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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Commit Impesses at McDonald’s All-American Game

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Kentucky basketball commit Malachi Moreno is a McDonald's All American
McDonald's All-American Game

Fresh off of winning a Kentucky Basketball State Championship Saturday night, Malachi Moreno had no time to rest. After winning the State Championship, Moreno flew out the morning after to Brooklyn.

Just a few short months ago, Moreno was selected to participate in the McDonald’s All-American game. Being chosen to play in this game is considered the highest honor a high school basketball player can achieve. However, he wasn’t content with just being chosen to play in this game. He wanted to show everyone that he belongs in this crowd with the best of the best.

Playing against the elite of the elite, there was never a moment in which Moreno looked as if he didn’t belong. Although Moreno and Team East didn’t come away with a victory, he looked nothing short of impressive all night long.

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In only 16 minutes of game time, Moreno finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. He also added 2 blocked shots on the game. Moreno, who is listed at 6’10, moves very well for his size. He has an elite feel around the rim, which is tough to find for a young big man like himself. However, his best attribute may be his shot blocking ability, as shown here.

Moreno is a very gifted shot-blocker who has a knack for timing his jump when blocking shots. This will help him fill a much-needed role next season for a Kentucky team that at times struggled defensively, more specifically with blocking shots.

His night didn’t end there, he also showcased his ability to step outside and shoot the 3 ball.

He only attempted 11 3’s during his Senior High School season, finishing at 3/11 for 27.3%, but he proves here that if left open. He won’t hesitate to let it fly.

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At the practices, On3 named him their second-best performer.

“Malachi Moreno flew to the McDonald’s All-American events this morning straight off winning a Kentucky state championship last night. This scrimmage was his first participation of the week, and he made his presence felt immediately. Moreno has legit size, listed at 7-foot-0, with good length. He also has good hands, which helps his play around the basket. Moreno is a strong rebounder, cleaning up the boards in traffic. He also had a game-clinching block at the rim, putting it off the backboard. Offensively, he plays as a roll man and out of the dunker spots. It found his spots and played within himself, and he had some very loud finishes.

Moreno is one of three exciting freshmen joining the Wildcats next season; alongside him are 4-stars Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis. These three highlight an exciting new young core for Mark Pope and company.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Has Contacted Nation’s Leading Scorer, Four-Star Transfer Jaron Pierre Who Is “Definitely” Interested in the Cats

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Jacksonville State transfer Jaron Pierre has been contacted by Kentucky.
Jacksonville State Athletics

There are more than a thousand players in the transfer portal, meaning names are flying left and right. As of April 1st, Kentucky has one commitment in Kam Williams (Tulane), and is projected to land top 25 transfer Magoon Gwath (San Diego State).

That said, the Kentucky staff has been in contact with more than a dozen players, and there is another notable player to add to that list.

KY Insider can report that Kentucky has contacted Jaron Pierre from Jacksonville State. Pierre is currently a four-star transfer prospect and ranked as the 34th ranked prospect in 247Sports‘ transfer portal rankings.

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At Jacksonville State last season, Pierre scored more points than anyone else in college basketball (777 points), averaging 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 38.2% from 3-point range (9.0 attempts per game). He scored 30 points or more in six games, and only had one game where he did not score in double digits. His impressive play earned him Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

Pierre also had prior stops at Southern Miss and Wichita State, where he spent two years at each school, and will be going into his sixth season of college basketball. Pierre has also declared for the NBA Draft, but is not currently projected on any mock drafts.

While still early in his recruitment, Pierre tells KY Insider that he is “definitely” interested in Kentucky, but no Zoom meeting or visit has been scheduled.

“I love it Big Blue Nation,” Pierre said of the Kentucky program. He also really liked what Mark Pope was able to do in his first season in Lexington. “He was able to pick up right where it left off.”

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The level of competition is always a question when evaluating a mid-major talent, but Pierre’s athleticism jumps off the page and a 38.2% clip from three on nine attempts per game is nothing to slight at.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Receives Predictions for 7-Foot, Top 25 Transfer Magoon Gwath

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7-footer Magoon Gwath, a top 25 transfer prospect, is predicted to commit to Kentucky.
San Diego State Aztecs

Magoon Gwath, the 7-foot freshman from San Diego State, has received a crystal ball to Kentucky. No, ladies and gentlemen, this is not an April Fools prank.

Gwath entered the transfer portal on Mar. 24 after he averaged 8.5 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 2.6 blocks per game for the Aztecs. His play earned him Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in the Mountain West Conference. Kentucky was one of the first schools to contact Gwath, and Lamont Butler is even reported to be helping recruit Gwath to Kentucky.

At approximately 12 p.m. on April 1st, Travis Branham, a 247Sports Basketball Analyst, awarded the big man with a crystal ball prediction that has Gwath becoming a Wildcat. On3’s Joe Tipton has also chimed in, following Branham’s prediction and mentioning Michigan as a top destination as well. 

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This isn’t a guess, this is a calculated report. Now, Mark Pope and his staff will await the decision of Gwath in the coming days.

According to 247Sports transfer rankings, Gwath is the No. 22 transfer portal player in the country, ranking fourth among centers. The class of 2023 recruit was unranked, and due to a foot injury, was redshirted for the 2023-24 season.

With a 7-foot, 205-pound frame, Gwath needs to fill out some to help with his strength. However, he is an elite shot-blocker with good defensive instincts. On the offensive side, he has good vision for his size, which Mark Pope loves, and is comfortable putting the ball on the deck with his face-up game.

With the departure of Amari Williams and Andrew Carr in the frontcourt, the addition of Gwath would be major for the Pope and the Wildcats.

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Get familiar with Gwath’s game BBN.

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