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

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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

Brandon Garrison Takes On A Leadership Role Heading Into Next Season

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Brandon Garrison and Kentucky head coach Mark Pope
Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, at times making plays above his experience level on the court, and other times, causing unfortunate turnovers and making Big Blue Nation yell “pass the ball” when he attempted to show off his handles.

However, since the offseason has began, we’ve seen the backup big man from last year’s squad take major jumps in not only his skill set, but in his mentality and leadership as well.

“BG” announced that he was coming back to Kentucky on April 12 for the 2025-26 season, and since then, has been the talk of the town to be the starting center for Mark Pope’s second-year team.

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Last season, Garrison played behind Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

Having played a year already in Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the starting role over one of the transfer pickups, especially since Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly vocal about his development. With young players such as Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno coming in behind Garrison, you can guarantee he will play a major role in their development.

In an offseason press conference, Pope said that Garrison has already taken on more of a mentorship role heading into next season.

“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him,” Pope said. “He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”

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Pope added on that Garrison went out of his way to have breakfast and talk to four of the incoming transfers, on their official visits, about Kentucky and the way the staff does things.

“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just, like he is growing up, man,” Pope said in an interview with KSR on May 22. “It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach. He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”

As the season inches closer, we’ll learn more about Garrison’s impact on the court and if he’ll be the day one starter, but regardless, off the court, you can bet he has some wisdom to pass down.

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Former Wildcats Headline Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Matchup

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Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Kevin Jairaj | IMAGN

The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.

As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history. 

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring. 

After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.

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The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals. 

At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.

Cason Wallace

Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.

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In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards. 

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game. 

Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.

Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.

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In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

Isaiah Jackson

The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.

Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

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This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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The 2025-26 Cats Consensus: It’s Time for Banner Number Nine

Every new and returning Wildcat shares the same dream: bringing a championship trophy to Lexington once more.

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Mark Pope in a crowd of fans at Big Blue Madness
Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

“We are here to win banners.”

While just about everything Mark Pope said at his introductory press conference went viral in one way or another, that aforementioned declaration stood out amongst his crowd of quotes like no other to a fanbase more than a decade removed from a national championship.

To the big blue nation, Coach Pope’s words last spring were a much needed battle cry. Now, as he’s set to enter his second year at the helm, Pope has made sure the team he assembled for the 2025-26 season shares the same hunger.

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It begins on a basic level, with players across the board throwing the number “9” around on social media in posts, replies, and commitments. Much like the Kentucky faithful, the newest roster to roll through Lexington isn’t afraid to make reference to the top task at hand.

For (likely) starting point guard Jaland Lowe, it’s an opportunity he “can’t miss.” “See y’all soon #BBN,” he said in a post on X, announcing his return to the collegiate level. Lowe chose a junior season at Kentucky over a chance to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Otega Oweh, the now-projected SEC player of the year, would follow suit shortly thereafter.

The Ultimate Goal

Andrija Jelavic, a primary member of the incoming unit, as well as the team’s lone international player, dubbed the title chase as “the ultimate goal” in his interview with KY Insider. “We all [the team] agree that the ultimate goal is the same and that is to bring a championship to Kentucky, to the state and the fans,” he said.

To Jelavic, it goes further than hunger. It’s a responsibility.

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And that responsibility is what sets Kentucky apart from other programs. As awkward as the conversation around John Calipari can get, when push comes to shove, much of the dissatisfaction growing within the fanbase as his tenure came to a close was rooted in the coach’s apparent disinterest in winning another championship.

Year after year went by; top-ranked roster after top ranked roster. After a while, it seemed that Kentucky was more often mentioned in the first round of the NBA Draft than it was in the NCAA Tournament. The problem persisted, the tension festered and, ultimately, the two sides split… and it all goes back to that elusive ninth title.

Name on the Front of the Jersey

Mark Pope has said before that he wants to bring in guys who are playing for the name on the front of their jersey. It just so happens that there are enough of those like-minded athletes across the nation to build one of the consensus best teams in college basketball, all of whom are in full pursuit of a new blue banner in the rafters of Rupp.

With a mindset like that shared across the board and talent like the 2025-26 team has at hand, it’s only a matter of time before that dream becomes a reality once more. For the first time in more than a decade, the entire Big Blue Nation is on the same page – and that includes the guys who can actually make it happen.

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