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Men's Basketball

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

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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

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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