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History Shows Losses to Unranked Teams Can Lead to Success

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Kentucky is not the only top-ranked team to have suffered an embarrassing loss in the regular season.

With that being said, it does suck when your team is embarrassed early in the year, especially to a team like Evansville

The reaction on social media to the loss hasn’t been surprising. Of course, all of the other fan bases are making fun of us, so if you get into a Twitter fight with a Tennessee fan, just be ready for the “Evansville” reply.

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But, inside the BBN, the response on social media has been 50/50.

A fair amount of people are losing their minds and overreacting, while some fans are staying level-headed and know that when March comes around, the Cats will be right in the mix.

If the Calipari era has taught us anything, it’s that the losses in November and early December (embarrassing or not) don’t really matter.

Now, they certainly help if you win, but they don’t hurt nearly as much as they would in January or February.

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A loss like last Tuesday will probably come back to haunt Kentucky with seeding come tournament time, but it will definitely help the team.

With that, let’s take a look at embarrassing losses by some top teams and where their season ended.

No. 1 North Carolina/Northern Iowa: November 21, 2015

Kentucky lost to a sub-.500 UCLA team early in 2015-16, but Kentucky’s loss was not nearly as bad as this one.

Justin Jackson dropped 25 points for the Tarheels but their next leading scorer was Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson both with 10.

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Northern Iowa’s starting five combined for 69 of their 71 points that night, including 11 three-pointers, which gave them the 71-67 win over the Tarheels.

So close, just as they were to a national title that year.

Season results: NCAA Tournament Runner-Up, Record: 33-7

No.4 North Carolina/Santa Clara: January 19, 2004

Santa Clara’s most prominent alum is former NBA MVP, Steve Nash, but this game happened far after Nash’s time, and the Broncos were now a borderline .500 team.

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Santa Clara outright won this game 77-66 as the rebounding battle shows, as the Broncos controlled the glass 40-37 overall, and dominated on the defensive boards 24-16.

Following this game, the Tarheels won 19 of their next 20 including three ranked opponents and went on to win Roy William’s first national title.

Season Results: NCAA Champions, Record: 33-4

No. 8 Michigan State/Wright State: December 30, 1999

Coined the “Upset of the Millenium”, a Wright State team that finished the season 11-17, beat the eventual national champion, Michigan State Spartans, 53-49.

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In the words of Tom Izzo, the Spartans, “were totally outplayed from start to finish.” However, the Spartans weren’t outplayed many times following this game, going 23-3 en route to a national title victory over Florida.

Season Results: NCAA Champion, Record: 32-7

Syracuse/Rutgers: January 29, 2003

Carmelo Anthony is considered to be one of the greatest freshmen in college basketball history, but on January 29, 2003, he was not the best player on the floor.

That title belongs to Jerome Coleman who scored 31 points (12-23 FG) and helped an eventual 12-16 Rutgers team to upset the Orange.

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Jim Boeheim and Company followed this game with a victory over No. 2 Pittsburgh and won 14 of their last 15 games, including a national title victory.

Season Results: NCAA Champion, Record: 30-5

No. 23 Butler/Evansville: November 27, 2010

Evansville may have just won their first game against a No. 1 AP team, but they are no stranger to upsets, beating an eventual NCAA Runner-Up Butler team 71-68 in overtime back in 2010.

The game was close but Butler’s 17 turnovers cost them the game. This Butler team turned it around and was a shot away from winning a title over Duke.

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Season Results: NCAA Runner-Up, Record: 28-10

What did we learn?

In all of this, these losses don’t mean much. Like I said, really all they do is embarrass you, humble you, and make you better (Dang, I should be a head coach).

Kentucky will be just fine.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Commit Impesses at McDonald’s All-American Game

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Kentucky basketball commit Malachi Moreno is a McDonald's All American
McDonald's All-American Game

Fresh off of winning a Kentucky Basketball State Championship Saturday night, Malachi Moreno had no time to rest. After winning the State Championship, Moreno flew out the morning after to Brooklyn.

Just a few short months ago, Moreno was selected to participate in the McDonald’s All-American game. Being chosen to play in this game is considered the highest honor a high school basketball player can achieve. However, he wasn’t content with just being chosen to play in this game. He wanted to show everyone that he belongs in this crowd with the best of the best.

Playing against the elite of the elite, there was never a moment in which Moreno looked as if he didn’t belong. Although Moreno and Team East didn’t come away with a victory, he looked nothing short of impressive all night long.

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In only 16 minutes of game time, Moreno finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. He also added 2 blocked shots on the game. Moreno, who is listed at 6’10, moves very well for his size. He has an elite feel around the rim, which is tough to find for a young big man like himself. However, his best attribute may be his shot blocking ability, as shown here.

