."

Bradshaw's unending optimism has never surprised D.J. Wagner. No Wildcat knows Bradshaw better: The pair played together at Camden High in New Jersey, before they arrived in Lexington as part of last year's top-ranked recruiting class.

"He's always positive and he's always keeping us in good spirits," Wagner said. "So just to see him play as great as he did today was good. We (were) all happy for him."

Where Bradshaw goes from here is unknown. He might find a way back into the starting lineup or expand his role as a reserve. Regardless of what's to come, he'll attack it the only way he knows how.

"Adversity is a thing that's gonna happen in your life. You're gonna have to deal with it regardless," he said. "(You can choose) if you want to deal with it in a good way or a bad way.

"I'm trying to deal with it in a good way, getting into that gym, working out and getting better every day."

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky vs Arkansas basketball: Aaron Bradshaw has bounce-back game