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RECAP: Three Takeaways from Kentucky’s 105-96 win over Georgia

Published

10 months ago

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Kentucky Wildcats center Zvonimir Ivisic celebrates with Kentucky fans at Rupp Arena after his impressive debut.
UK Athletics

What a game that was.

The Kentucky Wildcats (14-3 overall, 4-1 SEC) took down the Georgia Bulldogs (13-5 overall, 3-2 SEC) 105-96 in Rupp Arena to secure their eighth win in their last nine games. To the surprise of many, Kentucky was a big favorite heading into the game. The expectation was that Georgia would come in and be competitive, but that lasted for (maybe) five minutes.

BIG Z IS FREE (but the officials tried to lock him up, again)

After John Calipari said it was time to get “aggressive” with Big Z’s eligibility case, Zvonimir Ivisic was declared eligible by the NCAA on Saturday morning, meaning he was able to make his Kentucky debut against Georgia. And what a debut it was.

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Ivisic pulled absolutely every trick he had up his sleeves, making three after three, hitting people with no-look passes, and dunking on people’s heads. He would finish with 13 points on 5-7 (3-4 3PT) shooting while grabbing five rebounds and recording three blocks and two steals. All in just 16 minutes of play. It was a fun night for the #BBN.

However, it must have not been fun for the referees as they would charge Big Z with a flagrant one foul when he had a bit of a shoving match with a Georgia player and then a technical foul whenever he did a chin-up on the rim following a dunk. You may be able to take away the momentum Z had built, but you can’t away this highlight play.

Veteran leadership from Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves

Even though Ivisic was the talk of the night, he wasn’t the only player in blue and white to have a stellar outing. Fifth-year seniors Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves led the way for the ‘Cats on the floor and in the scoring column.

Mitchell scored a team-high 23 points, shooting a remarkable 8-10 from the field. He was also one of four players to grab five rebounds as well. Night after night, Mitchell continues to a solid piece that John Calipari can lean on for productivity. Additionally, with Z’s debut, Mitchell only played 28 minutes on Saturday. That could go a long way in keeping him healthy for the remainder of the season.

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Then, Antonio Reeves did what Antonio Reeves does. Like it was nothing, he put up yet another 20+ point outing, his ninth such game this year and third in a row. Reeves shot solidly from the field, making seven of his twelve shots and two of his four three balls. He also contributed with five rebounds and four assists.

DJ Wagner shines as Rupp Arena was rockin’

Lastly, DJ Wagner may have just had the best performance ever that absolutely no one will remember down the line. Wagner recorded his first double-double as a Kentucky Wildcat, scoring 18 points and recording a career-high 10 assists as well. He too was efficient from the floor, as he shot 8-12 (2-3 3PT) on the night.

Mainly because of the debut of Big Z, there was a ton of anticipation leading up to the game. There was a buzz in Rupp Arena that hadn’t been felt since the Miami game. Even then, this far exceeded the hype for the Miami game. This was a special night. A night that everyone in Rupp Arena will remember for the rest of their lives.

Whether it was an awesome highlight play or an egregious call, Rupp Arena was absolutely rocking. When Z hit his fourth and final three, there were probably some readings of an earthquake in Lexington. What an awesome, awesome night of basketball.

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Next up, the ‘Cats take on the South Carolina Gamecocks (15-3 overall, 3-2 SEC) in Columbia on Tuesday night at 7:00 ET on the SEC Network.

Let’s see what other Globetrotter-esque things Big Z has in store for us.

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Men's Basketball

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

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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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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Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

Published

5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

Published

6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
ESPN

Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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