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Men's Basketball

UK Kicks on Court: 2018-2019 Season

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It’s no secret that this Kentucky team loved their shoes, and we seen just how superstitious they were it came to them.

Who wouldn’t be, if you played at Kentucky and had access to the newest and most exclusive shoes on the market?

Let’s take a look at some of the best shoes of the season.

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FYI: Most of the custom shoes are done by Billy Hobbs of True Blue Customs, check his work out here.

Tyler Herro Custom Nike Off-White Hyperdunk

The Nike Off-White Hyperdunk is one of the most limited and popular pairs of basketball shoes in several years. Tyler Herro put his “Kentucky/Boy Wonder” spin on it to make it my Kentucky Basketball “Sneaker of the Year”.

Johnny David’s Custom Senior Day Nike Kobe Proto 1

On senior day, Johnny David paid homage to his hometown of Pittsburgh with a custom pair of Kobe Proto 1’s that feature the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins logos.

Tyler Herro Custom KD 10

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Tyler Herro had these shoes custom made for his high school senior night but brought them out again for Big Blue Madness.

Ashton Hagans’ Custom Nike Kobe AD Exodus L’s Down vs UofL

We remember Ashton Hagans throwing the L’s down sign as the clock ticked down in the KFC Yum Center, but he had even better way to troll the Cards. Hagans was prepared to wear this pair of custom Kobe AD’s that featured an “L’s down” on the tongue, said “No Mercy” on the side, and referenced all of Kentucky’s national championship years. However, the officials would not allow Hagans to wear the shoes beyond warmups.

Breast Cancer Awareness

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Pink shoes were seen just about every game this season. Ashton Hagans wore the “Aunt Pearl” KD 11 for many games. Nick Richards wore a Kobe AD custom with “mom is a survivor”. PJ Washington wore a pair of Nike Zoom Rev II TB Promo Kay Yows, in honor of his grandmother, Susie Tucker, who was battling breast cancer earlier in the season.

Keldon Johnson Custom Jordan Why Not Zero.1 “Purge”

Keldon Johnson’s Big Blue Madness entrance included the Purge siren and a Purge mask, and to go along with the Purge them Keldon had these custom shoes made.

Coach Cal 60th Birthday Custom Nike Air Monarch “Dunkin Donuts”

Cal celebrated his 60th birthday back in February and what better way to celebrate than with a custom pair of shoes? True Blue Customs created a custom “Dunkin Donuts” version of the Air Monarch ( aka old dad shoes). The shoe also features Cal’s Dunkin Donuts order with the “1 cream, 1 sugar” on the back of each shoe.

Mrs. Cal Roshe Run

Mrs. Calipari was not forgotten as she was gifted a custom pair to represent Brad Calipari and the Calipari name. ?

“Mismatched” Kyrie 4’s

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I lost count of how many times I was asked, “why are they wearing two different shoes?” This season. The eye-catching shoes are sold in this “mismatched” colorway and they were definitely an early season favorite for the team.

Self-Lacing Nike Adapt

Yes, Nike brought the “Back To the Future” auto-lacing technology to basketball. While they are certainly innovative, the team wasn’t a big fan of them as they only for one half of basketball due to a “loose” feeling.

Nike Kyrie 4

True Blue Customs teamed up with Nike ID and UK Athletics to create these custom Kyrie 4’s for the team.

PJ Washington Family Customs

One thing we’ve learned about PJ Washington is that his family plays a big part in his life. PJ had a custom pair of Kyrie 4’s and KD 10’s made to represent his family on the court.

PJ Washington’s Custom Air Jordan 11

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The Air Jordan 11 is one of the most popular Air Jordan models ever made. You gotta love the Big Blue twist on this custom model made for PJ Washington, that features a #25 on the back.

Nike PG 2.5

Aka the shoe Zion Williamson blew out, this shoe was a Nike player edition exclusive for the Kentucky Wildcats. The shoe was a favorite for Tyler Herro and PJ Washington.

Immanuel Quickley Custom Nike Kyrie 2

Immanuel Quickley rocked these custom Kyrie 2’s at Big Blue Madness. The shoes feature a “U” on the left shoe and a “K” on the right shoe.

Ashton Hagans Air Jordan 18 “Sport Royal”

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The Air Jordan 18 is the final shoe that Michael Jordan wore in his career. While it’s not one of the popular Air Jordan models, Ahston Hagans brought them out for Big Blue Madness.

Ashton Hagans Air Jordan 10 “Orlando”

If you haven’t been able to tell by now, Ashton Hagans is this years Sneaker MVP, and he brought out the Air Jordan 10 in an away game against Georgia.

Nike Kobe AD

This shoe was a favorite for nearly the entire team. This team exclusive version of the Nike Kobe AD featured Kentucky blue and white and the Kentucky logo on the back.

Ashton Hagans KD 4 “Battle Tested”

Is there any doubt about who is the sneaker MVP of this team? Hands down its Ashton Hagans who pulled out a rerealease of the KD 4 from last summer.

Zan Payne Air Jordan 4 Doernbecher aka “Superman”

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Everyone has talked about Brad Calipari’s off the court outfits, but what about Kenny Payne’s son, Zan? Zan sat out all season with a redshirt freshman, but in the UofL game he brought out some heat. The Doernbecher Air Jordan series was, originally released in 2011, is very limited and were designed by Hospital cancer patients. This particular pair was designed by Isaiah Scott a then, 11-year old nicknamed “Superman”.

