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Takeaways From Kentucky Basketball Pro Day

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2 months ago

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The Kentucky Wildcats hosted their 2024 pro day in front of all 32 NBA teams, here are the biggest takeaways.
Chet White | UK Athletics

In the 10th annual Kentucky Pro Day the Wildcats now had a different man at the helm but that did not change the objective. Show the NBA scouts the talent that the Wildcats are going to put on the court this year. We will be going over our biggest takeaways from the 1st Pro Day under new Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope.

THE CATS PLAY FAST

One of the most interesting things about this open practice was how Pope ran it to keep the players fast and always moving. This was shown no better than when he set the shot clock to 12 to force the players to play with urgency always looking for a shot.

We learned later that Pope usually sets the clock to 20 in his practices but moved it up to 12 to show the scouts just how fast these guys can play.

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Coach Pope wants to put up points in any way necessary and you can tell that by watching any film from his tenure at BYU. With the talent he has already brought to Kentucky, you can expect exciting play to follow if pro day taught us anything.

Lamont Butler and Brandon Garrison Lead the Cats on Defense

While everyone raves about Pope’s offensive philosophy rightfully so, we cannot forget to mention the key players that will make the defense for this Kentucky team.

Starting with Lamont Butler is one of the best on-ball defenders in the country and will no doubt be the starting point guard for this team. Not to mention the voice of the Wildcats with his veteran leadership. Butler knows what it takes to win in March and will be the leader of this team.

While it’s almost certain Brandon Garrison will not be in the starting lineup for Kentucky come November, he will certainly get minutes off the bench because of the paint presence he brings.

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The speed at which he moves while guarding the ball is also very impressive for someone of his size. That coupled with his ability to protect the rim will guarantee he gets minutes coming off the bench to guard some of the toughest bigs Kentucky will face.

Kentucky will Shoot the Lights Out

If it wasn’t obvious from the film of these players at their former schools, Pope went out and got him some shooters in his first offseason as the Kentucky basketball coach.

At any given point Kentucky is guaranteed to have four players on the court at all times who will be able to make the three at a high clip.

This helps with the shooting presence of Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr who showed in the pro day that when he’s hot it’s hard for him to miss, coupled with Travis Perry who Pope said has been doing things that he’s “never seen at any level of basketball”.

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Not to mention Dayton transfer Koby Brea who was a hot commodity this offseason with the likes of every blue blood after him in the portal. Honorable mention for Ansley Almonor and let’s not forget Jaxson Robinson’s ability to shoot from any spot on the floor including being the top guy to create his shot.

The Freshmen Surprise

Yes, this is one of the oldest teams in the country when it comes to experience on the floor in college basketball, but let’s not forget the guys playing their first years post-high school.

Collin Chandler has the highest ceiling out of everyone on the roster given what we saw tonight and considering it’s been two years since seeing the floor in a competitive basketball environment. The kid can play with his athleticism and when he gets more consistent from behind the arc, watch out.

Travis Perry needs no introduction the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school basketball history has gotten a ton of praise from Pope this offseason. Perry can shoot it with the best of them so don’t be surprised to see the kid get a good amount of minutes on this year’s roster.

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Let’s not forget Trent Noah, the former South Carolina commit has shown early the potential he has in future years at UK. He may not get to see the floor much this year with the array of veterans Pope put on this year’s roster, but the kid is only going to get better.

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Men's Basketball

Former Kentucky Player, Top Recruit Could Be Involved in Point Shaving Scheme

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22 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw is alleged to be involved in a college gambling scandal.

Once a projected top-10 pick, former Kentucky Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw is now away from the Ohio State basketball program for unclear reasons.

On Friday, the program released a statement that Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities, but that they could not comment further due to federal privacy laws.

“Aaron Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities,” the statement read. “The university is following its established process. Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot share further information at this time.”

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Ohio State coach Jake Diebler held a press conference Friday night after the Buckeyes’ win over Campbell, where he said could not provide further comment and referred to the University’s public statement.

