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Last Season’s Players Say They Will Continue to Support Kentucky Following Calipari’s Departure, “I’ll Come Back, For Sure”

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Former Calipari era players say they will continue to support Kentucky following Calipari's departure.
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Towards the end of his fifteen season tenure at Kentucky, many fans had mixed feelings about John Calipari. However, his players never wavered in voicing their appreciation and love for him as their coach, and still do.

“To me, he’s the best coach in the world,” Reed Sheppard said at the NBA Draft Combine last week. Sheppard, an in-state product and the son of two former UK stars, has his own pre-existing ties to Kentucky basketball. What about the other players, the ones who came to Lexington from across the country to play for Calipari?

Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader asked three players from last year’s roster, Rob Dilligham, Antonio Reeves, and Justin Edwards. It should come as no suprise that they would support Calipari as heads to Arkansas, but they affirm they will continue to support Kentucky. In the end, that is the university that they represented and the fanbase they were supported by.

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“I’ll go to the game where they play each other. That would be even, right?” Dillingham said with a laugh, when asked if he would attend any Kentucky or Arkansas games in the near future. “I love Coach Cal. I appreciate him for the opportunity. And you see him — he’s put so many players in the NBA. He’s done a great thing at Kentucky.”

As for where Dillingham will return, it will be Lexington not Fayetteville.

“I’ll come back, for sure, to Kentucky. Obviously, they protected me,” Dillingham said. “It wasn’t just (Calipari). It was the fans. It was the teachers. Everybody there. I love Mitch Barnhart, the Athletic Director. I love all of them. So I really liked the UK experience, because they helped me as a whole, and they treated me like family.”

Reeves, who will go down as John Calipari’s last All-American at Kentucky, makes the point that he played for Calipari and Kentucky, and will support both.

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“I’d say both. I played for him. So, of course, I’m gonna cheer for him at Arkansas. Why not?” Reeves said. “The fans at Kentucky — I definitely can’t leave them behind. So I definitely gotta go back and just show them love whenever I get a chance. And I came from Kentucky. So I can’t just leave that behind.”

Edwards is one of the few that has had the opportunity to talk to Coach Pope since he took over at Kentucky.

“I’ve talked to Mark Pope. He was here (Draft Combine) today,” Edwards said, “I dapped him up. He told me if I was ever in town and needed a gym that I was always welcome to use the Craft Center. And Coach Cal told us the same: any alum or players that he had (at Kentucky), if they want to come work out, they can always use the gym.”

“Those guys are two genuine guys. You can tell that they’re caring people.”

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Edwards’ quote summarizes it greatly. Both are good people and coaches that care about the program.

At the end of the day, Calipari did a lot of good for Kentucky Basketball and will be honored for it in the future. However it was time for a change, or as Calipari said in his departure video, “a new voice”. That new voice is Mark Pope, who is making an effort to bridge all the generations of Kentucky Basketball.

John Wall, arguably the face of the Calipari era, was seen meeting Pope for the the first time this past weekend at a Nike EYBL event in Indianapolis.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Loses on the Road to Texas A&M, Late Surge Not Enough

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Camryn Williams | UK Athletics

On Tuesday, March 3, Kentucky (19-11, 10-7 SEC) fumbled an early double-digit lead, allowing Texas A&M (20-10, 10-7 SEC) to go on an unfathomable run at home, losing 96-85.

Coming into this game, the Wildcats were fresh off of a huge win at home against No. 25 Vanderbilt, a game where Collin Chandler and Otega Oweh both dropped 23 points each and led Mark Pope’s squad to a 14-point dub.

Texas A&M, holding the same exact record as the Wildcats beforehand, were on a two-game losing streak, falling to No. 20 Arkansas on the road and Texas at home. The Aggies, in need of a win for their tournament resume, had everything to lose on Tuesday night in College Station.

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To start things out, both teams traded shots, tied 11-11 at the first break. Otega Oweh led both teams with six points, but Denzel Aberdeen had unfortunately picked up two fouls.

At a solid point of the half, with eight minutes left on the clock, Brandon Garrison and a now checked-in Aberdeen had maintained the early Kentucky lead, putting the Wildcats up 30-18.

If you didn’t watch the game, please prepare yourself, as Rubén Dominguez would lead the Aggies to a 27-3 run to close out the first half, scoring 14 points and knocking down four threes during that stretch.

There’s not much to even say – the Wildcats turned the ball over seven times in the first 20 minutes and missed every single shot they attempted during the Texas A&M legacy run. Like, literally, they only made one shot.

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At the break, Pope and his unpredictable team trailed 45-33.

Don’t think things would get any better, as by time of the first media timeout in the second half, the Aggies outscored the Wildcats 14-7 out of the half and would nearly take a 20-point lead. With 13 minutes and some change left in the game, Texas A&M had officially gone on a 46-14 run – which is absolutely and positively embarrassing.

Trust me, I wish I could say something positive. The Wildcats showed a little life between the ten-minute and eight-minute mark, going on a quick 9-3 run, but obviously it was too little too late.

We all know the story of this Kentucky team, however, as a graphic flashed on the screen that highlighted the Wildcats’ five double-digit comebacks this season. Trailing by 15 points with 7:30 remaining in the game, the Big Blue Nation hadn’t gave up on their guys just yet.

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After some hero plays from Garrison on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, Pop Issacs would hit this 13th three for the Aggies. In very Garrison fashion, he would miss a layup and commit a foul on the next offensive possession, allowing Bucky McMillan’s team go back up by 18 points.

