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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Florida A&M: How to Watch and Things to Look For

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2 years ago

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UK Athletics

Following a disappointing loss to UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, the frustration of the Big Blue Nation feels like it is at an all-time high during the John Calipari era. However, the Kentucky Wildcats will look to get back on track against one of the worst teams in college basketball, the Florida A&M Rattlers.

Whether you are looking at KenPom, Bart Torvik, or NET Rankings, the Rattlers are ranked as one of the bottom ten teams in the country. Sitting at just 2-7, both of the team’s wins have come against non-D1 opponents.

Wednesday’s game will just be the second time the two teams have met and the first since meeting in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The matchup will also be the second game of the Unity Series, a five-year partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference to play an annual game between Kentucky and one of the SWAC member institutions.

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In what should be Kentucky’s easiest game of the season, let’s look at some things to watch for.

Experiment with lineups

Through ten games this season, a ‘big three’ have separated themselves for Kentucky: Oscar Tshiebwe, Cason Wallace, and Sahvir Wheeler.

In the month of December, Tshiebwe-Wallace-Wheeler have accounted for more than 56% of Kentucky’s points scored, with an average of 36.7 points per game. The rest of the team? While obviously making up the rest of the points, are shooting just 38%

With that said, Kentucky’s offense has been far from consistent and a large part of this is due to lineups. While a team’s best players will and should score the most points, Kentucky has depth and needs some players to step up and contribute consistently.

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In a game like this, the Wildcats need to use it to find lineups that work. After UCLA, one move that could prove beneficial, especially with spacing, is to play Chris Livingston at power forward along with three guards. On his call-in show on Monday, Cal suggested that he may do that.

Get Fredrick, Reeves, and Toppin a confidence boost

At the beginning of the season, with injuries keeping Oscar Tshiebwe out and Sahvir Wheeler limited, Kentucky’s offense ran through CJ Fredrick, Antonio Reeves, and Jacob Toppin.

Through two games (albeit against lower competition), the trio did not disappoint as they combined for an average of nearly 50 points per game (48.5). As of late, that has been far from the case. In December, they are averaging just 17.7 points per game on a putrid 32.2 percent shooting from the field.

With Tshiebwe and Wheeler back to full strength, it was inevitable that their production would decrease, but their drop in efficiency is what is concerning. Without these three playing at a high level, this team will not reach its full potential.

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Appearing to be shaken, Wednesday night’s game should give the opportunity to give each player plenty of run to gain some much-needed confidence as Kentucky nears closer to SEC play.

Give the fanbase some hope

As mentioned in the introduction of this article, fan morale may currently be at it’s worst in the Calipari Era.

Burn me at the stake for this, but this isn’t all on Cal. Yes, he is the head coach and deserves part of the blame and his offensive philosophy needs to change in a big way. However, I think this is the release of years of pent-up frustration from a fanbase that wants something desperately to cheer for.

  • 2018: Lost in the Elite Eight in OT to an Auburn team that UK had beaten twice. Two Auburn players went for 20+.
  • 2019: COVID stopped a Final-Four caliber team, won SEC by 3 games.
  • 2020: Worst season in UK history; Missed tournament, weird year in college basketball (Duke also missed, UNC and Kansas out first weekend)
  • 2021: Team plagued with injuries at their peak; Worst loss in postseason history; Shaedon Sharpe saga.

With that said, the Big Blue Nation wants to support this team and have a successful season, but they need something to look forward to. Florida A&M may not be a quality opponent, but a decisive blowout win could provide a stepping stone.

Kentucky Basketball vs. Florida A&M

Time/Date: 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, December 21st, 2022.
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: Tom Hart, Dane Bradshaw
Online Stream: WatchESPN, ESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | FAMU
Team Sheets: UK | FAMU
Stats To Know: UK | FAMU

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Odds: The betting line for the game has yet to be announced. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Kentucky an 99% chance of winning, and Bart Torvik guarantees a Kentucky win at 100%.

Predictions: Bart Torvik picked the Bruins to win 80-49.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

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

Published

3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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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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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

Published

5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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Men's Basketball

ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

Published

6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
ESPN

Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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