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Men's Basketball

Antonio Reeves Joins the Record Books and More Things to Know Following Kentucky’s Win vs. Howard

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2 years ago

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UK Athletics

On Monday night, the Kentucky Wildcats kicked off their season against the Howard Bison.

For the first game of the season you would hope to be full strength, but that simply was not the case as the Wildcats entered Monday’s contest with just eight scholarship players available. Yet, that did not hold them back.

To start the game, Kentucky got off to a slow start, scoring just six points through the first five minutes. With the help of Cason Wallace who scored six quick points, the offense finally started to gain its rhythm and by the end of the half, it was all systems go with a 50-26 lead.

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The second half was more of the same, as the Wildcats never looked back. CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves continued to amount more points, with Reeves making a debut record SIX threes, doubling the previous record of three.

The Wildcats ultimately won by a score of 95-63.

Let’s take a close look at Kentucky’s performance and try not to overreact after one impressive game (i.e. Morehead State in 2020).

Cason Wallace is this team’s most talented player

Coming to Kentucky as the Wildcat’s highest-ranked freshman, there are going to be high expectations. As a freshman in his first college regular season game (note: on his birthday), Cason Wallace delivered.

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With Sahvir Wheeler out with a knee injury, Wallace received point guard duties and he started the game hot. Scoring 6 quick points in the opening minutes, Wallace ignited a slow Kentucky offense at the start.

Wallace also made his impact on the defensive end with 2 steals and 8 rebounds, showing that he can make an impact on both ends.

At the end of the night, Wallace was +32 in the plus/minus column and had a near triple-double with 15 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds. While he didn’t quite get the triple-double he is confident that “the opportunity will present itself” as he said in the press conference.

Ugonna get your shot blocked

In the offseason, most expected Ugonna Onyenso – a reclassified (2023) freshman – not to contribute and it was unsure if he would even play, but due to depth concerns he is getting the opportunity and he is contributing.

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Fans got to see some glimpses in limited action in both of Kentucky’s preseason exhibition games, but that was against Division II competition. Would it carry over?

Simply put, YES.

While still playing against lesser competition, Howard was the biggest team that Onyenso has played in his short time at Kentucky and he may have delivered his most impressive performance yet.

Coming in at the 15-minute mark, Onyenso immediately got his first block on his first defensive possession of the night. Onyenso didn’t let up, giving Howard fits all night at the rim finishing with 4 blocks.

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Onyenso also put a cherry on top with his offense, scoring 6 on 3-4 shooting, including a mid-range jumper.

When Tshiebwe and Collins return, frontcourt minutes will be scarce and Onyenso is already proving that he can handle it.

Two-Headed Offensive Monster

CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves are going to be a problem for a lot of opposing defenses and they showed why tonight.

While they are shooting specialists – hitting a total of eight threes between them – they also showed the ability to score in other ways. Both were able to hit spot-up mid-range jumpers and added in some runners.

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In the first half alone, the pair were Kentucky’s two leading scorers and combined for 24 points, and they finished in the same order with 22 and 20 points respectively.

This goes without saying that Jacob Toppin had his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds and Cason Wallace previously mentioned near triple-double.

In addition to the even distribution of points, the Wildcats had five different players make three and went 11-24 on the game. When Calipari was asked in the post-game, he said that this is a team that will shoot “24-25” threes per game, and could even shoot upwards of 30 if “they are hitting”.

Again, this was just one game but when Kentucky is back to full strength, I would expect the offense to take another step up.

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Kentucky looked good against Howard, who is ranked 239th in the KenPom rankings, but will have a bit tougher contest against Duquesne on Friday, who is ranked 134th in KenPom.

However, the first real test will come against Michigan State in next Tuesday’s Champion’s Classic, and the team should be at full strength.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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Men's Basketball

ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

Published

6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
ESPN

Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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