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

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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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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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BB Recruiting

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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