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Recapping Kentucky’s Busy Recruiting Weekend

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2 years ago

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This weekend was a busy one for Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari and his staff, as the major shoe circuits kicked off their seasons. On Friday, Calipari was in Iowa for Adidas 3SSB with Assistant Coach, Chin Coleman, and then arrived at Nike EYBL in Atlanta on Saturday with his other assistants, Orlando Antigua and Bruiser Flint, who were there on Friday.

Kentucky watched a total of 19 recruits through both Adidas 3SSB and Nike EYBL this past weekend:

Here is a breakdown of the top targets that the coaching staff saw, and how each performed over the weekend:

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Note: Rankings via 247 Sports

2024

Tre Johnson (2024, No. 1 SG, No. 1 Overall)

Kentucky’s top target in the rising Senior class, Tre Johnson proved why he is the best player in the class. Kentucky’s coaching staff watched every game of his this weekend at Nike EYBL. He averaged 16.0 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 36.7% overall, and 41.7% from three.

Kentucky showed why he is the top priority for Kentucky in the class by seeing all of his games. and showing him that they have all of their chips in for him, making a hard push.

Johnson is expected to make his decision before Peach Jam, which is July 3-9. Recent intel has suggested that Texas currently leads his recruitment, with Kentucky lurking right behind, making a strong push. Baylor is seen to be behind those two schools in the race for the prized recruit.

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Flory Bidunga (2024, No. 1 C, No. 3 Overall)

Next to Tre Johnson, Flory Bidunga is right there with Kentucky’s most prioritized target in the class of 2024, and Kentucky’s main big-man target. John Calipari was in to watch him at Adidas 3SSB on Friday night, and the elite big man did not disappoint. In his time this weekend, he averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, and a jaw-dropping 6.5 blocks.

Kentucky is clearly starting to really ramp up the pressure on the elite big-man, and is trying to beat out Cincinnati, and Auburn among others trying to land him. His intimidating presence and elite shot-blocking have Kentucky pushing very hard for Bidunga.

Boogie Fland (2024, No. 2 CG, No. 13 Overall)

One of Kentucky’s most prioritized players in 2024, the elite Guard is one Calipari and his staff really want. Fland is by far Kentucky’s top Point Guard target in the class, with a lot of different schools also prioritizing him. Throughout the weekend at Nike EYBL, he averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.

The star guard did not have his best weekend overall, but when he got going, it’s hard to deny how good he was. Saturday afternoon was his best game by far, where he exploded for 31 points, and even shot a very efficient 55% from three.

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Fland has a variety of suitors after him, including Alabama, UNC, Villanova, and St. Johns, among others. Kentucky is pushing for him to visit at some point this summer, and according to Kyle Tucker, Kentucky sends him graphics of all of their guards in the NBA, which is a brilliant pitch to your primary point guard target in 2024.

Karter Knox (2024, No. 5 SF, No. 15 Overall)

Karter Knox is one of Kentucky’s top recruits overall. The coaching staff watched every game of his this weekend, and he filled up the stat sheet every time. Through his four games this weekend at Nike EYBL, he averaged 21.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists, and shot 60% from the field, and 41% from three.

Knox actually ranks 4th in points at Nike EYBL among 17U players. The star forward is very efficient shooting and is very good from the free-throw line. He can score in a variety of ways and can fill it up.

Karter Knox has multiple suitors, but all of the intel has suggested it will come down to a Kentucky and Louisville battle. He considers both like family because his brother is former Kentucky standout Kevin Knox, but he has an uncle-like relationship with Louisville Head Coach Kenny Payne. He is in no rush to make a decision, but it will be interesting when it gets closer to time.

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Knox is teammates with Liam McNeely, who is a new name for Kentucky in 2024. The star forward has caught the staff’s eye, and may even receive an offer soon, as the staff is increasing their interest.

