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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Avoids Major Upset; Beats Vandy 71-62

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I can’t say I’m surprised by how that game went. Classic trap game. Kentucky plays No. 17 Auburn on the road Saturday, but they had 8-11, haven’t won an SEC game since I was four, Vanderbilt tonight. I was worried for awhile, but Nick Richards Abdul-Jabbar and Tyrese Maxey saved the day for Kentucky.

The Cats started out slow, as you could expect. They never really got any offense going and looked very sluggish. Nick Richards going out with two fouls early didn’t help at all, either. Kentucky had one of their worst halves of basketball of the year and found themselves down 35-28 at halftime.

Second half was a different story. Nick Richards and Tyrese Maxey balled. Vanderbilt got nervous, tired, dare I say the Rupp crowd kicked in? Kentucky played alert and had the “oh crap, we could lose” mentality in the second half. They avoided an Evansville and won 71-62.

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Let’s talk a little about the game.

Nick Richards and Tyrese Maxey

Both of these guys played well tonight. But, Nick Richards was a big reason Kentucky won this game. The Jamaican stud had 15 points (all in the second half) and grabbed 11 boards. That’s like his ninth double-double this season, right?

But we can’t forget about Tyrese Maxey now. He had 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two three’s.

If Kentucky wants to make a deep tournament run, these two will be a huge key.

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Cal played a zone

Something happened tonight we very, very rarely see. John Calipari played a zone. Mostly because the Cats couldn’t guard Saban Lee. A Vandy player hit a three and I’m pretty sure he got them out of it immediately after.

But, did Coach Cal learn something from the Arkansas game? We didn’t quite get the same result since Kentucky didn’t shut Vandy down like they did Arkansas, but we’re definitely making progress.

Jerry Stackhouse doesn’t un-cross his arms. Ever.

John Calipari and Jerry Stackhouse are polar opposites when it comes to coaching. Cal runs up and down the sideline, screaming at his players and the officials, while Stackhouse barely moves, never says a word, and doesn’t ever uno-cross his arms. Scratch that, he did un-cross his arms to raise his hands on a no-call, then crossed them again.

His coaching antics are about as boring as Vanderbilt athletics is.

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Scottie Pippen’s son, Scottie Pippen Jr., plays for Vandy

I found this really cool and kind of sad at the same time.

But, I guess Scottie went to Arkansas State, so his son is already ahead of him.

Kentucky faced their largest halftime-deficit tonight

Kentucky was down seven at the half tonight, which is their largest halftime deficit of the season. This stat really surprised me.

Kentucky was down by as much as ten in the second half and found a way to comeback and win. I don’t care who you’re playing, coming back from a ten point deficit, especially with how good Vandy played, is really impressive.

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The difference between tonight and Evansville

I couldn’t help but think of the Evansville nightmare while watching tonight. For most of the game, Kentucky played a lot like they did that night.

Here is why Kentucky avoided the upset:

  • Nick Richards is a stud
  • Tyrese Maxey is now the player we thought he would be
  • Kentucky’s defense was a lot better tonight
  • Kentucky won the rebounding contest

What’s next?

Other than a banked in three at the buzzer loss to South Carolina, Kentucky is unbeaten in SEC play. That and a huge win on the road against Texas Tech. Kentucky is one of the hottest teams in the country.

The Cats have a showdown Saturday against No. 17 Auburn, which is set to tip-off at 6 p.m. EST on ESPN. Kentucky is everyone’s Super Bowl and that will be truer than ever Saturday. Win it and you’re likely a top ten team again and are looking at maybe a 2-3 seed in the tournament.

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Men's Basketball

Adou Thiero Enters Transfer Portal, Keeps Options Open

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© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky’s first domino of the off-season has fallen. Adou Thiero has entered the transfer portal, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw. He has entered his name in the NBA Draft as well, while not ruling out a return to Kentucky, according to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim.

A big hit to Kentucky’s upcoming roster, as Thiero’s upside and growth will be missed. In the 2023-24 season, Thiero averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while missing 7 games due to injury. The 6-8 wing brought physicalness that Kentucky desperately needed this season, and something Calipari has been stressing for this upcoming season. Calipari harped on him numerous times this season, saying “He’s gotten so much better.”

Thiero has jumped in mock drafts all season, and his potential is sky high. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony even had Thiero going 27th in the 2025 NBA Draft. Now, he will get to add to his potential elsewhere.

