Men's Basketball

What John Calipari and Kentucky Players Are Saying Ahead of NCAA Tournament

Published

1 year ago

March 20, 2024

John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats' comments as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament.

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

One of the best events in all of sports is here, March Madness, as the First Four has already kicked off in Dayton. On Thursday, the Kentucky Wildcats will tip off against Oakland Golden Grizzlies, with the hopes of making a deep tournament run.

How are John Calipari and the Wildcats feeling? Confident. Let’s take a look a what they’ve had to say heading into Thursday’s game.

John Calipari

“I think I have a good team, but they’re going to have to go and perform,” Calipari said after seeing Kentucky’s draw on Sunday. That said, he is confident that this season will end on a good note. “Normally, when I have teams like this, the outcome is pretty good.”

This year’s team is a group that enjoys one another, and is adored by the staff and fans. His message to his team, extend that. “You may never, in all of your basketball career, play on a team like this. Where everyone is for you. Everyone is trying to help you, and you’re trying to help them. Let’s extend it.”

To help extend the season, Calipari has a few “tweaks” in mind, a word he has almost used annually since the surprising run to the total game in the 2013-14 season. “We may have a couple tweaks,” Calipari said, speaking on the defensive end. “I got some things I think I’m gonna have to try and do. So I gotta couple tweaks in mind if a team has guards that just break us down. How about if I put both 7-footers in?”

Calipari also believes there could be a breakout in the NCAA Tournament by Aaron Bradshaw and Zvonimir Ivisic, and have a “couple” good games. “I don’t know when it will be, but you guys will look at me and say, ‘Why wasn’t Cal playing this kid? The same thing with Z.”

Players

For many of the players, this will be the first NCAA Tournament that they play in, something they envisioned growing up. “My favorite memory was definitely that UConn team with Kemba Walker,” Rob Dillingham said, likely not remembering that they beat Kentucky in the Final Four. “That’s similar to what we could do.”

Coming off an upset loss to Texas A&M, the players sound refocused before they head to Pittsburgh.”We feel confident, honestly,” Dillingham said. “Every time we’ve lost we have come back with a vain. The only thing we should feel is confidence.”

The sentiment was echoed by Antonio Reeves, who has one thing on his mind. “Just coming back with revenge.”

According to Dillingham, the key for the Kentucky Wildcats is to play their own game

“We can’t worry about other teams. We worry about us,” Dillingham said. We watch our highlights. When we play our game, there’s not a lot of teams that can play as good as us. When we play our game, we rarely lose.”

Sounding confident, Kentucky will open the first round against Oakland on Thursday in Pittsburgh. The game is set for 7:10 p.m. ET and can be seen on CBS.

Men's Basketball

Jasper Johnson Makes Final U19 USA Roster Under Coach Mark Pope

Jasper Johnson has advanced in the U19 USA camp for the second time alongside the nation’s best recruits, and under Mark Pope’s wing.

Published

5 hours ago

June 20, 2025

Lane Mills

Instagram: @bruhjasperj (UK Athletics)

In a surprisingly relevant development smack dab in the middle of the offseason, Jasper Johnson has yet again advanced in the pool of players participating in the USA U19 camp.

The program, which could be a described as a sort of extension of the Team USA that just took home the gold in 2024, is comprised of some of the nation’s most anticipated talents set to take collegiate courts in the next couple of seasons.

Blue Gets In

Among them is Kentucky native and commit Johnson, and was also incoming Cat Malachi Moreno, before the latter was cut as a result of a mild injury he obtained throughout the camp’s course. Despite Moreno’s exit, his future teammate continues to impress.

Under the wing of Coach Mark Pope, who’s helmed the team in the camp up to this point, Johnson has now made the final cut after multiple roster slashes – he and only 11 other players remain in the minority that will go forward to actually compete for the team in the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, which will take place June 28 through July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The pre-competition camp serves not only as a trial of play before these athletes disperse to their own respective rosters this fall and next, but for Johnson, as a preview of what it’s like to play under Coach Pope. If his current success is any indicator, Kentucky fans may be in for something special when the pair tackle opposing teams together for the blue and white.

In similar noteworthy news, also attending the event are Taylen Kinney and Tyran Stokes, two Kentucky-born athletes with ties to Kentucky that the program is heavily recruiting. Jasper’s strong performance, combined with Coach Pope’s presence, can only help the Wildcats’ chances on that front, too.

To say the least, Mark Pope has found a way to facilitate Kentucky’s influence far beyond the boundaries of Lexington. He and Johnson, for the time being, will continue to press turn heads on the national stage, and it’s very likely that fans aren’t the only ones paying attention.

Men's Basketball

Archie Goodwin and Kahlil Whitney Set to Join La Familia This Summer

La Familia continues to add more firepower to the 2025 roster.

Published

1 day ago

June 19, 2025

Kai McClelland

James Crisp (Left), Adam Hunger (Right) | Associated Press

As the start of the 2025 TBT Tournament inches closer, La Familia has been slowly but surely adding star Wildcats to the roster.

Usually, we see announcements for new additions to the squad roll out on social media in some form, whether it be a post from La Familia’s official accounts or in form of Ansley Almonor’s announcement, which took place on BBN Tonight.

However, this time, Archie Goodwin and Kahlil “The Dragon” Whitney were added to the roster on the TBT website without any announcement, surprising Big Blue Nation as the news leaked and began to circulate.

They were removed from the website afterwards, but as of Thursday, June 19, appear on the website as listed members of the roster.

Goodwin has been an active member for years, highlighted by his semifinals appearance last year where he averaged 13.8 points per game en route.

Whitney is a name that may cause some to shed a tear, with so much potential surrounding the former five-star leading up to his debut. Ultimately, he left the program after appearing in just 18 games for Kentucky.

La Familia is competitive as all get out, shown by chippy play with guys who have nothing to lose but everything to win for the place they call home. Goodwin and Whitney, now added to that list of guys, will look to redeem themselves with one goal in mind. Win.

The official La Familia roster as of June 19:

– Willie Cauley-Stein (2012-15)

– Doron Lamb (2010-12)

– DeAndre Liggins (2008-11)

– Aaron Harrison (2013-15)

– Andrew Harrison (2013-15)

– Ansley Almonor (2024-25)

– Archie Goodwin (2012-13)

– Kahlil Whitney (2019-20)

Men's Basketball

Former Kentucky Star, 10-year NBA Veteran Eric Bledsoe Arrested and Charged with Felony Domestic Violence

Published

1 day ago

June 19, 2025

Tristan Pharis

Former Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe has been arrested and charged with felony domestic violence.

Scott Utterback | Courier Journal

Eric Bledsoe, a key part of the 2009-10 Kentucky team that reinvigorated the Big Blue Nation following the Billy Gillispie era, was arrested on Wednesday morning.

According to reports, the California Highway Patrol investigated a report of domestic violence. The investigators were led to a gas station on a Los Angeles-area freeway where they discovered Bledsoe with a woman who was suffering from “bruising and swelling” to her face, and who said that Bledsoe allegedly hit her. Bledsoe was booked on a felony domestic violence charge and held on $55,000 bail.

Bledsoe was previously arrested on a similar charge back in 2022, but that case was later dropped when prosecutors said the alleged victim gave “inconsistent statements about whether there was a physical altercation.”

Bledsoe was part of Kentucky’s La Familia team last year in the TBT, and was announced to return again this season.