Men's Basketball

Making History: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Named NBA’s 2024-2025 MVP

Published

1 year ago

May 21, 2025

Isaiah Pinto

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous–Alexander becomes the first former Wildcat to win the NBA’s MVP award.

After leading his team to a league-best 68-14 record, clinching the number one seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season. Gilgeous–Alexander led the NBA with 32.7 points per game.

A proven three-level scorer, the recently crowned MVP had the most 20-, 30-, 40- and 50-point games this season. On an efficient 51.9% from the field.

The last MVP-winning guard to shoot above 50% in a season was unanimous victor Stephen Curry in the 2015-2016 season.

Gilgeous–Alexander is known for being able to score from anywhere on the floor. In addition to having a knack for drawing fouls, he led the NBA with 7.9 free-throw attempts per game.

His tendency to draw fouls has been a topic of debate amongst fans. However, it’s undeniable that Gilgeous–Alexander is one of the best from the line, shooting at a near 90% clip in the regular season.

Defensively, the Thunder guard was a standout, averaging a block, one of five guards to do so, and 1.7 steals per game.

Gilgeous–Alexander beat out Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In recent years, the MVP battle has favored big men, as the former Wildcat becomes the first guard to win MVP since former Houston Rocket James Harden accomplished the feat in the 2017-18 season.

Jokic has been on a historic run by winning three of the last four MVP awards. In 2024, Jokic edged out Gilgeous–Alexander, who finished in second place last year.

Meanwhile, the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo won back-to-back MVP awards in 2019 and 2020.

Joining a class of his own, Gilgeous–Alexander is the first of 137 NBA-bound former Kentucky players to win the NBA’s MVP award. His journey to the top is a unique one.

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Gilgeous–Alexander chose to play for the 2016 Canadian national team rather than taking the traditional AAU circuit. This meant he would be missing the Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas circuits, where athletes often show off their skills for scouts.

Nevertheless, Gilgeous–Alexander was named a consensus four-star prospect.

Originally, Gilgeous–Alexander committed to the University of Florida as a senior in high school. Ultimately, the coveted prospect reopened his recruitment process and later opted for Kentucky over Florida, Syracuse, UNLV, NC State, Texas and Kansas.

Joining a stacked 2017 recruiting class curated by head coach John Calipari that featured future NBA players Jarred Vanderbilt, Hamidou Diallo, Nick Richards, Kevin Knox and PJ Washington.

In his lone season in Lexington, Gilgeous–Alexander led Kentucky in scoring with 21 points per game on 55.3% shooting from the field to pair with 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. The Wildcats went 26-11 in the regular season.

Gilgeous–Alexander and the Cats trekked through the SEC Tournament, beating Georgia and Alabama handily in the opening rounds. The Wildcats went on to beat their border state rival, Tennessee, in the SEC Championship game; Gilgeous–Alexander went off for a collegiate career-high 29 points in the 77-72 victory.

It stands today as Kentucky’s most recent SEC Championship.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their season would come to an end in the Sweet Sixteen. Kentucky lost narrowly, 61-58, against the Wildcats of Kansas State.

Despite Kentucky’s shortcomings, it was a successful individual season for Gilgeous–Alexander, as he was named to the All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team.

The Canadian native declared for the 2018 NBA Draft after a promising second half of the season.

Gilgeous–Alexander was drafted No. 11 by the Charlotte Hornets but was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in a pick swap. Charlotte received the No. 12 selection, which became Miles Bridges from Michigan State, and two future second-round picks.

According to Bleacher Report, the freshly drafted prospect was comparable to the likes of NBA veterans Shaun Livingston and Alfred Payton due to his 6-foot-6 frame and almost 7-foot wingspan.

In the eyes of scouts, he lacked a quick twitch and a reliable jump shot despite being a lottery pick.

Gilgeous–Alexander spent his rookie season in Los Angeles, starting 73 games for the Clippers while averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. The Clippers guard finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the All-Rookie Second Team.

Los Angeles snuck into the playoffs as an No. 8 seed to face off against the back-to-back champion Golden State Warriors. The Clippers lost in a competitive six-game series.