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Now, Kentucky will look to find a good replacement for him as more things start happening throughout the off-season. Calipari is continuing to meet with players to discuss their future plans throughout the week.

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Men's Basketball

John Calipari Highlights Changes for Next Season

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John Calipari draws up a play at Kentucky's season opener. Said he made a "tweak".
UK Athletics

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein.

Many Kentucky fans have referred to this quote over the last few days, expressing a desire for a change from John Calipari. However, Calipari will be back on the sidelines for the Kentucky Wildcats next season for his 16th season, confirmed by Mitch Barnhart on Tuesday.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes.

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On Monday, John Calipari went on his season-ending radio show, giving his first comments to fans since Kentucky’s upset loss to Oakland last Thursday. It was easy to see why is a good recruiter, as he said all the right things.

For the better part of an hour, Calipari spoke with humility, answered some direction questions from Tom Leach, and accepted criticism. The main takeaway was that he understands that he has not met the Kentucky standard or his own standard, and changes need to take place.

“We’ve got to evaluate everything,” Calipari said. Here are some changes that have been outlined.

Getting Back to “Grinding”

Kentucky basketball offseason has often consisted of international trips to the Bahamas, or Canada last season, but not this year. Calipari emphasized a desire to get back to what his early Kentucky teams were characterized by, defense and physicality.

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“What about in the summers, instead of the Bahmas or Toronto, we’re grinding,” Calipari proposed. “We’ve got to get back to where we’ve been defensively and with physicality. Your defense steadies you.”

Those trips are good for team bonding and chemistry, but it’s clear that time can be used better for getting into the weight room and instilling defensive principles. Calipari did note that he does not want to take a step back on offense.

Getting Older

Calipari is the coach who made the “one-and-done” approach popular, relying heavily on elite freshmen. However, with college basketball getting older, he has expressed a willingness to get older.

“We’re relying on freshmen too much. In those kinds of games, you better have some vets,” Calipari said of his takeaway from Oakland. “For us, we need to get older.”

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It should be noted that Calipari relied on transfers in 2022 and 2023, albeit most not being the elite transfers, but more supporting pieces (i.e. CJ Fredrick) and developmental players (i.e. Jacob Toppin). That said, two transfers have been the leading scorer for Kentucky in three straight seasons, Oscar Tshiebwe and Antonio Reeves.

Calipari is looking more for a middle ground between young talent and transfers. “I like the combination of both. We just got to get the right transfers.”

Program Changes

When you are winning, you have more freedom, but when you have just one NCAA Tournament win in the last four seasons, you’re not going to have that luxury. This was not publicly said by Calipari, but more oversight will come as a result of his meeting with Barnhart on Tuesday afternoon.

Expect 1-2 staff changes and likely a support staff change. One of the staff changes should be filled with a defensive mind, and the support staff should be (suggestion) filled with someone in a general manager-type role. There will also be some operation changes such as having a more definitive practice schedule, rather than getting a text the day before/of, and some changes with the NIL model.

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Men's Basketball

Mitch Barnhart Speaks On John Calipari Coming Back As Kentucky Basketball Coach, “He Will Return”

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Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will return as Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach.
Mike Weaver/Special to the Courier Journal

After days of speculation, Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will be back, coaching his 16th season for the Kentucky Wildcats. The two had a conversation at Barnhart’s farm on Tuesday afternoon.

“As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach,” Barnhart said in a statement.

While there was some fan outcry for a head coaching change, there was no real indication that a change would be made.

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Barnhart was put in a difficult situation. Calipari has not led the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, but he is one of just a few active Hall of Fame coaches. With no clear option as a replacement, Barnhart decided to retain Calipari for another season.

Kentucky Insider has been told that Tuesday’s meeting between the two was “good”, despite some disagreement. As a result of the meeting, there will be some expected changes in the program, specifically some staff changes, and changes in day-to-day operations.

On Monday, Calipari recognized his shortcomings and closed out his show with a commitment to the Kentucky fans:

“That standard of national titles has been here from coach Rupp on. The only thing I am saying to all our fans. I’m going to work… That is a commitment that I give to the fans. I love it. This is what I want. This is it. Let’s come together and let’s do something.”

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Calipari is set to meet with players individually on Wednesday to discuss their stay/go decisions. The process of rebuilding next year’s roster (and staff) begins now.

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