Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs Arkansas: Postgame Recap

Published

3 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

Practice Update: How Summer Workouts Are Going For Kentucky Basketball

Published

13 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Kai McClelland

Photo via UK Athletics

It’s the heat of the summer, with every member of Kentucky’s basketball roster on campus and gearing up for next season.

Although Kam Williams and Franck Kepnang have been sidelined as a precautionary measure, the rest of the team has been lifting weights, playing pickup and getting adjusted to each other’s game.

Justin McBride Turning Heads

6-foot-7 forward Justin McBride averaged 15.3 points per game in his junior season with JMU, so when Kentucky picked him up in the offseason, many members of the Big Blue Nation began to share his offensive highlights and build anticipation for his senior year.

McBride saw that and took accountability, with sources confirming with KY Insider that he showed up on campus nearly 15 pounds lighter. This is the healthiest he’s been in his career, and his deadly shooting will be welcomed by a newfound agility and quickness.

Zoom Diallo Taking Leadership Role

As any true point guard should do, Zoom Diallo has taken on the leadership role with a full head of steam, using his voice to rally the team early in the summer.

Sources confirmed that the 6-foot-6 guard from Washington certainly isn’t shy on the court and goes the extra mile, arriving to practices hours early to staying after for extra work.

New Team, New Intensity

The Kentucky staff is changing the tone of the offseason, with a source telling us that there’s been a physical shift during each practice and workout.

Notably, this gets guys familiar with what the college level is truly like, with Braydon Hawthorne and Mason Williams being two names mentioned as players they’re pressing the envelope on early.

Talented Youth

While there’s a fair share of experienced guys on this roster, two of the best players on this team are entering their sophomore seasons.

Alex Wilkins and Malachi Moreno have been showing off so far, sources confirmed, with Moreno being simply unbelievable down low and Wilkins showing that he’s not going to be passive with his decision making.

With Kepnang out for the summer as a precaution, the staff is excited to see him match Moreno’s intensity given his college experience. Wilkins has proved his dual-threat ability is real, allowing him to score from anywhere and make plays alongside Diallo.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball has taken over as the favorite for Serbian star Nikola Kusturica, a projected lottery pick in 2028, with a prediction backing the Wildcats.

Just when many believed Kentucky’s roster was complete in terms of contributing players, Mark Pope might have an ace up his sleeve.

Last week, it was reported that Kentucky was among the frontrunners to land 6-foot-8 Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica. At the time, Gonzaga was thought to be the team to beat, having a more defined role to offer, compared to Kentucky, who has one remaining roster spot and a good amount of depth in wing positions.

Since then, things have shifted in a big way.

Gonzaga received a commitment from 18-year-old French guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa on Sunday. By Tuesday night, the Wildcats received a Crystal Ball prediction from 247Sports’ Travis Branham to land Kusturica, with a confidence level of 7 out of 10.

The 6-foot-8 wing currently plays for FC Barcelona in Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague system. He just turned 17 years old and is reportedly seeking a two-year college opportunity before becoming draft-eligible in 2028, where he is already being projected as a lottery pick.

The on-court résumé speaks for itself. In the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket, he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while leading Serbia to a championship and was named tournament MVP. He also helped Barcelona capture the Adidas NextGen Finals championship last month, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Real Madrid.

Next, Kusturica will represent Serbia in the FIBA U17 World Cup from June 27 to July 5, and a college decision could come before then.

Mark Pope is carrying a lot of momentum in recent weeks after retaining Malachi Moreno and adding Milan Momcilovic to this season’s roster, as well as landing the first top 10 prospect of his career in Ryan Hampton. If he can close on Kusturica, that would cap off the roster in a significant way and continue to change the narrative around his recruiting ability.

Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Kam Williams and Franck Kepnang Sidelined For Summer as Precaution

Published

3 days ago

June 16, 2026

Kai McClelland

Photo via UK Athletics

Since players have arrived on campus and began facing off against each other, we’ve seen multiple pictures and videos of the team surface across social media.

From Milan Momcilovic sparking threes from deep, to Braydon Hawthorne showing us his playmaking abilities, members of the Big Blue Nation have been watching, reposting and expressing their animosity for the upcoming season.

However, the same questions have circled throughout the comments. Where is Kam Williams? Where is Franck Kepnang?

In the most calming way possible, KY Insider can confirm that Williams and Kepnang will both be out during summer workouts as a precautionary measure for previous injuries. KSR’s Jack Pilgrim had the news first, with Williams confirmed to be back in his boot.

Williams, who broke his foot in February, is eyeing an 100% recovery before he begins scrimmaging. His summer training has been minimal and the team is taking the most kindest form of rest so re-injury becomes less likely during the 2026-27 season.

Kepnang has had a long list of leg and knee injuries throughout his collegiate career thus far, causing him to miss the half of four seasons from 2020-21 through 2024-25. Hoping for a productive seventh year of college basketball and with a severe past, load management is the common and smart move given his situation.

Again, both are precautious actions and no new injuries have occurred.

Mark Pope and the rest of the team are having fun, the vibes are good and they will get Williams and Kepnang up to speed when the time is right.