On July 10, 2019, Gilgeous–Alexander was traded for the second time in his career. In blockbuster fashion, Oklahoma City traded star Paul George to the Clippers in exchange for Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks and the rights to swap two other first-round picks.

Since arriving in Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander’s career has blossomed.

Over the previous three seasons, the Thunder have steadily improved in parallel to Gilgeous-Alexander as a player. For the third straight season, the Thunder superstar has been named an All-Star and finished top-5 in MVP voting.

Additionally, this will be Gilgeous-Alexander’s third straight All-NBA First Team nod.

Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the third Thunder player to win MVP in franchise history, following in the footsteps of Oklahoma City legends and future Hall of Famers Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

Currently, the Thunder are in pursuit of an NBA Championship led by Gilgeous-Alexander.

Oklahoma City beat the Memphis Grizzlies in a 4-0 sweep in round one. The Thunder beat the Jokic-led Denver Nuggets in the second round in seven games to punch a ticket to the Western Conference Finals.

This week, Oklahoma City faces off against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Thus far, Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder hold a 1-0 lead in the series.

The winner will place a bid in the 2025 NBA Finals.

Men's Basketball

Jersey Numbers Revealed for 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball Team

Published

4 days ago

June 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball's new-look roster has its numbers. See every player's jersey assignment for the 2026-27 season and what it means for the Wildcats.

It’s been an exciting weekend for Kentucky basketball. In addition to Mark Pope getting a commitment from his highest-ranked prospect in his career, 2027 top-10-ranked wing Ryan Hampton, this coming season’s roster arrived on campus this weekend.

As they prepare to get their first workouts in the Joe Craft practice facility, with practice set to start later this month, player lockers are ready for them. In a social media video posted by assistant coach Mo Williams, player numbers were revealed for this upcoming season.

Of the returnees, Braydon Hawthorne is the sole player to make a change in number, choosing #2, the number he wore in high school and was taken by Jasper Johnson last season.

As for the incoming players, the majority of them are wearing numbers that have been worn in recent seasons. However, Ousmane N’Diaye is choosing #19 and will be the first player since Willie Rouse in 1954 to sport the number.

Player numbers listed below:

Zyon Hawthorne #0
Jerone Morton #1
Braydon Hawthorne #2
Kam Williams #3
Mason Williams #4
Zoom Diallo #5
Trent Noah #9
Alex Wilkins #10
Franck Kepnang #11
Ousmane N’Diaye #19
Justin McBride #21
Milan Momcilovic #22
Malachi Moreno #24
Reece Potter #33

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Earns Commitment From No. 6 Prospect in 2027 Class Ryan Hampton

Published

5 days ago

June 7, 2026

Kai McClelland

Photo via UK Athletics

How about a Sunday boom in the recruiting world for you BBN?

Ryan Hampton, the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2027 class, has officially committed to the University of Kentucky! This is Mark Pope’s first top-10 prospect that he’s earned a commitment from.

Hailing from Rockwall, Texas, Hampton recently took an official visit to campus with his family, which began on Friday, June 5 and spilled into Sunday, June 7, his commitment day.

The five-star wing averaged 21.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during the most recent EYBL Circuit, playing for LivOn and Nightrydas.

Hampton was the first recruit in the 2027 to officially visit with the Wildcats, and now he’s the first to call their shot early and choose the blue and white.

Pope has signed Milan Momcilovic, the No. 2 ranked transfer, and Hampton, his first top-10 high school prospect just in the past week.

It’s been a crazy week for recruiting, with the narrative around Pope’s ability slowing fading as the top guys continue to be attracted to the Kentucky brand.

Men's Basketball

Rankings Roundup: Where Kentucky Basketball Stands After the NBA Draft Deadline

Published

1 week ago

June 5, 2026

Tristan Pharis

ESPN, CBS, FOX, and other national media have all released Kentucky basketball preseason rankings after the NBA Draft deadline. Here's the full breakdown — and what it means for BBN.

IMAGN

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have been a hot topic of debate this college basketball offseason.

Things didn’t start off great, as Kentucky only had two commitments for the first three weeks of the portal period and missed on multiple targets, including Rob Wright and Donnie Freeman. That gave opportunity for critics to voice their opinion on Mark Pope and his roster building, including the national media.

