Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs Arkansas: Postgame Recap

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2023

On Tuesday night, the Kentucky Wildcats played another – fortunately their last – late Tuesday night game of the season against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Similarly, both teams had not lived up to high preseason expectations, but each came into Tuesday’s matchup playing their best basketball of the season.

Indicative of that, the Wildcats entered the game on a six-game SEC winning streak, compared to a four-game winning streak from the Razorbacks. Naturally, one of them had to come to an end.

Kentucky’s freshmen – Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace – displayed how much they have grown, scoring the Wildcats’ first nine points. The story of the first half was Daimion Collins, who came in due to Oscar Tshiebwe’s foul trouble and stepped up big time. Playing six first-half minutes, he scored seven points and looked good in the pick-and-roll action on offense.

The first half went about as expected, as the two teams traded blows, never really separating themselves. However, it should be noted that John Calipari did pick up a technical foul toward the end of the half after arguing a questionable call, allowing Arkansas to enter halftime with a 41-40 lead.

The start of the second half was not one the Calipari will want to remember, as the Wildcat turned the ball over four times in just over three minutes. Arkansas capitalized, scoring six points on those turnovers and extending the lead to as much as nine.

The self-dug was too much to overcome. Combine that with a lack of physicality and poor pick-and-roll defense, the game quickly got out of reach. In the end, Arkansas won 78-63.

Let’s take a closer look at the loss.

Physicality

As we have gotten accustomed to, an Eric Musselman-led Arkansas team is going to be physical and there was no shortage of physical play on Tuesday night. “The game was a physical game. If you weren’t ready for that, you were going to get knocked off point,” Calipari said in

Knocked off point is exactly what happened. The two areas where that can be proven most as the physicality ramped up in the second half is the rebounding battle – Arkansas: 16, Kentucky: 15 – and points in the paint – Arkansas: 28, Kentucky: 10.

A Step Back on Defense

Kentucky’s defense has been their biggest liability all season. However, some strides had been taken during their 6-1 stretch.

As evidence, the Wildcats were giving up nearly 72 points per contest through the first sixteen games, but that number has dropped to 65 points over the last seven games. This includes holding a confident Florida team to just 22 points in the first half this past weekend.

On Tuesday, it is fair that the defense took a step back. While the Kentucky offense was able to keep pace with Arkansas in the first half, Kentucky was not able to get stops. In the second half, that issue was made worse as the Razorbacks were getting to the rim at ease through their pick-and-roll action, which doesn’t look like it is ever going to improve.

As John Calipari said in the postgame press conference, “You’re not going to win a game if they’re shooting 72 percent.”

Oscar Tshiebwe

Oscar Tshiebwe is the reigning National Player of the Year, but has not looked close to that level in the last two games.

Against Florida, you can attribute a poor game to Colin Castleton’s length, which is something Thsiebwe has struggled against. However, on Tuesday, he was completely outplayed by a Rhode Island transfer of familiar size that averages 4 points per game, Makhel Mitchell.

Tshiebwe was once again attacked on the pick-and-roll, which is where Mitchell received the bulk of his points. However, that is the second straight game he has been held to seven points or less.

Still on the bubble, Kentucky is entering a stretch with some big-win opportunities available. To win, Tshiebwe is going to have to step up and play like the Oscar we know.

Daimion Collins

If you’re looking for a bright spot in this game, look at Daimion Collins. It may be a few months later than expected, but we are watching his emergence.

Standing 6-foot-10, with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Collins has had all the physical tools, but has not carried over to a lot of success on the floor. That is until recently. While it has been in limited action, Collins has looked great, and he had his best performance of the season on Tuesday.

With Oscar Tshiebwe dealing with foul trouble, Collins was asked to step up and that is what he did. Through six minutes in the first half, Collins scored 7 points and defended the pick-and-roll better than anyone all night.

Yet, he played just two minutes in the second half, despite Tshiebwe’s aforementioned struggles. When asked why after the game, “It was a bigger picture for Oscar than just this game. It was like, let’s get him going just to get him right.”

With that said, if Collins can sustain his level of play, he can be the rim protector and another key energy guy off the bench.

Men's Basketball

Amari Williams Picked 46th by the Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Draft

Amari Williams is the second Kentucky player selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, as Boston takes the big man with their second round pick.

Published

22 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Lane Mills

Amari Williams is drafted by the Boston Celtics.

Wesley Hale | Imagn Images

Fan-favorite big man (and official Weetabix sponsor) Amari Williams has officially made it to the big leagues, taken by the Boston Celtics with the 46th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, via a trade with the Orlando Magic.

