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RECAP: Three Takeaways from Kentucky’s 90-77 win over the Missouri Tigers

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Rob Dillingham (0) reacts after being fouled during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Rupp Arena.
© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Missouri Tigers were able to keep it close in the first half as they only trailed 47-42 at the break, Kentucky would eventually break away and win 90-77 to move to 12-2 (2-0 in the SEC) on the season. Oddly enough, this is Kentucky’s first 2-0 start in conference play since the 9-16 COVID season (2020-21).

Here’s how the ‘Cats got the win over the Tigers.

DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham Make for Dynamic Duo

It wouldn’t be a UK ball game if it weren’t for some of Kentucky’s elite freshmen making a massive impact on the outcome. After all, the one-and-done has worked so well for John Calipari that Coach K had to take a page out of his playbook. There are a plethora of guys who are capable of taking over and leading the Cats to victory. Tonight, those guys were DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham.

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Wagner finished with 16 points on 5-8 shooting while dishing out three assists. For Kentucky, they went through a few stretches when it seemed like there was a lid on the basket. That’s when Wagner took over and did his thing. Time and time again, Calipari has been able to lean on the freshman when Kentucky is in desparation.

As for Dillingham, he finished with a season-high 23 points, going 6-7 (3-3 3PT) from the field. He also finished with two rebounds, assists, and steals respectively. While he did finish with four personal fouls and three turnovers, Dillingham proved his ability to stay resilient on the offensive end of the floor, which is enough to warrant his playing time.

Tre Mitchell Can Do It All, Continues to be a Leader

For the third time in the last four games, Tre Mitchell has recorded a double-double to lead Kentucky to victory. Against Missouri, Mitchell put up 20 points on 6-11 shooting while also grabbing 14 rebounds, which is a season-high for the fifth-year senior.

Mitchell’s versatility on the offensive end of the floor allowed Kentucky’s guards to get open shots and good looks. Which, in turn, resulted in five total players reaching double-digit points. Then, he also recorded three assists and two blocks, making an impact all over the floor.

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Against Florida, we saw that Mitchell was the vocal leader of this team, and part of that carried over to Tuesday’s win. If Kentucky is going to make a run in March, then Tre Mitchell will need to continue to assert himself as the alpha dog of this team.

Reed Sheppard Struggles to Get Going Offensively Against Tigers

Now, for the bad stuff.

While Reed Sheppard did finish with a team-high four assists and two steals, he did not have such a great game shooting the ball. The Kentucky freshman scored just three points, shooting just 1-4 from the field.

Despite Sheppard’s underwhelming performance, Kentucky was able to hold Missouri off and come away with the win. The ‘Cats seemingly had a three or four possession lead throughout the whole game, and that was enough for Kentucky to get a share of first place in the SEC. Let’s see if they can hold on to it.

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BB Recruiting

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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Kentucky to Host Multiple Top Transfers This Weekend

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Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are hosting multiple top transfers this weekend for visits, looking to add to their roster.

With the deadline for players to enter the portal coming up on May 1st, Kentucky nearly has all their options on the table. Now two weeks since taking the job, Mark Pope has expressed interest in nearly two dozen names and has been keying in on some top names in the portal.

As of writing this article, top 25 transfer Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), is currently on a visit to Lexington, with three more players set to visit this weekend. There’s a good chance that some of those visits turn into commitments.

Let’s take a look at those names.

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Deivon Smith – Guard, Utah

Physicals: 6’0, 173 lbs
Stats: 13.3 PPG, 7.1 APG, 6.3 RPG, 46.% FG, 40.8% 3P
Ranking: 10th (Evan Miya), 38rd (247Sports)

Kentucky has had just three players record a triple-double in program history. Deivon Smith recorded five triple-doubles this past season alone, the second-most all-time for a single season in NCAA history.

While undersized, he is one of the best all-around guards in the country, as his numbers show. It’s still early, but Kentucky getting the first visit is significant. St. John’s and Texas Tech have also been mentioned here.

Andrej Stojaković – Guard, Stanford

Physicals: 6’7, 190 lbs
Stats: 7.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 40.9% FG, 32.7% 3P
Ranking: 183rd (Evan Miya), 51st (247Sports)

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Stojakovic is the son of former NBA All-Star, Peja Stojakovic. A familiar name for Kentucky fans from his high school recruitment. Stojakovic is a terrific shooter, and a top-25 recruit in the 2023 class.

On Thursday, Stojakovic cut his list to just three schools: California, UNC, and Kentucky. As a West Coast product, California was a school that showed interest when he was in high school, and so did Mark Pope when he was at BYU. Pope has made Stojakovic a priority, he could seal the deal this weekend.

Aidan Mahaney – Guard, Saint Mary’s

Physicals: 6-3, 180 lbs
Stats: 13.9 PPG, 2.6 APG, 38.6% FG, 35.5% 3P
Ranking: 96th (Evan Miya), 14th (247Sports)

One of the best guards in the portal. As a lead guard for Saint Mary’s, he displayed a good sense of playing under control, setting himself up and others. That said, his numbers were rather inefficient as the primary scoring option for the Gaels and shooting more than half of his shots from three. There are concerns about his playing against bigger guards.

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Mahaney visited UConn Thursday and it looks to be a race between Creighton, Virginia, UConn, and Kentucky.

Andrew Carr – Forward, Wake Forest

Physicals: 6-11, 230 lbs
Stats: 13.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 52.6% FG, 37.1% 3P
Ranking: 33rd (Evan Miya), Not Listed (247Sports)

A near 7-footer who is efficient and can stretch the floor, shooting over 37 percent from three, is a player that Mark Pope would love to add to his roster. That describes Andrew Carr who has played two years at each Delaware and Wake Forest and is looking to go elsewhere for his last season of eligibility.

Carr is coming off a visit to Texas Tech and will visit Villanova after he visits Lexington this weekend.

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