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RECAP & TAKEAWAYS: Kentucky Takes Down Kentucky State 99-53 in Final Exhibition

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Tyler Ulis and Rob Dillingham walking off the court together after the Kentucky Wildcats win a preseason exhibition.
UK Athletics

What a fun outing from the Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday night against Kentucky State.

Kentucky defeated the Kentucky State Thorobreds 99-53 in their final exhibition of the season. Early on, Kentucky took advantage of transition opportunities they got from forcing turnovers. The same was true in the second half, as the Thorobreds ended the game with only 13 turnovers committed, but it felt like it was double that.

All five members of the starting five reach double-digit scoring figures as well. If UK put out just the starters, Kentucky would have won by 24 points, 77-53. Safe to say, it was a fun night in Rupp Arena, but here’s what there was to take away from the game:

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Tre Mitchell Holding Down the Fort

Kentucky was (again) without their 21 feet of big men. Prior to the game, John Calipari mentioned that Zvonimir Ivisic will go through warm ups, but he was actually never in Rupp Arena to begin with.

Ivisic got food poisoning in a team dinner, and the team doctor ordered that he stayed home and rested, according to Calipari. Of course, Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso are still out as they continue to recover from their injuries.

That being said, however, Tre Mitchell did more than enough to fill in the missing shoes of the three big men. Mitchell finished the night with 15 points on 6-9 shooting (3-5 from three). He also had ten rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. Solid all-around night for the former West Virginia Mountaineer.

Wagner, Edwards Finding Their Rhythym

It has been no secret that while DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards have been good, they haven’t been great, like they were expected to be. However, that was not the narrative against Kentucky State. Instead, Wagner and Edwards showed off their lottery pick (or even top five pick) potential.

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Wagner shot an efficient 50% from the field, going 5-10 to score 12 points. He was challenged to be more than just a scorer by the coaching staff, however. Specifically, they wanted him to be a better passer and set up teammates for buckets, and he did that. He would end the exhibition with 7 assists.

Edwards was also prolific on the hardwood against Kentucky State on Thursday night. Edwards started the game 5-5 with 10 points, and he only added to his stat line from there. He finished with 17 points on 8-12 shooting while also accumulating nine rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Great night of basketball from Wagner and Edwards.

Antonio “Threeves” is Back

Kentucky’s best shooter was Antonio Reeves on Thursday night. Shocker, right? Kidding, but it was nice to see Reeves finally get things rolling in Rupp Arena again. He shined in Canada and even during the blue-white game at NKU, but between Big Blue Madness and the Georgetown exhibition, Reeves had been struggling to find his shot in Rupp.

Well, I think it’s safe to say that Reeves did not struggle to make shots against Kentucky State. To begin the exhibition, it seemed like it may be another rough night for him, but that quickly turned around.

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Reeves would put up a team-leading 20 points, going 4-6 from three point land. Finally, Kentucky got their three point assassin back. It seemed like anytime Reeves had the ball in his hand, there was an electrifying dagger on the way. Good to see him rekindle the fire Thursday night.


Overall, there were A LOT of positives that came from Thursday’s exhibition. Everyone seemed to be firing on all cylinders. John Calipari’s squad did even more than they were expected to against Kentucky State. The season officially begins right back in Rupp Arena against New Mexico State on November 6th. You can view the box score from the exhibition here.

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BB Recruiting

Wake Forest Transfer Andrew Carr Commits to Kentucky

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Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr has committed to play for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.
David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

After finalizing all but one member of the staff last week, including the official announcements of top recruiters Alvin Brooks and Jason Hart, the Kentucky Wildcats have received their third commitment in as many days.

“BOOM!” Kentucky assistant Cody Fueger tweeted out on Sunday afternoon. Just hours later, Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr announced his commitment to Kentucky.

Carr is ranked as the 75th-best transfer by ESPN.

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Carr began his college career at Delaware, where his father and uncle both played. After two seasons, he elected to transfer to Wake Forest, where started in all 68 games. This past season, Carr was the star big man of a Demon Deacon team that won 20+ games for just the second time over the last decade.

This past season, Carr averaged career-highs in points at 13.5 per game, and rebounds at 6.8 per game. Doing so on 53% shooting from the field and 37% from deep. Per KenPom, he played primarily at the 4 spot and occasionally logged minutes at the 5, so he can play alongside Amari Williams as a stretch big. It is worth noting that Kentucky is also hosting Utah State transfer big Great Osobor for a three-day visit, alongside his family.

While Carr is experienced, his NCAA Tournament experience is limited. Playing just one tournament game, a 20-point loss to a 2-seeded Villanova team in 2022.

Watch a breakdown of the newest Wildcat below.

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Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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Top 25 Transfer Otega Oweh Commits to Kentucky

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Oklahoma Sooners transfer Otega Oweh has comitted to play basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Following Lamont Butler’s commitment to Kentucky on Friday, the Wildcats have received another commitment less than 24 hours later. This time Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh, he announced on his social media.

This comes after Oweh visited Lexington earlier this week, with reports coming out that his recruitment could be wrapped up quickly after.

Oweh is a top 25 transfer according to 247Sports, 38th by EvanMiya, and 55th by ESPN. Listed at 6-5, 210 pounds, Oweh is a strong and physical guard. His strength and athleticism have been a strength dating back to high school, which allows him to impact the game defensively, and also to get to the rim and thrive in transition opportunities.

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In two years at Oklahoma, the area that Oweh has significantly improved in has been his shooting. As a freshman, he shot just 25 percent from three, on just four attempts for the season, to 37.7 percent as a sophomore, making 20 of his 53 attempts. Most of that success comes from catch-and-shoot opportunities, where he rates in the 87th percentile. His ability to shoot off the dribble is the polar opposite, rating in just the 4th percentile.

Oweh is a two-way player with two years of eligibility remaining, while he will bring experience, there is still room for development with NBA upside. While he may not be a primary option, he’s certainly a player that can impact the game.

Oweh is now Kentucky’s third addition from the transfer portal and sixth player overall. A handful of top transfers are visiting, or currently visiting, Kentucky this weekend. The staff is hopeful a few join the roster.

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REPORT: San Diego State Transfer Lamont Butler Commits to Kentucky

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San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler has committed to play basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Amidst anxiety from many of the Big Blue Nation, the Kentucky basketball program has added another player to the roster. On Friday Lamont Butler, a consensus top-60 transfer from San Diego State, committed to Kentucky, reported by On3.

Kentucky has been in contact with Butler since he entered the portal earlier this week. On Friday morning, four members of the Kentucky staff took a visit to Las Vegas, which we know now was to see Butler. It was enough to secure his commitment.

Coming out of a high school as a three-star prospect, Butler has been a true case of development. In four seasons with San Diego State, he improved his numbers year after year. As a three-year starter for the Aztecs, Butler averaged 7.7 points (41.2% FG), 2.6 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. He also received Mountain West All-Defense honors three straight seasons, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award this past year.

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Butler was a star for the San Diego State team that made it to the National Championship game in 2023, even hitting the buzzer-beater to send them to the title game. He will provide Kentucky with proven experience and the knowledge of what it takes to win.

As his defensive accolades show, Butler makes his biggest impact on the defensive side of the ball. However, he plays well within a system and is a really good passer for a guard who plays primarily off the ball, with a 21 percent assist rate. He also grades fairly well analytically on spot-up shots and in pick-and-roll situations as the ball handler.

With Butler on the roster, there are still many spots to fill, especially some spots for “dudes”. Fortunately, many big names are expected to be in Lexington this weekend for the visit.

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