There are certainly valid criticisms, such as the pursuit of Tyran Stokes, despite all signs pointing to him signing with Kansas, which he ultimately did, for months. In the weeks since, Kentucky has recovered to build a roster that has even upgraded in some areas from last season. They retained Malachi Moreno and finished with the second-ranked portal class, which features Milan Momcilovic, one of the best players in the portal.

Let’s see where the national media has the Wildcats at this point in the offseason.

EvanMiya

Roster Ranking Range: 8-13

Kentucky Roster Outlook

Milan Momcilovic completes Mark Pope's roster, an absolutely massive add. Kentucky should now be around a top-10 roster in the preseason according to https://t.co/cegyfz96ax.

Don't sleep on Malachi Moreno, he's could have a massive sophomore year for UK. pic.twitter.com/bPvwZmSGwK— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) June 2, 2026

ESPN

17. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: Unranked

Momcilovic’s commitment dramatically changes the Wildcats’ 2026-27 outlook, giving them the best shooter in the country and a legitimate focal point on offense. Transfer guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins are both dynamic off the dribble, and Momcilovic’s gravity and spacing will make them far more effective. Malachi Moreno‘s decision to withdraw from the NBA draft was another massive boost for Pope; Moreno is a potential first-round pick at this time next season. International prospect Ousmane N’Diaye and returnee Kam Williams should battle for a starting spot. The offensive potential of this group is as high as any team in the country.

Projected starting lineup

Zoom Diallo (15.7 PPG at Washington)
Alex Wilkins (17.8 PPG at Furman)
Milan Momcilovic (16.9 PPG at Iowa State)
Ousmane N’Diaye (9.8 PPG for Cremona in Serie A)
Malachi Moreno (7.8 PPG)

CBS Sports

17. Kentucky

Previous Ranking: NR

This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning one of the top six scorers — specifically Malachi Moreno — from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, Washington transfers Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, Washington State transfer Jerone Morton, James Madison transfer Justin McBride, Providence transfer Alex Wilkins, four-star prospect Mason Williams, and international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye.

FOX Sports

25. Kentucky

Previous Ranking: NR

Big Blue Nation was starting to worry that Kentucky wouldn’t have a top-25 roster. The late addition of Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic changes that. He was the top-ranked transfer available in May, and Kentucky landed him.

The retention of Malachi Moreno, who averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds per game last season, is also huge. He’s due for a breakout year. A projected starting five of Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Momcilovic, Ousmane N’Diaye, and Moreno looks very solid and should have Kentucky firmly in the top-25 conversation.

Aaron Torres

15. Kentucky Wildcats

Key Returnees: Malachi Moreno, Kam Williams, Braydon Hawthorne (redshirt), Trent Noah
Key Additions: Milan Momcilovic (transfer), Zoom Diallo (transfer), Alex Wilkins (transfer), Justin McBride (transfer), Jerone Morton (transfer), Franck Kepnang (transfer), Ousmane N’Diaye, Mason Williams, Zyon Hawthorne
Key Departures: Otega Oweh, Jayden Quaintance (NBA Draft), Collin Chandler (transfer), Jaland Lowe (transfer), Brandon Garrison (transfer), Denzel Aberdeen (transfer), Jasper Johnson (transfer), Mo Dioubate (transfer), Andrija Jelavic (transfer)

It took Mark Pope a little longer to finalize his roster than anyone (including Mark Pope) would’ve hoped. But he has his team, and I’ve got to say: I think it has a chance to be really good. And transparently, the pieces fit much better than they did a year ago.

The big splash was the most recent one, as the Wildcats added transfer star Milan Momcilovic. The former Iowa State star averaged 16.9 points on nearly 49 percent three-point shooting this year and should be able to continue to put up big stats in Pope’s system. Malachi Moreno could be a national breakout star after a productive freshman season and a very productive NBA Draft cycle where he was talked about as a buzzy, fringe first-round pick. And I personally believe the transfer backcourt of Zoom Diallo (Washington) and Alex Wilkins (Furman) fits better than most.

Finally, don’t sleep on returnees Kam Williams and Braydon Hawthorne (who redshirted this past year) as high-upside wings that can knock down shots.

For all the criticism of Pope this off-season — including by me

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.