Connect with us

Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Florida: Postgame Recap

Published

on

© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Florida was coming off an upset win against No. 2 Tennessee on Tuesday night and had a large amount of confidence afterward. However, that would not make it any easier for them in Rupp Arena on Saturday night.

Kentucky got off to a great start on defense in the first half only allowing 22 points to the Gators and being the faster and better team for the entire half. While they were struggling shooting on offense at 38 percent, they were making use of their second-chance opportunities to give themselves a 33-22 lead at the half.

However, the second half would get much harder for the Cats even after going up by 14 at the under 8-minute timeout in the second half. Toward the end of the game, Kentucky tried to grind the clock and struggled to make shots, which allowed Florida to back into the game, cutting it to just three with under a minute to go.

Advertisement

In the end, the Wildcats were able to knock down some big free throws and hold them off in a close 72-67 win, making Kentucky now 7-3 in conference play.

Let’s take a closer look.

Point Guard Play

Cason Wallace played as efficient of a game as you will see in college basketball. Scoring twenty points, Wallace only needed 10 shot attempts and shot 70% from the field, and did so in just 27 minutes.

Five of those points came during the most important stretch of the game. With under three minutes to go, after Florida cut it to five, Wallace hit a tough layup and a three to give Kentucky a cushion heading into the final minutes.

Advertisement

Wallace also impacted this game on the defensive side tallying three blocks and a steal. Including this one, that had Rupp Arena going crazy.

With that said, Cason Wallace wasn’t the only point guard that played well, as Sahvir Wheeler played his role of backup point guard to perfection.

Off the bench, Wheeler has his fingerprints all over the game, tallying 8 points, 2 assists, 2 steals. and 0 turnovers. During his time on the floor, he was exceptional at pushing the ball in transition. Multiple times, Wheeler was able to beat the defense back and either find the open man or take it himself.

After the game, John Calipari was sure to note Wheeler’s performance and tell the media, “Sahvir. Without him, we (Kentucky) don’t win this game.”

Advertisement

Improvements on Defense

The defense looked far better in this game, especially in the first half. Every shot at the basket was contested and there were no easy buckets. Which is an area that Kentucky has struggled against, giving up straight-line drives.

The second half came with some breakdowns, especially in the pick-and-roll game where Kentucky has struggled all season. Florida also started hitting contested jumpers in the second half, fueling their comeback.

When Kentucky needed it most up three on the last possession of the game, they got the stop to win the game. There are still improvements to be made, but the Cats are building upon each performance and showing improvement.

Daimion Collins

Coming into this season, Daimion Collins was tabbed to be a potential breakout player for the Wildcats this season. After seeing his performances in the Bahamas and reports from early practices, that looked as if that would be the case.

Advertisement

However, just days before the start of the regular season, tragedy struck as his father, Ben Collins, passed away. Last week, John Calipari provided insight into just how much the loss affected him.

“His dad passed away. His dad was his best friend, would have been the best man in his wedding,” Calipari said on Daimion’s relationship with his dad. “All of a sudden he loses 16 pounds and we’re playing other people.”

In the last two games, Collins has stepped up in limited action and on Saturday, he made two of the biggest free throws of the game. Coming back to the bench, Collins was greeted with a hug from Calipari that all of Big Blue Nation could feel, and a deserved ovation from the Rupp Arena crowd.

Advertisement

Men's Basketball

Kentucky and Indiana Basketball Renew Rivalry With Four-Year Series, Begins in 2025-26

Published

on

Kentucky Wildcats and Indiana Hoosiers have renewed their college basketball rivalry series starting in 2025.
Woodson: © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports | Calipari: © Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

From 1969 to 2011, Kentucky and Indiana basketball faced off nearly every year for a non-conference matchup in December, a schedule staple for both teams. After over 40 seasons, the annual matchup was not renewed beyond 2011, following the infamous Christian Watford shot to beat No. 1 Kentucky at Assembly Hall, resulting in a court storm by Indiana fans.

Since that game, John Calipari has been open to resuming the Indiana series but has vowed that he will not play in Assembly Hall citing “disrespect” of his players (there are allegations you can research for yourself).

On Tuesday, it was announced that Kentucky and Indiana will resume the series in an agreement that all parties have approved of. For John Calipari and Kentucky, two of the four games will be played at Rupp Arena. For Indiana, they will have one neutral site game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but also one home game at Assembly Hall in 2028.