“Regarding Aaron, I understand you may have some questions,” Diebler said to open his postgame press conference. “As stated, have to refer to the statement that was released and can’t have any comment on that. Respect the job you have to do. Just know I cannot comment on that any further.”

This comes shortly after news of a federal investigation into sports wagering activities broke earlier this week. Former Temple and Virginia Tech guard Hysier Miller was dismissed from the Hokies last month due to the investigation which first started after the Owls were flagged in March by a watchdog group for suspicious gambling activity.

With more names expected to be released in the coming weeks, the investigation has begun to narrow its search to players with ties to Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Of course, Bradshaw is from Camden, New Jersey, just across the Deleware River from Philadelphia, and those with knowledge of the situation are suggesting he could be involved.

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Court documents do show that Bradshaw recently failed to appear in court following a speeding violation, where he was clocked at 102 mph in a 65 mph zone. However, similar situations of student-athletes speeding have not been handled in this fashion.

The wording of the statement does not make it seem like a minor incident that will soon blow over. This is certainly something to keep an eye on, with some believing it could lead to a nationwide ban on college sports betting.

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Kentucky vs. Jackson State: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Betting Odds/Predictions

Published

2 days ago

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November 22, 2024

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Kentucky players encouraging each other at Rupp Arena.
Chet White | UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats are back in action Friday to face the Jackson State Tigers in the second game of the BBN Invitational.

To put it simply, Jackson State is bad, very bad. Sitting at 0-5 and ranked 321st in KenPom, the Tigers will likely be the worst opponent Kentucky will play all season.

Coached by Mo Williams, one of LeBron James’ old teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Tigers have only finished above .500 twice in the last decade. This season, Jackson State is predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC.

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Mark Pope recently said he wanted to build a standard, regardless of opponent and, and that will be tested on Friday.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

More 3-Point Attempts

Admittedly nitpicking, one of the things that Mark Pope was not happy with in Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb was the amount of three-point attempts. While they shot nearly 50 percent from deep, going 12-25, Pope wants to see the number of attempts closer to 35.

The Tigers have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.8 percent from deep, the second-worst mark in the country. Pope and the staff will certainly generate a game plan to take advantage of this. Expect to see 30+ attempts.

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Ball Movement

Despite beating Lipscomb by 29 points, the Wildcats had a season-low in assists with just ten. For context, Kentucky had averaged more than 23 assists per game entering the matchup.

“That’s not us. That’s not who we are,” Pope said after the game.

While there wasn’t a lot of selfishness, the ball just wasn’t ‘flying’ as it has been early this season. This is a priority for the staff and this mature group, and they will aim for 25+ assists.

Keep JSU off the Free-Throw Line

Jackson State ranks in the top 100 nationally in one area: Free throws made per game. So, Kentucky, defend without fouling.

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Kentucky’s offense makes headlines, but the defense has played very well to start the season, holding all four opponents to under 73 points. Let’s see if they can get down in a stance and defend well for 40 minutes vs. a team that stresses contact and drawing fouls.

Opposing Players to Watch

C Shannon Grant 6-11, 290 lbs

  • 7.5 PPG
  • 4.8
  • Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection

G Jayme Mitchell Jr 6-5, 190 lbs

  • 15.0 PPG
  • 3.8 RPG
  • 44.4% 3P

F Romelle Mansel 6-9, 220 lbs

  • 10.8 PPG
  • 5.8 RPG
  • 31.7% FG (second most FG attempts on the team)

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Jackson State Tigers

Time: 7 PM ET on November 22nd
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: This game will not be on TV and is streaming only,
Online Stream: SEC Network+, ESPN+, and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | JSU
Stats to Know: UK | JSU
KenPom: UK | JSU
Team Sheet: UK | JSU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check Thursday afternoon for an official spread. Multiple projections give Kentucky a 99% chance of winning: Bart Torvik (99%), EvanMiya (99.9%), and ESPN (99.0%). The exception is KenPom (92%).

Predictions: KenPom (93-63), Haslametrics (96-63), Bart Torvik (95-61), and EvanMiya (96-59) all are going with a 30+ point victory, Kentucky!

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Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

Published

6 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
IMAGN

The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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