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Men's Basketball

What Went Wrong? Kentucky vs Gonzaga

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UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats traveled to Spokane to take on the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs, with the goal of avenging their loss to Michigan State and getting their first ranked victory of the season. Yet, that is not how the game played out.

The first half couldn’t have been any worse for the Wildcats. Shooting just 25 percent from the field (8-32) and zero percent from three (0-11), Kentucky had just one player that had scored more than one FG, Oscar Tshiebwe. Pair that with being outrebounded y double digits, and the Wildcats entered the half with a 16-point deficit.

As for the second half, Kentucky cut the Gonzaga lead down to 4 at one point. However, Gonzaga extended that lead to back 13 after Oscar Tshiebwe picked up his fourth foul with more than 13 minutes left in the half.

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The Wildcats continued to fight, but their poor first-half performance was just too much to overcome as they lost the game by a final score of 88-72, the same deficit they entered the first half with.

What went wrong? Let’s take a deeper look.

Dysfunctional Offense

Against inferior opponents, Kentucky’s offense has looked extremely dynamic, averaging 92.7
points on 52.9 percent shooting from the field and 47.8 percent from three.

However, against their two ranked opponents, the Kentucky offense has looked vastly different, averaging 74.5 points per contest on 39.6 percent shooting from the field and 26 percent from three.

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From the jump, Kentucky looked rattled and John Calipari said as such. In the postgame press
conference, Calipari said that the Wildcats “blew” the first offensive play of the game. “It was so embarrassing, we couldn’t even run a play.”

While the Wildcats missed several open shots, ineffective lineups and no clear offensive
structure hurt them, especially in the first half. This was seen with some erratic shot selection
early.

When Kentucky was able to make their run, it was with Wallace-Fredrick-Reeves-Toppin-
Tshiebwe, a lineup has five offensive threats with various strengths.

Foul Trouble

Fighting back from a 16-point deficit, Kentucky played the second half with a lot of energy on
defense, which led to some opportunities on offense. This continued as the lead dwindled to just four.

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At that point, the momentum was halted as Tshiebwe was called for his fourth foul with more
than 13 minutes to go in the second half; then Lance Ware with more than 10 minutes to go.

This allowed Drew Timme to score 8 of 10 points within a span of just over three minutes, due to the lack of aggression that Kentucky was forced to play with inside. This in turn helped Gonzaga extend the lead back out to double digits.

In comparison, Kentucky had 11 fouls called against them in the first 15 minutes of the second
half, whereas Gonzaga had just 4 fouls called against them.

Looking at the final box score, there were four Wildcats with four fouls, with three of them being starters (Tshiebwe, Wallace, Wheeler). This definitely impacted the game down the stretch.

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No Fight

There are several areas where Kentucky struggled Sunday night, but the most worrisome was their fight or lack thereof. With both teams coming off disappointing losses earlier in the week, a battle was expected, but it was one-sided for much of the first half.

This was most evident when you see that the Wildcats were outrebounded 24-14 in the first half. The second half was much better, as both teams played very evenly, but there shouldn’t be any worry about effort when playing against the No. 2 team in the country.

Senior Jacob Toppin was the first to admit it. “We had no fight in the first half and we put
ourselves in a hole that we couldn’t get out of,” Toppin said in the postgame press conference.

John Calipari echoed the same sentiment a little later. “The main thing is just to fight. We had no fight in the first half.”

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Going forward, Calipari said he will find players that are willing to fight.

“I’ll just play different guys, whoever wants to fight,” Calipari said. “I’m going to play different
guys. We got enough guys. I let those guys get in there and fight.”


Kentucky doesn’t play another KenPom Top-100 team until Michigan on December 4th. That
gives this team 14 days to find some things that work and are effective offensively, and two
games to experiment.

When they take on the Wolverines in London, I hope a rejuvenated and more efficient Kentucky team can be seen.

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Men's Basketball

Amari Williams Picked 46th by the Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Draft

Amari Williams is the second Kentucky player selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, as Boston takes the big man with their second round pick.

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Amari Williams is drafted by the Boston Celtics.
Wesley Hale | Imagn Images

Fan-favorite big man (and official Weetabix sponsor) Amari Williams has officially made it to the big leagues, taken by the Boston Celtics with the 46th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, via a trade with the Orlando Magic.

The selection makes Williams the second Wildcat to be scooped up from this year’s pool, following Koby Brea being picked by the Phoenix Suns just five picks earlier at the 41st spot. From Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team, two transfer athletes (thus far) in their last year of eligibility have achieved next-level dreams by way of the blue and white.