Late surge after late surge took place for Pope’s hopeful road dogs – you can’t always expect a miracle comeback though, or can you?

Led by Trent Noah, who hadn’t made a field goal since the end of January, Kentucky would go on a 10-2 run in just over a minute of game time, bringing the deficit down to seven.

Chandler, looking for another clutch moment, would air ball a corner shot, ironically marking the end of a hopeful ending.

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Up next, Kentucky will host the No. 5 Florida Gators (24-6, 15-2 SEC) during the Wildcats’ senior celebration on Saturday, March 7. That game will tip off at 4:00 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN from Rupp Arena.

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Men's Basketball

Seniors Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen Reflect Ahead of Their Final Home Game

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Anastasia Panaretos | UK Athletics

Senior Day. Do you love it, or do you hate it? In the same essence, it can be a refreshing celebration for a team’s most decorated players, until it hits you that their careers are quickly coming to a close.

On Saturday, March 7, when Kentucky hosts No. 5 Florida, the Big Blue Nation will have to say goodbye to a handful of upperclassman, two being fan favorite Otega Oweh and breakout guard Denzel Aberdeen.

Two parts of the “three-headed goat” met with the media on Monday, March 2, discussing the surreal sensations they’ve felt throughout the final week of the regular season.

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“This season felt like it went by really fast,” said Oweh. “They say time flies when you having fun and I just want to end it on a high note.”

To be fair, this season has gone by in a blur. It felt like just yesterday that we were having talks of Oweh being the Preseason SEC Player of the Year. Fast forward to now, and conference play only features two more matchups.

Reflecting on his time thus far, Oweh scored in double figures in 28 out of 29 games this season, averaging 20.5 points per game against SEC opponents. Words don’t describe the type of impact that he’s had on the blue and white, but it’s not over just yet.

Aberdeen, being a one-off Wildcat via the transfer portal, still had some emotional moments to talk about.

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“It’s been nothing but amazing here since I’ve been here,” said Aberdeen. “Since I stepped foot on campus, everybody treated me like family, like a brother…I know it’s been only one year, but I wish I had another.”

Agreeing with his teammate, the Florida transfer admitted that this season went by too quick.

“It went by really fast, I feel like I was just taking Braydon (Hawthorne) to Target just for his dorm,” Aberdeen said. “It’s crazy to think that we’re already in March already.”

March it is, indeed. The Wildcats have a matchup on the road against Texas A&M on Tuesday, March 3 and of course the rematch with the Gators for the regular-season finale, and then it’s time to play some postseason ball. No second chances, no what if’s, and’s or but’s – just do or die ball.

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Oweh and Aberdeen will look to close this season out strong, all while appreciating their time as a Wildcat with humble grace.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Takes Down No. 25 Vanderbilt, Collin Chandler Drops Career High

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Elliot Hess | UK Athletics

On Saturday, Feb. 28, the Kentucky Wildcats (19-10, 10-6 SEC) took down the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores (22-7, 9-7 SEC) by a score of 91-77, earning a crucial Quad 1, ranked and confidence boosting win as the season closes out.

Coming into this one, the Wildcats had recently clawed back in a brutal game against the South Carolina Gamecocks, grabbing the team’s first win after a three-game losing streak.

Vanderbilt, after falling in back-to-back matchups with Missouri and Tennessee, responded with a win over a team who had just beat Kentucky in Rupp Arena, the Georgia Bulldogs, and wanted to continue building its resume in Lexington.

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Unfortunately for the Volunteers’ ugly brother, the Commodores would experience an all-time shooting performance in the first half.

Kentucky came out BLAZING hot from deep, led by guard Collin Chandler, who continued to show how much he can develop into a star.

Chandler would score 12 points, all via the three, all within the first eight minutes of the game. Adding one more on before the half, and with the help of Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh’s combined 14 points, the Wildcats jogged off of the court, up 15 at the break.

Marking one of the more impressive shooting halves of the season, Mark Pope’s squad left with roaring cheers, making nine out of their 17 attempted threes.

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To start the second half, most would stay the same, as both teams traded shots all while Kentucky maintained a 15-point lead.

Per usual, as one could predict, the refs would begin to get involved, waiving a potential four-point play from Chandler, calling a cheap one on Brandon Garrison and doing the same as the Wildcats went back on offense, resulting in Pope spitting some mean words at the officials.

Garrison, grimacing in pain, sat on the court and watched as the call didn’t result in anything extra for Vanderbilt, causing the Big Blue Nation to make their voices heard.

Zooming down the court, Oweh would secure an and-one, putting the Wildcats up 19 at the 11:50 mark, feeling like a miracle would have to happen for Vanderbilt to muster up a comeback.

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Chandler, already with a career-high performance, would allow Oweh to take over as time expired, reaching the double-digit mark and scoring two straight buckets at the rack.

As always, the trio of Chandler, Aberdeen and Oweh did their thing and handled the scoring production for the Wildcats, combining for 59 of Kentucky’s points.

Up 17 with five minutes to go, the Wildcats didn’t let off the gas pedal, bullying their way into the paint and letting Vanderbilt leave with some insurance for what happened last time.

Tyler Nickel would hit some late threes for Vanderbilt, but at that point, fans were worried more about traffic than any Tracy McGrady miracle in Rupp Arena.

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Up next, Kentucky will travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M (19-10, 9-7 SEC) on Tuesday, March 3. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN2.

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