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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs Michigan in London Game Recap; Things to Know and Game MVP

Published

2 years ago

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UK Athletics

On Sunday, the Kentucky Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines traveled across the pond to play in London for the first of a three-game series between the two teams.

Coming in, both teams needed a statement win and both teams played like it.

To start the game, both teams had good starts with Kentucky holding a 11-8 head at the under-16 media timeout. Michigan responded with a 9-0 run, to take a 17-11 lead, which they carried for much of the first half. However, thanks to a 7-0 run from Antonio Reeves and Oscar Tshiebwe Kentucky entered the half up 37-36.

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Kentucky retained that lead for all but 1 minute for the rest of the game as they briefly fell behind 50-49, but they could never quite push the lead out of reach. With five minutes to go, Kentucky held a 66-58 lead, but it quickly evaporated to just two with less than two minutes to go.

That is when Cason Wallace answered the bell, hitting a three late in the shot clock to make it a two possession game. This gave Kentucky some breathing room through to the end as they got their best win thus far in this young season, 73-69.

In a game that featured some good and bad, let’s take a closer look.

Reeves Stepped up on the Big Stage, Fredrick Did Not

Antonio Reeves came into Sunday’s game as Kentucky’s leading scorer with 14.9 points per game, while shooting 47 percent from three. Yet, his biggest criticism has been in his performance in big games and for good reason.

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Against Michigan State and Gonzaga, Reeves averaged just 7.5 points on 25 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from three. He finally started to reverse that narrative against Michigan, scoring 11 points on 3-4 shooting from three.

With that said, CJ Fredrick, who averaged 9 points and shot over 47 percent from three at Iowa, continued his struggles in big games, scoring just three points. Coming in touted as one of the best shooters in the country, Fredrick is averaging just 3.7 points per game against top 50 KenPom teams.

For Kentucky to have a successful season, both Reeves and Fredrick have to be threats.

Balanced Offense

Looking at the box score, it was a balanced scoring effort as Kentucky had five players score in double figures. This is just the second time this has occurred this season, and the first since South Carolina State.

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What is even more encouraging is that 17 of the 27 made field goals came off assists (63% assist percentage). This means the offense was generating opportunities and players were making the right passes.

The biggest criticism for the Wildcats’ offense on Sunday was their poor free throw shooting, going 10-20 (50%). If they had shot a better percentage, the margin of victory might have been greater than 4.

Despite that, the performance was promising for an offense that has struggled early this season.

Rebounding Dominance

A staple of a good John Calipari team is good rebounding, as he has had a top 50 rebounding team in all but one season at Kentucky (2019-20). Despite some early season concerns, this season’s Kentucky team is no different, currently ranked 10th in the country in rebounding.

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Against Michigan, the Wildcats asserted their dominance on the boards , winning the rebounding battle 46-33. Of course, Oscar Tshiebwe – a generational rebounder – had a team-high 14 rebounds, but it was good to see the rest of the team step up as well. That includes Cason Wallace who had 4 offensive rebounds, more than Tshiebwe (2).

Game MVP: Cason Wallace

Cason Wallace may be the most talented freshman Kentucky has had since Tyrese Maxey and he put that on display on both ends of the court against Michigan.

Finishing with an impressive stat line: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal; Wallace was the most impactful player of the game and he stepped up with it mattered. In fact much of his production came in the second half alone:

  • 11 points
  • 4-4 FG (3-3 3P)
  • 4 rebounds
  • 2 assists
  • 1 block

Not to mention, this clutch three pointer to all but seal the game.

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Men's Basketball

Former Kentucky Player, Top Recruit Could Be Involved in Point Shaving Scheme

Published

1 day ago

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November 23, 2024

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Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw is alleged to be involved in a college gambling scandal.

Once a projected top-10 pick, former Kentucky Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw is now away from the Ohio State basketball program for unclear reasons.

On Friday, the program released a statement that Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities, but that they could not comment further due to federal privacy laws.

“Aaron Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities,” the statement read. “The university is following its established process. Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot share further information at this time.”

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Ohio State coach Jake Diebler held a press conference Friday night after the Buckeyes’ win over Campbell, where he said could not provide further comment and referred to the University’s public statement.