The selection makes Williams the second Wildcat to be scooped up from this year’s pool, following Koby Brea being picked by the Phoenix Suns just five picks earlier at the 41st spot. From Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team, two transfer athletes (thus far) in their last year of eligibility have achieved next-level dreams by way of the blue and white.

Williams, who averaged 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists per game during his lone season in Lexington, will look to aid Boston in filling their recently vacant five-spot, left by the recently traded Kristaps Porzingis.

As Wildcat fans surely know, not only can Williams battle with the best of them in the paint, but he can run the floor as efficiently as just about any guard, too. His versatility and sizable frame ensure a high ceiling in the NBA and, despite not every draft board seeing him selected, the league champions two years removed made the call when it mattered.

Hailing overseas from Nottingham, England, and spending his first four years of college basketball at the University of Drexel, Williams’ success is a testament not only to Kentucky Basketball’s immaculate tradition, but to his own incredible work ethic and intangible ability.

Cats fans will be sure to follow and support their point-center to the next level, as they always do. Go be great, Amari – all of BBN has your back.

Men's Basketball

Koby Brea Selected to the Phoenix Suns With the No. 41 Overall Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Published

23 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Ali Cetinok

Tristan Pharis | KY Insider

Koby Brea arrived at Kentucky last season as one of the nation’s deadliest shooters, lived up to the billing, and reaped his rewards on Thursday night at the NBA Draft. The former Kentucky star is heading to the Phoenix Suns with the No. 41 overall pick

As a 6-foot-7 wing, Brea entered the 2025 NBA Draft as one of the most experienced prospects after spending four years at Dayton and a fifth at Kentucky during Mark Pope’s successful first season as head coach, where he became one of the best three-point shooters in all of college basketball.

Last season at Kentucky, the Bronx native averaged 11.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts per game in 36 games, 16 of which were starts, showcasing his scoring ability in transition, off the catch, and via handoffs and screens.

Not only did Brea achieve his own dreams of playing at the next level, but becomes a piece of history for Pope, becoming the first player drafted out of Kentucky during the Pope era.

Brea joins a rebuilding franchise with a notorious background for drafting Kentucky guards. Eric Bledsoe rings the bell, Tyler Ulis of course, and the Suns’ all-time leading scorer, Devin Booker obviously leads the pack.

Go be great Fuego!

Men's Basketball

How a Call with Mark Pope Led Denzel Aberdeen to Kentucky

After winning a national title at Florida, Denzel Aberdeen committed to Kentucky without ever visiting campus—thanks to a revealing three-hour call with head coach Mark Pope.

Published

2 days ago

June 25, 2025

Ali Cetinok

Chet White | UK Athletics

As a junior, Denzel Aberdeen was a key part of Florida’s national title run. But a certain phone conversation convinced him to leave his home state and head north to Lexington in hopes of experiencing that feeling once again.

He had never set foot in Lexington before deciding to become a Kentucky Wildcat — and he didn’t need to. All it took was one phone call — three hours long, on Easter Sunday — with head coach Mark Pope to convince him that he belonged in blue and white.

“Our phone call lasted about three hours, to be honest,” Aberdeen said, meeting with the media in Lexington for the first time earlier this week. “A lot of it was just getting to know me and getting to know the school, the university, getting to know him (Pope), how their style was, a lot of film. Once I saw that, I was like this looks like a great guy to play for.”

The two went on to discuss Aberdeen’s role at Kentucky in more depth, including how Pope envisions him fitting into Kentucky’s new system — a system that, according to Aberdeen, is very similar, if not better than the one he just left.

“We had a lot of great players at Florida, especially the tall bigs. Bigs that love to run there, and we have just as much here; our bigs love to run, they play defense, and they play at a fast pace. So I think the things that we’ve got here are just as good, or even better,” Aberdeen said.

Averaging 7.7 points and nearly 20 minutes per game off the bench for the Gators last year, it’s clear to see what Aberdeen brings to the team: experience, versatility, calmness in the backcourt, and championship pedigree. Pope’s phone conversation with Aberdeen wasn’t just impactful on the court — it also speaks volumes to what he is doing off the court in pursuit of the goal he laid out in his introductory press conference: to hang banners.

This phone call wasn’t just about Denzel Aberdeen. It was a glimpse into Pope’s player-first, transparent coaching approach, which could define his era at Kentucky — and potentially make this season a special one, with Aberdeen playing another key role in a deep NCAA Tournament run.

“I know the goal is to win No. 9,” he said. “I know the fans want that, we want that, all the staff and coaches want that. That pushes us. We know what we gotta do when we come here and put on that Kentucky jersey. Just playing for the University of Kentucky is a big thing. Being here is a blessing, and I can’t look back.”