Moreno is a very gifted shot-blocker who has a knack for timing his jump when blocking shots. This will help him fill a much-needed role next season for a Kentucky team that at times struggled defensively, more specifically with blocking shots.

His night didn’t end there, he also showcased his ability to step outside and shoot the 3 ball.

He only attempted 11 3’s during his Senior High School season, finishing at 3/11 for 27.3%, but he proves here that if left open. He won’t hesitate to let it fly.

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At the practices, On3 named him their second-best performer.

“Malachi Moreno flew to the McDonald’s All-American events this morning straight off winning a Kentucky state championship last night. This scrimmage was his first participation of the week, and he made his presence felt immediately. Moreno has legit size, listed at 7-foot-0, with good length. He also has good hands, which helps his play around the basket. Moreno is a strong rebounder, cleaning up the boards in traffic. He also had a game-clinching block at the rim, putting it off the backboard. Offensively, he plays as a roll man and out of the dunker spots. It found his spots and played within himself, and he had some very loud finishes.

Moreno is one of three exciting freshmen joining the Wildcats next season; alongside him are 4-stars Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis. These three highlight an exciting new young core for Mark Pope and company.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Has Contacted Nation’s Leading Scorer, Four-Star Transfer Jaron Pierre Who Is “Definitely” Interested in the Cats

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Jacksonville State transfer Jaron Pierre has been contacted by Kentucky.
Jacksonville State Athletics

There are more than a thousand players in the transfer portal, meaning names are flying left and right. As of April 1st, Kentucky has one commitment in Kam Williams (Tulane), and is projected to land top 25 transfer Magoon Gwath (San Diego State).

That said, the Kentucky staff has been in contact with more than a dozen players, and there is another notable player to add to that list.

KY Insider can report that Kentucky has contacted Jaron Pierre from Jacksonville State. Pierre is currently a four-star transfer prospect and ranked as the 34th ranked prospect in 247Sports‘ transfer portal rankings.

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At Jacksonville State last season, Pierre scored more points than anyone else in college basketball (777 points), averaging 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 38.2% from 3-point range (9.0 attempts per game). He scored 30 points or more in six games, and only had one game where he did not score in double digits. His impressive play earned him Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

Pierre also had prior stops at Southern Miss and Wichita State, where he spent two years at each school, and will be going into his sixth season of college basketball. Pierre has also declared for the NBA Draft, but is not currently projected on any mock drafts.

While still early in his recruitment, Pierre tells KY Insider that he is “definitely” interested in Kentucky, but no Zoom meeting or visit has been scheduled.

“I love it Big Blue Nation,” Pierre said of the Kentucky program. He also really liked what Mark Pope was able to do in his first season in Lexington. “He was able to pick up right where it left off.”

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The level of competition is always a question when evaluating a mid-major talent, but Pierre’s athleticism jumps off the page and a 38.2% clip from three on nine attempts per game is nothing to slight at.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Receives Predictions for 7-Foot, Top 25 Transfer Magoon Gwath

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7-footer Magoon Gwath, a top 25 transfer prospect, is predicted to commit to Kentucky.
San Diego State Aztecs

Magoon Gwath, the 7-foot freshman from San Diego State, has received a crystal ball to Kentucky. No, ladies and gentlemen, this is not an April Fools prank.

Gwath entered the transfer portal on Mar. 24 after he averaged 8.5 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 2.6 blocks per game for the Aztecs. His play earned him Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in the Mountain West Conference. Kentucky was one of the first schools to contact Gwath, and Lamont Butler is even reported to be helping recruit Gwath to Kentucky.

At approximately 12 p.m. on April 1st, Travis Branham, a 247Sports Basketball Analyst, awarded the big man with a crystal ball prediction that has Gwath becoming a Wildcat. On3’s Joe Tipton has also chimed in, following Branham’s prediction and mentioning Michigan as a top destination as well. 

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This isn’t a guess, this is a calculated report. Now, Mark Pope and his staff will await the decision of Gwath in the coming days.

According to 247Sports transfer rankings, Gwath is the No. 22 transfer portal player in the country, ranking fourth among centers. The class of 2023 recruit was unranked, and due to a foot injury, was redshirted for the 2023-24 season.

With a 7-foot, 205-pound frame, Gwath needs to fill out some to help with his strength. However, he is an elite shot-blocker with good defensive instincts. On the offensive side, he has good vision for his size, which Mark Pope loves, and is comfortable putting the ball on the deck with his face-up game.

With the departure of Amari Williams and Andrew Carr in the frontcourt, the addition of Gwath would be major for the Pope and the Wildcats.

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Get familiar with Gwath’s game BBN.

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