Williams, who averaged 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists per game during his lone season in Lexington, will look to aid Boston in filling their recently vacant five-spot, left by the recently traded Kristaps Porzingis.

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As Wildcat fans surely know, not only can Williams battle with the best of them in the paint, but he can run the floor as efficiently as just about any guard, too. His versatility and sizable frame ensure a high ceiling in the NBA and, despite not every draft board seeing him selected, the league champions two years removed made the call when it mattered.

Hailing overseas from Nottingham, England, and spending his first four years of college basketball at the University of Drexel, Williams’ success is a testament not only to Kentucky Basketball’s immaculate tradition, but to his own incredible work ethic and intangible ability.

Cats fans will be sure to follow and support their point-center to the next level, as they always do. Go be great, Amari – all of BBN has your back.

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Men's Basketball

Koby Brea Selected to the Phoenix Suns With the No. 41 Overall Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

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Tristan Pharis | KY Insider

Koby Brea arrived at Kentucky last season as one of the nation’s deadliest shooters, lived up to the billing, and reaped his rewards on Thursday night at the NBA Draft. The former Kentucky star is heading to the Phoenix Suns with the No. 41 overall pick

As a 6-foot-7 wing, Brea entered the 2025 NBA Draft as one of the most experienced prospects after spending four years at Dayton and a fifth at Kentucky during Mark Pope’s successful first season as head coach, where he became one of the best three-point shooters in all of college basketball.

Last season at Kentucky, the Bronx native averaged 11.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts per game in 36 games, 16 of which were starts, showcasing his scoring ability in transition, off the catch, and via handoffs and screens.

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Not only did Brea achieve his own dreams of playing at the next level, but becomes a piece of history for Pope, becoming the first player drafted out of Kentucky during the Pope era.

Brea joins a rebuilding franchise with a notorious background for drafting Kentucky guards. Eric Bledsoe rings the bell, Tyler Ulis of course, and the Suns’ all-time leading scorer, Devin Booker obviously leads the pack.

Go be great Fuego!

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Men's Basketball

How a Call with Mark Pope Led Denzel Aberdeen to Kentucky

After winning a national title at Florida, Denzel Aberdeen committed to Kentucky without ever visiting campus—thanks to a revealing three-hour call with head coach Mark Pope.

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Chet White | UK Athletics

As a junior, Denzel Aberdeen was a key part of Florida’s national title run. But a certain phone conversation convinced him to leave his home state and head north to Lexington in hopes of experiencing that feeling once again.

He had never set foot in Lexington before deciding to become a Kentucky Wildcat — and he didn’t need to. All it took was one phone call — three hours long, on Easter Sunday — with head coach Mark Pope to convince him that he belonged in blue and white.

“Our phone call lasted about three hours, to be honest,” Aberdeen said, meeting with the media in Lexington for the first time earlier this week. “A lot of it was just getting to know me and getting to know the school, the university, getting to know him (Pope), how their style was, a lot of film. Once I saw that, I was like this looks like a great guy to play for.”

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The two went on to discuss Aberdeen’s role at Kentucky in more depth, including how Pope envisions him fitting into Kentucky’s new system — a system that, according to Aberdeen, is very similar, if not better than the one he just left.

“We had a lot of great players at Florida, especially the tall bigs. Bigs that love to run there, and we have just as much here; our bigs love to run, they play defense, and they play at a fast pace. So I think the things that we’ve got here are just as good, or even better,” Aberdeen said.

Averaging 7.7 points and nearly 20 minutes per game off the bench for the Gators last year, it’s clear to see what Aberdeen brings to the team: experience, versatility, calmness in the backcourt, and championship pedigree. Pope’s phone conversation with Aberdeen wasn’t just impactful on the court — it also speaks volumes to what he is doing off the court in pursuit of the goal he laid out in his introductory press conference: to hang banners.

This phone call wasn’t just about Denzel Aberdeen. It was a glimpse into Pope’s player-first, transparent coaching approach, which could define his era at Kentucky — and potentially make this season a special one, with Aberdeen playing another key role in a deep NCAA Tournament run.

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“I know the goal is to win No. 9,” he said. “I know the fans want that, we want that, all the staff and coaches want that. That pushes us. We know what we gotta do when we come here and put on that Kentucky jersey. Just playing for the University of Kentucky is a big thing. Being here is a blessing, and I can’t look back.”

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