2025

Darryn Peterson (2025, No. 2 SG, No. 6 Overall)

Darryn Peterson is arguably Kentucky’s main target, but he is one that Kentucky has had eyes on for a long time. The star guard received an offer from Kentucky over a year ago, which is rare for John Calipari to offer at that time, but it marked Kentucky’s first offer in the class of 2025.

Over the weekend at Adidas 3SSB, Peterson put on a show, and his scoring ability is very polished at his age. Kentucky was on him early, and for good reason, and other schools have started to catch on.

Kentucky is seen as an early favorite, but not much intel has come about on his recruitment. Kentucky was the first major school to offer early, followed by Michigan and he is now being pursued by UNC, who recently offered him this weekend.

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Koa Peat (2025, No. 3 PF, No. 3 Overall)

A player who Kentucky has had their eye on, it comes as no surprise that he received an offer from Kentucky on Saturday.

Kentucky was in to watch him at Adidas 3SSB on Friday night, where he put on a show. In front of John Calipari and Chin Coleman, the star forward had 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Peat received recent offers from Ole Miss and Florida along with Kentucky, while already holding offers from a number of high-major programs like Baylor, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, and Texas among others. He has been high on numerous programs’ radars and is a star, versatile wing.

As Kentucky’s second offer in the 2025 class, it’s clear that Peat and Darryn Peterson will be among the top priorities for Kentucky in their class.

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Kentucky spent the weekend scouting, building relationships, and finding new recruits as they look to continue their hot recruiting mojo into the 2024 class and beyond.

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Kentucky vs. Mississippi State: TV/Streaming Info, Preview, and Betting Odds/Predictions

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3 weeks ago

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January 11, 2025

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Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams (22) celebrates after making a basket.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Coming off a disappointing loss to Georgia, the Kentucky Wildcats will hit the road again on Saturday, this time against the 14th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Led by third-year head coach Chris Jans, the Bulldogs currently hold their highest ranking since the 2018-19 season. It’s not been due to a poor schedule either, as the Bulldogs have the eighth-strongest strength of record according to ESPN, including four Quad I wins.

Ranked top 25 in KenPom offensive and defensive efficiency, Mississippi State is just one of 11 teams that fit that criteria. That said, Kentucky is 2-0 against such teams as Duke and Florida.

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Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Rebounding Battle

Kentucky’s biggest issue of late has been rebounding, which Mark Pope called a “major issue” after the loss to Georgia. The Wildcats have been outrebounded in four straight games, including Brown, and have given up double-digit offensive rebounds in back-to-back games to start SEC play.

The rebounding battle is not going to be any easier against Mississippi State, who ranks 30th in rebounds per game (39.3) and grabs 34.4% of their own misses.

On paper, Kentucky has more size, and it will be important for ALL five players to box out. As they teach in youth basketball, Hit-Turn-Drive-Purse.

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Take Care of the Ball

Kentucky has been one of the top ten teams in the country in taking care of the ball, but they coughed it up 13 times to Georgia, their second-highest mark of the season.

On the other side, Mississippi State is really good at forcing turnovers. Per game, the Bulldogs turn their opponent over nearly 15 times. About ten of those come from steals, where they rank in the top 10 nationally.

Kentucky has scored more than 1 point per possession this season, so think of it as leaving points on the board. They need to commit nine or fewer turnovers.

Physicality

The officiating has not been great in Kentucky’s first two SEC contests. However, that’s just part of the game. As Mark Pope says, only focus on what you can control.

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One thing they can focus on and control is their level of physicality. The Cats responded to the physicality of Florida but never matched it against Georgia, and that is a big reason why they lost.

