Men's Basketball

The Morning After: Kentucky’s Exhibition Win Over Missouri Western State

Published

3 years ago

October 31, 2022

UK Athletics

Following a humbling loss to Tennessee on Saturday night, the Big Blue Nation needed a pick-me-up, and the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team provided that in their preseason exhibition against Missouri Western on Sunday night, winning 56-38.

It is important to note that Defending National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe did not play due to a minor knee procedure that he had done earlier this month.

However, he was on the court with warmups on, dribbling a ball on the baseline before the game, and is anticipated to be ready for the season opener on November 7th.

With that said, let’s get to the game.

Calipari elected to start four seniors (Fredrick, Reeves, Toppin, Wheeler) and a sophomore (Collins) on Sunday night, which is not typical for a Calipari team.

Kentucky started the game slowly on the offensive end, which continued throughout the half, scoring just 26 points on 11/27 shooting.

However, Kentucky did play well on the defensive end – albeit against inferior competition – holding Missouri Western State to just 18 points.

In the second half, the offense improved, despite losing Sahvir Wheeler to injury, and did enough to win going away.

Now, let’s take a closer look at Kentucky’s performance.

Sahvir Wheeler Injury

The biggest story to come from this one was the injury to Kentucky starting point guard Sahvirf Wheeler, who went down with a leg injury in the second half and had to be helped off the floor.

While Wheeler certainly has his limitations, Kentucky is a better team with him healthy. This would be a brutal loss if he has an extended absence, so hopefully, this turns out to be something relatively minor.

Jacob Toppin

For the previous two seasons, Jacob Toppin has provided an important spark with his ability to run the floor, rebound, and defend at a high level.

With his return, there has been a strong belief that this could be Toppin’s breakout season.

Throughout the offseason, the self-confidence was very apparent, and in the Bahamas, he debuted his much-improved offensive game and was the team’s second-leading scorer (16.8 ppg).

On Sunday night, he continued to show that he will be a versatile and key offensive weapon for the Wildcats this season, scoring an efficient 10 points (4/6 FG, 1/3 3P) in the first half alone but missed his only two shots in the second half.

Block Party

Kentucky’s last addition to this season’s roster was Ugonna Onyenso, a 2023 reclassification from Nigeria. Standing 7-foot tall, with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Onyenso was a four-star recruit and was tabbed one of the best rim protectors in the country.

Unfortunately, Onyenso did not get to play in the Bahamas but joined the team in late August.

Despite limited time with the team, the 4-star freshman impressed in his first action as a Kentucky Wildcat, blocking a total of five shots in just 15 minutes.

When Onyenso first joined the team, it was unsure if he would contribute this year. At this point, I think it is entirely possible, if not probable, that he will be a part of the frontcourt rotation.

Offensive Struggles

As mentioned before, Oscar Tshiebwe did not play tonight, therefore the offense did not have its typical makeup. With that said, without him, the Wildcat offense looks to have a long way to go.

For the game, Kentucky scored just 56 points, the lowest amount of points scored by UK in an exhibition in the Calipari era.

Despite the offensive inconsistency, there were some positives including CJ Fredrick’s three-point shooting (4/6 3P) and the transition offense (20 total fastbreak points).

As for the latter, this team has the potential to be elite defensively, which will create some offensive opportunities. Expect Calipari to continue his mantra of coaching defense first and allowing the offense to develop over the course of the season.

Yet, when Tshiebwe returns, he will attract a lot of attention, and it will open the floor for the rest of the team. Expect the offense to look much more reminiscent of the team that scored at least 98 points in four games in the Bahamas.

There was some good and bad, but Kentucky got a double-digit win, and we can continue to laugh at Louisville Cardinals losing their exhibition.

BB Recruiting

James Madison Transfer Justin McBride to Visit Kentucky on Tuesday

Published

6 days ago

April 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky will host James Madison transfer James McBride for a visit on Tuesday, after communicating with Mark Pope and the staff via Zoom video call.

James Madison Athletics

While much of the attention in the transfer portal goes to the top targets, you need to build a full roster. Still with starting spots to be claimed, Kentucky also looking at depth pieces. The most recent, James Madison transfer Justin McBride.

After talking to the staff this week via Zoom video call, McBride is scheduled to take a visit to Lexington on Tuesday.

A three-star transfer, ranked 201st overall according to 247Sports, McBride is being recruited by multiple power conference teams including Baylor and Cal, as well as SEC foes Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Out of high school, McBride was a four-star recruit, ranked in the top 150 nationally.

“He is a versatile player who has that IT factor about him. You can tell by the passion he plays with that there is a huge chip on his shoulder,” 247Sports asked program director Vonzell Thomas said as he evaluated McBride out of high school. “What I like about his game is his will to win. He does whatever it takes to win and not every kid has that mentality.”

From Texas, McBride committed to Oklahoma State over the likes of Kansas and Arkansas, where he played alongside former Wildcat Bandon Garrison. There, he appeared in just 24 games, averaging just over five minutes per game.

Seeking a larger role, McBride entered the transfer portal and dropped to the mid-major level, committing to Nevada. With the Wolfpack he nearly tripled both his minutes and production, averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. His most recent stop, James Madison this past season, McBride had a breakout year, averaging 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from deep.

Entering his senior season, the 6-7, 240 pound McBride is eyeing a jump back to the power conference level, prioritizing fit at his next stop.

Will that be Kentucky?

McBride has good size and athleticism, and has an inside-out style of game. Meaning he can work his away around the paint, but can also space the floor with his shooting, grading fairly well as a catch and shoot guy. Overall, he ranks in the 97th percentile in scoring volume. That said, there is come consistency to be lacked on the defensive side.

BB Recruiting

Multiple Transfers Meet With Kentucky on Wednesday

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

The transfer portal is active, and Zoom stock is going up as college coaches are video chatting around the clock to build their rosters, including Kentucky.

On Wednesday, Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff added three more names to the Zoom list.

Alex Wilkins (Guard, Furman), 4⭐️, 46th-ranked transfer

Class: Sophomore
Physicals: 6-5, 175 lbs
Last season averages: 17.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 46% FG, 32.8% 3P

An underrated prospect coming out of high school, Wilkins splashed on the scene this year at Furman. As a freshman, he led his team to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.8 points and 4.7 assists and earning second team All-SoCon honors.

There were few players as critical to their team’s success as Wilkins, leading the SoCon in possession usage (34.4%) and shot usage (31.7%). That does lend some explanation to his poor shooting splits and turnover concerns (3.8 turnovers per game).

A quick, wirey guard, Wilkins is a capable scorer at all three levels, and can create for his teammates. However, he needs to add some muscle for power conference competition, and needs to have more consistent effort on the defensive end.

A freshman, those are both correctable things.

Isaac Celiscar (Forward, Yale), 4⭐️, 84th-ranked transfer

Class: Junior
Physicals: 6-6, 210 lbs
Last season averages: 13.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 57.3% FG, 40.7% 3P

Isaac Celiscar is one of the most efficient, versatile players in the transfer portal.

The first takeaway, averaging 13.2 point per game with 57.3 percent shooting, he is extremely efficient on limited opportunities. Shooting nearly 41 percent from deep, he is a threat from deep as well. That efficiency carries over to his passing, as he averages more than three assists per game, on just 1.3 turnovers per game.

Celiscar grades out as a glue-guy with great offensive skills and good feel for the game, but he does have limitations in terms of his athleticism and shot creation.

Jalen Cox (Guard, Colgate), 3⭐️ , 149th-ranked transfer

Class: Senior
Physicals: 6-3, 180 lbs
Last season averages: 17.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, 5.0 RPG, 52.1% FG, 36.5% 3P

Jalen Cox is the lowest ranked player Kentucky has reached out to, but the Wildcats need depth and Cox is a experienced guard with proven production.

Averaging 17.9 points and 5.3 assists (2.0+ assist-to-turnover ratio) per game on 52 percent shooting from the field, Cox is a versatile and efficient offensive player. He has also multiple conference All-Defense selections too, making him a two way player.

The biggest concern with Cox is his athletic ceiling and how that translates to power conference competition. However an experienced two way player is a great rotation piece.

BB Recruiting

Top Five Transfer Paulius Murauskas Moves Up Call, Talks With Kentucky on Wednesday

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky met with Saint Mary's transfer Paulius Muruaskas, one of the top forwards in the transfer portal, on Wednesday and is looking to schedule a visit for him to come to Lexington.

Saint Mary's Athletics

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are as busy as anyone in the transfer portal. On Wednesday, they met with their biggest fish of this transfer portal cycle so far, Paulius Murauskas.

Originally scheduled for Thursday, the Wildcats met with Murauskas via Zoom video call on Wednesday, per source.

Currently ranked 4th overall in 247Sports transfer rankings, the top-ranked forward, Murauskas is the prototypical modern basketball player. Good size at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, with the ability to create for himself and others, has a good handle, and overall good feel for the game.

Murauskas started his collegiate career at Arizona after some professional experience in Lithuania. Playing just five minutes per game with the Wildcats as a freshman, Murauskas transferred to Saint Mary’s, where he has flourished and earned All-Conference honors the last two seasons.

This past season, Murauskas averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, on 48.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from deep. As for his weaknesses, he is not super athletic, and he does need to be more consistent with his shot.

Originally thought to follow former Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett to Arizona State, Murauskas is exploring all options. Following the Zoom, Kentucky is trying to get him on campus for a visit in the near future.