Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Florida A&M: Thinks to Know After and Game MVP

Published

3 years ago

December 22, 2022

UK Athletics

Amid an intense level of fan frustration, the Kentucky Wildcats returned to action on Wednesday against Florida A&M in the Unity Challenge. With the Rattlers being one of the worst teams in the country, this was an opportunity for the Wildcats

Before the start of the game, it was announced that Chris Livingston and Lance Ware would be placed into the starting lineup. To start, the lineup change paid dividends as they pushed themselves out to an 18-2 lead by the under-16-minute media timeout.

All but two of these points were scored by Tshiebwe-Wallace-Wheeler in those opening five minutes. As the half went on, more Wildcats started to contribute, including CJ Fredrick who was 3-4 on threes. However, with such a large lead, Calipari started to experiment with lineups and Florida A&M started to generate some offense, as Kentucky entered the half with just a 42-32 lead.

Coming out of the half refocused, Kentucky pushed the lead back out to 21, in large part to Cason Wallace, who scored seven straight. Yet, FAMU responded, going a 14-2 run of their own to cut the lead to single digits with just over six minutes to go.

After a timeout to regroup, the Wildcats were on a mission to put the game away and did just that. Ending the game on an 11-2 run, Kentucky won the game by 20.

While Kentucky didn’t cover the 35-point spread, they used this game as a ‘practice’ to get better, as they should have. While there was some bad, there was a lot of learning.

Let’s take a closer look.

Regaining Confidence

The Kentucky offense has been struggling and the droughts of CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves have not helped. On Wednesday, the duo looked as if they had finally broken through their slump.

Combining for 22 points, including 6-13 from three, Wednesday was a performance to build on going forward for the two players. In what was an otherwise insignificant game, it was important for Fredrick and Reeves just to see the ball go through the basket.

In order for this Kentucky team to reach its potential, both players need to be the consistent shooting threats they were brought to Lexington to be.

Young Guys Shine

Given the nature of this game, it was expected that some of the younger players would be given some playing time and that did happen.

Cason Wallace played a team-high 31 minutes, but Livingston actually took a slight dip in minutes, playing just 15. This was primarily due to the play of CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves, but Livingston did score 8 points, including a three in that time.

Ugonna Onyenso and Adou Thiero are two players that also got some run in limited action. In just nine minutes Onyenso scored 4 points and added 5 rebounds, including four on the offensive end. As for Thiero, he played just three minutes but played hard, starting with a dive on the floor for a loose ball before adding a rebound, a steal, and nearly had a three before going in-ant-out.

Obviously, Wallace is a one-and-done, but the other three players could all come back next season and play big roles. It is good to see them contribute and continue to grow as players.

Better Offense, Defensive Troubles

Albeit against one of the worst teams in the country, the Kentucky offense looked better. Hitting a season-high 13 threes, the Wildcats were able to space the floor and were allowed to do a lot more.

Cason Wallance and Sahvir Wheeler were able to take advantage of driving lanes and take what the defense was giving them. In Wallace’s case, he was a dual threat, scoring 27 points and adding 9 assists.

With that said, Kentucky let Florida A&M shoot 52.0 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from three. In comparison, the Rattlers are in the bottom 15 in average field goal percentage (38%).

While it is something of note, I don’t believe this is too concerning. When the defense was attentive and locked in, the Rattlers had two scoring droughts that four minutes or longer.

Game MVP: Cason Wallace

On Wednesday, Cason Wallace could not be stopped. Scoring 27 points, including five threes, to go along with 9 assists and 4 steals, Wallace became just the second player in the Calipari era to record 25+ points and 9+ assists.

Playing 31 minutes, Wallace played the most on the team. Interestingly enough, in the second half, Wallace played 19 minutes in comparison to Sahvir Wheeler’s 6 minutes.

Wheeler is one of the best distributors in the country but with his size and poor shooting, defenses are able to sag off and help in the lane, anticipating a drive or pass inside. In the pick-and-roll offense, Wallace is more versatile and is a better option.

While both players bring their own skill sets and benefit the team in their own ways, the offense has performed better with Wallace running point. This could be something to watch going forward.

Men's Basketball

Practice Update: How Summer Workouts Are Going For Kentucky Basketball

Published

14 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.