Again, Kentucky has the size, but they have to show the mentality. In the SEC you have to be the most physical team or meet the level every night out. It’s time for the Cats to step up in this regard.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Josh Hubbard 5-11, 190 lbs

  • 17.1 PPG (T-9th in SEC)
  • 3.3 APG
  • 38.2% 3P

F Keshawn Murphy 6-10, 230 lbs

  • 9.9 PPG
  • 7.7 RPG (9th in SEC)
  • 1.3 BPG

F Cameron Matthews 6-7, 235 lbs

  • 6.9 RPG
  • 4.1 APG (8th in SEC)
  • 2.5 SPG (1st in SEC)

Kentucky Basketball vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Time: 8:30 PM ET
Date: January 11th, 2024
Location: Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: Dave Neal and Jon Sundvold will call the action.
Online Stream: You can stream the game online using ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | MISS ST
Stats to Know: UK | MISS ST
KenPom: UK | MISS ST
Team Sheet: UK | MISS ST

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky as a 4.5-point underdog with an over/under of 161.5. ESPN is the most confident in Kentucky’s chances to win… at just 36.8%. EvanMiya is the most pessimistic, giving the Cats just a 28.1% chance of victory. Bart Torvik (33%) and KenPom (31%) fall in between.

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Predictions: The analytics have Kentucky losing by 5+ points in Starkville. Haslametrics has Kentucky losing 86-79. EvanMiya has the Cats losing 82-76. Bart Torvik (85-80) and KenPom (84-79) are going with a five-point loss. I think Kentucky struggles again with another physical team that is more talented than Georgia or Ohio State. I believe Kentucky will drop a second straight, 78-72.

How do you see this one going? Send us your Kentucky vs. Mississippi State score predictions in the comments section!

Go Cats!!

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Mark Pope Calls Kentucky’s Rebounding Effort Against Georgia “Unacceptable”, “It’s a Sign of Distraction”

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3 weeks ago

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January 8, 2025

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Kentucky head coach Mark Pope looks on from the sidelines as the Wildcats play Georgia.
Dale Zanine | Imagn

Mark Pope has the utmost respect for his players and that is why he is honest with them. After the Wildcats’ 82-69 loss to Georgia on Tuesday, Pope was honest about his team’s rebounding effort and he was not pleased, to say the least.

“That’s a bell we got to ring,” Pope said after the game. “It’s unacceptable for us. It’s a sign of distraction. There were so many uncharacteristic plays on the court tonight. For us as a decision-making team, those are manifestations of some distraction.”

To fix that problem, Pope says the team has to get better at rooting out that distraction and building better habits. This is something he highlighted after Kentucky’s loss to Ohio State as well.

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Highlighting the glass as a “major issue”, it’s not for lack of effort.

“Sometimes, when you start on a project you take ten steps backward before you start to make progress,” Pope said. “It feels like that is what’ve done. It feels like the more that we talk about it, the more we drill it, the more of a challenge it is.”

Find his full press conference below.

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Mark Pope Updated Lamont Butler’s Status Going Forward, “It’s An Interesting Thing”

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1 month ago

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December 20, 2024

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Kentucky Wildcats guard Lamont Butler (1) is helped to his feet by his teammates.
IMAGN

On Wednesday during his pre-Ohio State press conference, Coach Pope provided a brief update on the injury status of Lamont Butler who suffered an ankle injury against Clemson.

Even though Butler was able to play against Louisville, playing 32 minutes on a recently injured ankle could possibly lead to a setback. When discussing Butler’s injury on Wednesday, Coach Pope jokingly said: “Lamont’s ankle is an interesting thing because there’s part of me that wants to get it 100% healthy, and then there’s a part of me that, I don’t know if I want to get it 100% healthy. He was pretty good in that Louisville game.” Pope was smiling as he said that, referring to Butler scoring 33 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and shooting perfectly from the field. 

Pope went on to explain that the UK coaching staff is being careful with Butler and currently holding him “out of contact” in practice. This means he’s doing the individual drills, offensive breakdown concepts, but when it comes to live action, Butler is not participating. 

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The good news for BBN, Pope ended his update on Butler by saying, “I think he’s over it, I think we’ve moved on, hopefully”. This is a good update on Butler and certainly infers that he should have no limitations for Saturday’s game against Ohio State.

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