Nike Lebron 16

THE signature Nike line, the LeBron 16. The LeBron 16 came out back in September and has really only been used by Reid Travis this season, who most likely enjoys the shoe due to his 6-8 240, LeBron like physique.

Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Own Malachi Moreno Shows Out In Chris Brickley Invitational

Kentucky pledge and native Malachi Moreno nearly tallied a double-double in the Chris Brickley Invitational.

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Malachi Moreno shows out in Brickley Invitational.
UK Athletics

Held in Chicago, the Chris Brinkley Invitational is a gathering of young superstars under the wing of famous basketball trainer Chris Brickley. This year, Kentucky commit Malachi Moreno was invited to participate in the event, allowing his hard work to pay off in direct competition with his peers.

Moreno, who will join a consensus top 10/15 (at least) Kentucky roster this fall, stood tall at the invitational this past Saturday, nearly logging a double-double with 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and one block.

The big man would have his way in the paint, notching multiple highlight worthy dunks as well as a full-court pass, boasting his playmaking capability.

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Slotted at 25th in ESPN’s freshman recruiting rankings, Moreno became Kentucky’s only McDonald’s All-American earlier this year, and has since turned heads with not only his play on the court, but his treatment of people and the program off it.

He’s been spotted all throughout Lexington, including at Rupp, taking pictures with fans and talking titles in-between. Hailing from Georgetown, KY, Moreno’s hometown ambitions make him a likely fan favorite, and with four years of college basketball ahead of him, his journey is excitedly only getting started.

While Moreno’s role on next year’s roster has yet to take complete shape, his performance at the Brickley invitational is a good indicator of a high ceiling; and besides, it doesn’t hurt to keep it in-house once in a while. The sun shines bright when a Kentucky kid stays home.

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh Is “All In” On NBA Draft Process

While Otega Oweh is “all in” on the NBA Draft process, his ultimate fate at Kentucky still hangs in the balance.

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Otega Oweh is "all in" on the NBA Draft.
Chet White | UK Athletics

While Kentucky’s incoming roster of freshman, transfers, and returners may seem complete to many, a once crucial piece has been taken for granted by folks eager to get the season started: Otega Oweh.

One of the primary driver’s of much of last year’s success, Oweh found his footing as a source of energy for his teammates, and found the ball in his hands more often than not when the team desperately needed a bucket.

Now, he’s testing the NBA Draft waters, and, according to Oweh himself, he’s “all in.”

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A Pro Goal

“I have one more year of eligibility, but my goal is to play in the NBA,” he said. “So I’m not doing this process one foot in, one foot out.”

This potentially worrying tidbit came out of a segment with the Portland Trail Blazers media following a session with the team. Oweh was also asked about the rumor that he’d return to Kentucky if he wasn’t granted a first round selection in the draft, to which he said, “I wouldn’t say it’s completely false.”

“I believe I’m a first round guy, so I’m just gonna go through all these workouts, give it my all, then when it’s all said and done, I’ll see where I’m at and I’ll make that decision.”

“That decision” will mean a lot for Kentucky’s incoming roster whichever way it goes. If Oweh returns, the team will likely be in final, or near-final, form; barring any crazy shake-ups, we’d be looking at a finalized roster and rotation sooner rather than later.

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If he doesn’t? Well, it’d be hard to imagine that the team would be left as-is – a late foray into the transfer portal on Mark Pope’s part would almost be imminent. And he couldn’t land just any player; he’d be replacing a potential SEC player of the year favorite, given a return. The stakes are at an all-time high.

It doesn’t help that the wait isn’t close to being over, either. Oweh has until June 15 to make his final decision, assuming he doesn’t sign an agent before then. With the BBN at his back, Kentucky’s would-be senior star is facing down what may be the most important decision of his career thus far… and all fans can do in the meantime is hurry up and wait.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Commit Jasper Johnson Excels at Iverson Classic

Jasper Johnson showed out at the Iverson Classic, shining light on his own potential and bringing more excitement to the ‘Cats incoming class.

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Chet White | UK Athletics

Amidst the excitement of Kentucky’s exceptional incoming transfer class, many have forgotten about (arguably) Mark Pope’s most exciting freshman: Jasper Johnson.

While Johnson, ranked 18th among freshman by ESPN, is a Kentucky kid at heart, his recruitment was easily the most widespread and heavily contested of any of the first-year Wildcats on the 2025-26 team. For a while, he was heavily favored to land with Nate Oats in Alabama, before the Pope regime swooped in behind the scenes and, clearly, pulled every necessary string. He officially announced his commitment to the ‘Cats in September of last year.

Now, Johnson is traveling across the country for various all-star-level competitions leading up to his first year of collegiate play. The latest in that string came in the form of the Iverson Classic, put on and named by the NBA legend Allen Iverson – as he has been just about everywhere else, the Kentucky commit made a real splash.

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Walking Highlight Reel

In the game, which took place last weekend, Johnson tallied 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists, stuffing the stat sheet in an all-around performance with highlights across the board. In addition to a couple of effortless slams and automatic triples, a video of Iverson and Johnson meeting at mid-court prior to the match took off across Overtime Elite’s social media, followed by a portion of his tape.

Johnson is only just scratching the surface of his ability as a player and, given the high likelihood that he’ll come off the bench during his first season in Lexington, it only speaks to the team’s incredible depth and high ceiling.

However and whenever he plays, the freshman guard will surely make an immediate impact. With November and the beginning of the season still six months down the line, however, ‘Cats fans will have to rely on videos like the one above to hold them over before they get to see their own battling for the blue and white in Rupp Arena.

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