Advertisement

But wait, I thought Calipari would never play at Assembly Hall? That is correct, given that it is five seasons away, Calipari will likely be retired by then. However, that is the last year of his contract, so there is technically a possibility of coaching one more game in Assembly, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Here are the dates and locations of each game:

  • Dec. 20th, 2025 – IU @ UK – Rupp Arena
  • Dec. 27th, 2026 – UK vs. IU – Lucas Oil Stadium
  • Dec. 18th, 2027 – IU @ UK – Rupp Arena
  • Dec. 16th, 2028 – UK @ IU – Assembly Hall

Since their last regular season matchup, Kentucky and Indiana have met twice in the NCAA Tournament (2012 and 2016), splitting the two games. For the entire series, the Wildcats hold a 32-25 advantage, and they will look to extend that soon.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

BB Recruiting

John Calipari Visits Trio of Top Recruits

Published

on

UK Athletics

With less than two weeks until Big Blue Madness, the start of the Kentucky basketball season is just around the corner. Ahead of a season with a lot of pressure, John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcat staff were busy on the recruiting trail in New York to start the week.

The day started off with taking a visit to see 2024 combo guard Boogie Fland. This being the fourth in-person visit to Fland over the last three weeks, it is clear that he is a top priority for the Cats and that is reciprocated as Fland listed the Wildcats in his top three last week along with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Indiana Hoosiers. Fland is expected to make a decision in the early signing period, which begins on November 8th.

With that said, coverage of Fland’s recruitment has been well-reported, but while in New York, Calipari paid a visit to two more top recruits, VJ Edgecombe and Alier Maluk who both play for Long Island Lutheran (NY).

Advertisement

VJ Edgecombe

Edgecombe is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2024 class. As of March this year, he was ranked outside of the Top 100, fast forward to now and he is a consensus top 10 prospect and considered to be the No. 2 shooting guard in the class. When you see his explosive athleticism, catch-and-shoot ability, and natural basketball instincts it is easy to see why.

Watching closely for a while, the Wildcats extended an offer last month, a month and a half after Edgecombe trimmed his list to ten. While late to the party, Kentucky is not giving up and joins the likes of Alabama, Duke, St. Johns, and G-League Ignite among others in pursuit of the talented guard.

Alier Maluk

Early this summer Alier Maluk was considered a top-25 prospect, but following the grassroots season Maluk dropped in the rankings to just inside the top 50. That said, that isn’t stopping the Wildcats from still showing interest as they have since he was 15 years old, and for good reason, Maluk is one of the most intriguing big men in the class.

At 6-foot-10, 180 pounds, Maluk is a dynamic two-way prospect and can be looked at as a “modern” big man. Well-known for his shot-blocking and rim-running ability, Maluk is also capable of shooting off the catch and the dribble. That said, his handle needs some development as he hopes to continue to develop as a stretch-four. That said, height and skill run in the family as Maluk is the cousin of 7-foot-2 center Bol Bol, who currently plays in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns.

Advertisement

It should be noted that Kentucky has yet to extend an offer to Maluk, who currently holds offers from Florida, Ohio State, and Oregon among others.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

BB Recruiting

John Calipari Looking To Close Deal On Five-Star Guard Boogie Fland

Published

on

John Calipari is looking to close the deal and get a commitment from five-star guard Boogie Fland.
Fland: © Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK | Calipari: UK Athletics/Chet White

One of the top players in the class, top-ranked guard Boogie Fland has begun taking his visits, and is still taking time with his recruitment, but John Calipari and Kentucky are making a hard push to get the star guard locked up.

Fresh off of a visit to Kentucky a few weeks ago, Fland also had an in-home visit conducted by John Calipari last week after Kentucky watched him at Archbishop Stepinac in New York. On Monday, Calipari and Orlando Antigua paid him another visit. Kentucky is making sure he knows that he is the top priority among guards in the class of 2024.

Along with his visit to Lexington, Fland recently visited Alabama. The two schools are part of Fland’s final three schools along with Indiana as he nears closer to a decision.

Advertisement

Fland is known to be one of the more elite scorers in the class with an ability to score from all three levels, and Kentucky is making him a top priority. Four visits in three weeks show that the staff really likes him and are looking to close the deal.

Take a look at this mic’d up highlight video of the potential future Wildcat to get to know him and his game.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending