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The Morning After: Duke (Champions Classic)

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Photos by Chet White | UK Athletics

College basketball is back! Kentucky dropped the first game of the season to the Duke Blue Devils in what felt like a mid-season game.

It is disappointing for the Cats to lose to Puke, and while you can find reasons to be pessimistic about this team, I saw a lot of positives from the game.

Let’s take a look.

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Inside-Out Duo

Two players recorded a double-double in their Kentucky debuts, Sahvir Wheeler and Oscar Tshiebwe. Wheeler recorded 16 points and 10 assists and Tshiebwe contributed with 17 points and 19 rebounds.

Wheeler and Tshiebwe are a rare inside-out duo that Kentucky has not had since John Wall and Demarcus Cousins back in 2009. While they aren’t as talented or athletic, they are more experienced in the college game.

These two, most notably Wheeler, were the leaders on the floor last night and while they may not be our two best players at the end of the season, their leadership on the floor will be key.

Modernized Offense

6-11. That is Kentucky’s clip from three in the first half of last night’s game, and that is something I am not sure I would ever see in the Calipari era.

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This team has no shortage of shooters and had 4 different players making a three, not including two of the best shooters on the roster, Dontaie Allen and CJ Fredrick.

First Half on the Left, Second Half on the Right
Black=Made White=Miss

Kentucky also looked to have the use the pick and roll option more than in previous seasons, this allowed Oscar to have really good inside opportunities or have the ability to kick out to a shooter.

With that being said, Kentucky still shot their share of terrible mid-range jumpers, especially in the second half and that needs to stop immediately.

It is promising to see Calipari finally modernizing the offense and the difference can already be seen.

TyTy Washington has to be better

9 points, shooting 3-14 from the field was not the ideal debut for TyTy Washington.

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After looking like a smooth criminal and leading the team in points in both exhibition games, it was not TyTy’s night. Washington looked to have put a lot of pressure on himself, causing him to play tense and forcing the issue.

The good thing is, we have already seen what he can do and this shouldn’t be an issue going forward. Not to mention, as a freshman, he will definitely improve over the course of the season and I fully anticipate on him being our best player.

This Team Is Different and They Are Going to Be Fun

From the tip, it was noticeable that this team is not built like most Kentucky teams. This team is not uber-athletic nor loaded with NBA talent as Calipari’s teams of the past, but they are deep, gritty, and experienced.

The Cats fought back from a 15 point lead to nearly take the lead late in the second half against Duke, who looks like to be a top 5 team in the country. How can you not be proud of that performance?

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Last night was the first time since the 2019-20 season that I caught myself smiling and genuinely enjoying watching a good Kentucky basketball team and I am excited.

Conclusion

When you look at the box score, Kentucky looked really good in comparison. The Cats outrebounded Duke by 8, had 15 assists to Duke’s 7, hit 6 more threes, and took 17 more shots.

At the end of the day, Duke had the best two players on the floor in Paolo Banchero and Trevor Keels and while they received some assistance from the referees, that is what made the difference and they deserved to win.

Kentucky’s weakness in most games will defin be the frontcourt, but the backcourt has the ability to make up for that.

After not seeing an NCAA tournament in 2019-20 and a putrid 2020-21 season, it is good to have a talented Kentucky team back in college basketball.

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Men's Basketball

Adou Thiero Enters Transfer Portal, Keeps Options Open

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© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky’s first domino of the off-season has fallen. Adou Thiero has entered the transfer portal, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw. He has entered his name in the NBA Draft as well, while not ruling out a return to Kentucky, according to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim.

A big hit to Kentucky’s upcoming roster, as Thiero’s upside and growth will be missed. In the 2023-24 season, Thiero averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while missing 7 games due to injury. The 6-8 wing brought physicalness that Kentucky desperately needed this season, and something Calipari has been stressing for this upcoming season. Calipari harped on him numerous times this season, saying “He’s gotten so much better.”

Thiero has jumped in mock drafts all season, and his potential is sky high. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony even had Thiero going 27th in the 2025 NBA Draft. Now, he will get to add to his potential elsewhere.

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Now, Kentucky will look to find a good replacement for him as more things start happening throughout the off-season. Calipari is continuing to meet with players to discuss their future plans throughout the week.

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Men's Basketball

John Calipari Highlights Changes for Next Season

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John Calipari draws up a play at Kentucky's season opener. Said he made a "tweak".
UK Athletics

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein.

Many Kentucky fans have referred to this quote over the last few days, expressing a desire for a change from John Calipari. However, Calipari will be back on the sidelines for the Kentucky Wildcats next season for his 16th season, confirmed by Mitch Barnhart on Tuesday.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes.

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On Monday, John Calipari went on his season-ending radio show, giving his first comments to fans since Kentucky’s upset loss to Oakland last Thursday. It was easy to see why is a good recruiter, as he said all the right things.

For the better part of an hour, Calipari spoke with humility, answered some direction questions from Tom Leach, and accepted criticism. The main takeaway was that he understands that he has not met the Kentucky standard or his own standard, and changes need to take place.

“We’ve got to evaluate everything,” Calipari said. Here are some changes that have been outlined.

Getting Back to “Grinding”

Kentucky basketball offseason has often consisted of international trips to the Bahamas, or Canada last season, but not this year. Calipari emphasized a desire to get back to what his early Kentucky teams were characterized by, defense and physicality.

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“What about in the summers, instead of the Bahmas or Toronto, we’re grinding,” Calipari proposed. “We’ve got to get back to where we’ve been defensively and with physicality. Your defense steadies you.”

Those trips are good for team bonding and chemistry, but it’s clear that time can be used better for getting into the weight room and instilling defensive principles. Calipari did note that he does not want to take a step back on offense.

Getting Older

Calipari is the coach who made the “one-and-done” approach popular, relying heavily on elite freshmen. However, with college basketball getting older, he has expressed a willingness to get older.

“We’re relying on freshmen too much. In those kinds of games, you better have some vets,” Calipari said of his takeaway from Oakland. “For us, we need to get older.”

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It should be noted that Calipari relied on transfers in 2022 and 2023, albeit most not being the elite transfers, but more supporting pieces (i.e. CJ Fredrick) and developmental players (i.e. Jacob Toppin). That said, two transfers have been the leading scorer for Kentucky in three straight seasons, Oscar Tshiebwe and Antonio Reeves.

Calipari is looking more for a middle ground between young talent and transfers. “I like the combination of both. We just got to get the right transfers.”

Program Changes

When you are winning, you have more freedom, but when you have just one NCAA Tournament win in the last four seasons, you’re not going to have that luxury. This was not publicly said by Calipari, but more oversight will come as a result of his meeting with Barnhart on Tuesday afternoon.

Expect 1-2 staff changes and likely a support staff change. One of the staff changes should be filled with a defensive mind, and the support staff should be (suggestion) filled with someone in a general manager-type role. There will also be some operation changes such as having a more definitive practice schedule, rather than getting a text the day before/of, and some changes with the NIL model.

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Men's Basketball

Mitch Barnhart Speaks On John Calipari Coming Back As Kentucky Basketball Coach, “He Will Return”

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Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will return as Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach.
Mike Weaver/Special to the Courier Journal

After days of speculation, Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will be back, coaching his 16th season for the Kentucky Wildcats. The two had a conversation at Barnhart’s farm on Tuesday afternoon.

“As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach,” Barnhart said in a statement.

While there was some fan outcry for a head coaching change, there was no real indication that a change would be made.

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Barnhart was put in a difficult situation. Calipari has not led the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, but he is one of just a few active Hall of Fame coaches. With no clear option as a replacement, Barnhart decided to retain Calipari for another season.

Kentucky Insider has been told that Tuesday’s meeting between the two was “good”, despite some disagreement. As a result of the meeting, there will be some expected changes in the program, specifically some staff changes, and changes in day-to-day operations.

On Monday, Calipari recognized his shortcomings and closed out his show with a commitment to the Kentucky fans:

“That standard of national titles has been here from coach Rupp on. The only thing I am saying to all our fans. I’m going to work… That is a commitment that I give to the fans. I love it. This is what I want. This is it. Let’s come together and let’s do something.”

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Calipari is set to meet with players individually on Wednesday to discuss their stay/go decisions. The process of rebuilding next year’s roster (and staff) begins now.

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