There’s something about facing Oklahoma that seems to unlock a different gear in Brandon Garrison - and it’s not just about basketball. It’s about family, pride, and a little boy named Akarii.
Last season, Garrison made headlines with a strong showing in Kentucky’s win in Norman, putting up 12 points, four rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. But what really stole the show wasn’t on the court - it was postgame, when his infant son, Akarii, joined him at the podium and quite literally grabbed the mic. That viral moment offered a glimpse into Garrison’s world off the floor: a young father balancing the demands of high-level college hoops with the joy and responsibility of raising a child.
Fast forward a year, and the Garrison family had another moment to remember - this time at Rupp Arena. After Kentucky’s 94-78 win over Oklahoma, Garrison’s mother, Toni, brought Akarii down to the court to celebrate with his dad.
And it wasn’t just a feel-good moment - it capped off the best performance of Garrison’s Kentucky career. The sophomore big man notched his first double-double as a Wildcat: 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists in just 29 minutes.
He came up one point shy of his career high, a 21-point outing back when he played for Oklahoma State against Mark Pope’s BYU squad in February 2024.
“I do [remember it] a little bit,” Garrison said with a smile when asked about that game. “I was just out there playing my game, doing what I do, and just happened to have a good game vs. him and stuff. We still crack jokes about it because it was against some coaching staff that’s over here now.”
You could feel the energy shift in Rupp as Garrison imposed his will. The crowd sensed it too, breaking into chants of “BG!
BG! BG!”
in the closing minutes - a moment that felt like a turning point for a player who’s been searching for consistency in SEC play.
Coming into the matchup, Garrison was averaging just 2.1 points per game in conference play. He’d shown flashes - most recently in Fayetteville - but this was something else entirely. Kentucky assistant Mikhail McLean wasn’t surprised.
“He’s definitely carrying it on,” McLean said of Garrison’s performance. “Like Coach Pope just said, we need the Brandon Garrison that when he switches, he claps and then he claps in people’s faces.
He’s talking trash. Like that’s who BG is at his best.”
And maybe it’s no coincidence that Garrison’s best games seem to come when his family is in the stands. McLean joked that it might be time for Akarii and Toni to relocate to Lexington full-time.
“He played really well with his son here,” McLean said. “Every time Akarii and his mom are here, he always plays well.”
For Garrison, the impact of having his son in the building goes deeper than basketball.
“It’s very important, just because I’m doing it for somebody else other than me now,” Garrison said. “He’s learning stuff and knowing who I am, of course. It’s a good feeling just going up to him after the game.”
Now two-and-a-half years old, Akarii stayed in his father’s arms as Garrison joined Goose Givens for the postgame radio show - a full-circle moment from the viral press conference in Norman a year ago.
But this breakout didn’t happen overnight. It followed a tough stretch - one that included a heart-to-heart between Garrison and head coach Mark Pope.
In the five games leading up to Kentucky’s road trip to Arkansas, Garrison didn’t score in four of them. Against Vanderbilt, he logged just 14 minutes, grabbed three rebounds, and turned the ball over once in a 25-point loss.
“The emotions of the season, it’s tough on everybody,” McLean said. “Players, coaches, just feeling the weight of the world, playing at this great university.
And I thought Coach Pope and BG sat down, they had a great heart-to-heart. They talked about some stuff BG was kind of frustrated about, Coach was frustrated about, and then they came to a resolution.”
The result? A rejuvenated Garrison.
He played with fire at Arkansas and brought that same energy against Oklahoma. McLean called him “a warrior” - and more importantly, “our emotional leader.”
This isn’t the first time Garrison has responded to tough coaching. Back in December, TV cameras caught Pope lighting into him during a game against NC Central.
After a turnover, Garrison failed to get back on defense. Pope slammed a clipboard in the huddle and benched him for the rest of the game.
Garrison didn’t sulk. He responded in practice, and in the very next game, helped Kentucky rally from a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Indiana.
Who was in the stands that night? His mom and son.
“They always keep me in good spirits,” Garrison said. “Sometimes, everybody has their days, but you can’t let the days affect long-term in life, period.”
That maturity hasn’t gone unnoticed. Assistant coach Jason Hart praised Garrison’s work ethic and approach.
“Well, he’s a young professional in terms of coming to work every day and doing his job,” Hart said. “When you do that, the basketball gods will bless you, and tonight he was in the right spot and played with a lot of energy.
That’s what happens when you just continue to work. Every game won’t be like that for him, but as long as his effort is there, we are happy with that.”
Effort and emotion - that’s the Garrison formula. Sometimes, maybe a little too much.
He was hit with a technical foul at Arkansas for standing over Darius Acuff after a foul - one of three techs Kentucky picked up in a 38-second stretch. Against Oklahoma, he got tangled up again, this time with Derrion Reid after diving for a loose ball and flinging it in Reid’s direction.
He was whistled for another technical in the closing seconds after exchanging words with Reid.
Still, Hart and the coaching staff aren’t looking to dim that fire. They want Garrison to play with that edge - as long as it doesn’t cross the line.
“Nothing, keep doing that, we need that,” Hart said of Garrison’s physicality. “A lot of times, me working here at Kentucky, it’s always the other team’s biggest game.
So, we need him to go back to who he is, getting physical with players, and we feed off of that, especially as coaches. We are not encouraging them to do anything dirty, but we need physical play, and we need him to do that, and I applaud it.”
So does the Big Blue Nation. And if history is any indicator, maybe the key to unlocking Garrison’s best isn’t just game planning or matchups - maybe it’s as simple as making sure Akarii and Toni are in the building.
Because when BG’s playing for something bigger than himself, when he’s clapping, talking, crashing the glass, and feeding off the energy of his son’s smile - that’s when he’s at his most dangerous.