“Regarding Aaron, I understand you may have some questions,” Diebler said to open his postgame press conference. “As stated, have to refer to the statement that was released and can’t have any comment on that. Respect the job you have to do. Just know I cannot comment on that any further.”

This comes shortly after news of a federal investigation into sports wagering activities broke earlier this week. Former Temple and Virginia Tech guard Hysier Miller was dismissed from the Hokies last month due to the investigation which first started after the Owls were flagged in March by a watchdog group for suspicious gambling activity.

With more names expected to be released in the coming weeks, the investigation has begun to narrow its search to players with ties to Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Of course, Bradshaw is from Camden, New Jersey, just across the Deleware River from Philadelphia, and those with knowledge of the situation are suggesting he could be involved.

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Court documents do show that Bradshaw recently failed to appear in court following a speeding violation, where he was clocked at 102 mph in a 65 mph zone. However, similar situations of student-athletes speeding have not been handled in this fashion.

The wording of the statement does not make it seem like a minor incident that will soon blow over. This is certainly something to keep an eye on, with some believing it could lead to a nationwide ban on college sports betting.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Jackson State: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Betting Odds/Predictions

Published

2 days ago

on

November 22, 2024

By

Kentucky players encouraging each other at Rupp Arena.
Chet White | UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats are back in action Friday to face the Jackson State Tigers in the second game of the BBN Invitational.

To put it simply, Jackson State is bad, very bad. Sitting at 0-5 and ranked 321st in KenPom, the Tigers will likely be the worst opponent Kentucky will play all season.

Coached by Mo Williams, one of LeBron James’ old teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Tigers have only finished above .500 twice in the last decade. This season, Jackson State is predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC.

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Mark Pope recently said he wanted to build a standard, regardless of opponent and, and that will be tested on Friday.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

More 3-Point Attempts

Admittedly nitpicking, one of the things that Mark Pope was not happy with in Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb was the amount of three-point attempts. While they shot nearly 50 percent from deep, going 12-25, Pope wants to see the number of attempts closer to 35.

The Tigers have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.8 percent from deep, the second-worst mark in the country. Pope and the staff will certainly generate a game plan to take advantage of this. Expect to see 30+ attempts.

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Ball Movement

Despite beating Lipscomb by 29 points, the Wildcats had a season-low in assists with just ten. For context, Kentucky had averaged more than 23 assists per game entering the matchup.

“That’s not us. That’s not who we are,” Pope said after the game.

While there wasn’t a lot of selfishness, the ball just wasn’t ‘flying’ as it has been early this season. This is a priority for the staff and this mature group, and they will aim for 25+ assists.

Keep JSU off the Free-Throw Line

Jackson State ranks in the top 100 nationally in one area: Free throws made per game. So, Kentucky, defend without fouling.

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Kentucky’s offense makes headlines, but the defense has played very well to start the season, holding all four opponents to under 73 points. Let’s see if they can get down in a stance and defend well for 40 minutes vs. a team that stresses contact and drawing fouls.

Opposing Players to Watch

C Shannon Grant 6-11, 290 lbs

  • 7.5 PPG
  • 4.8
  • Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection

G Jayme Mitchell Jr 6-5, 190 lbs

  • 15.0 PPG
  • 3.8 RPG
  • 44.4% 3P

F Romelle Mansel 6-9, 220 lbs

  • 10.8 PPG
  • 5.8 RPG
  • 31.7% FG (second most FG attempts on the team)

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Jackson State Tigers

Time: 7 PM ET on November 22nd
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: This game will not be on TV and is streaming only,
Online Stream: SEC Network+, ESPN+, and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | JSU
Stats to Know: UK | JSU
KenPom: UK | JSU
Team Sheet: UK | JSU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check Thursday afternoon for an official spread. Multiple projections give Kentucky a 99% chance of winning: Bart Torvik (99%), EvanMiya (99.9%), and ESPN (99.0%). The exception is KenPom (92%).

Predictions: KenPom (93-63), Haslametrics (96-63), Bart Torvik (95-61), and EvanMiya (96-59) all are going with a 30+ point victory, Kentucky!

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Men's Basketball

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

Published

6 days ago

on

November 18, 2024

By

Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
IMAGN

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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