Kentucky Basketball

Rapper Drake Details The Impact Calipari, Kentucky Basketball Has Had On Him

... because a lot of them have different journeys. When I came to Lexington, and I met you, I didn't want to leave. I would have traded my life at that moment to play Kentucky basketball and be under you. It felt like a mentor. It felt like a father figure. It felt like this incredible feeling and at 26 years old, it made me go and reconnect with the teacher that I loved the most. Drake said he was motivated to graduate high school "in honor of what he saw at Lexington" under Calipari along with a desire to fulfill his mothers wishes - a retired teacher. When Drake completed his high school credits, Calipari even attended the graduation ceremony. But he didn't answer the question: Would Drake attend Kentucky as a high school recruit. "There's no doubt in my mind. I wouldn't have to do some big spectacle [ceremony] with choices of different caps on the table. I would just go straight to Kentucky," Drake said. "I'd have to play ...

The Grind Has Not Been Kind To This Kentucky Basketball Team

... three losses, that duo has a combined 16 assists and 21 turnovers. That’s what Kansas did Saturday, especially when Jayhawks Coach Bill Self smartly ditched his man-to-man defense and switched to a 2-3 zone, with some triangle-and-two mixed in for good measure. The strategic move brought the expected track meet to a grinding halt, and this Kentucky team is not one that likes to grind. Proof: Kentucky committed 17 turnovers Saturday, matching its season high from a November game against Valpariaso. “We thought a halfcourt game was in our favor,” said Kansas freshman Josh Jackson, who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Saturday. It’s not just on the offensive end. Limit the number of possessions and Kentucky’s breakdowns on defense are amplified. In a high-possession game, the Cats’ offensive fireworks can overcome some of the team’s defensive liabilities. Not so in a low-tempo game. You might be asking why is there all this harping on the UK defense? After all, don’t the advanced metrics ...

Fox Injury ‘discombobulated’ Kentucky; Timing Of Return Unclear

... or not,” Barnes said, “I still know that their program is built on an attitude that if a guy goes down, somebody else is going to step in and ‘we’re going to keep rolling.’”. Payne did not say definitively if Fox would play at Tennessee. “I think he’s day-to-day,” Payne said. Fox is UK’s second-leading scorer (16.2 points per game). He’s also shot the second-most free throws (107), so he gets to the foul line. He leads the Cats in steals (30). But maybe most importantly, he leads the team’s trademark fast-paced style. “De’Aaron kind of controls the game because he’s really a threat with his quickness,” Wenyen Gabriel said. Other point guards like Isaiah Briscoe and Dominique Hawkins make for a slower pace. “It’s just a different style of play, and we have to adjust to it,” Isaac Humphries said. “That’s fine. We adjust on the run, and it’s all good.”. Kentucky center Isaac Humphries says being more aggressive helped him have a productive game last Saturday against South Carolina. Briscoe ‘at peace’. ...

Five Things To Know About The Kansas Jayhawks

... of 89. Not bad for someone who, coming out of Petersburg, Virginia, originally committed to Towson State before signing with the Jayhawks. But then his running mate Devonte Graham committed to Appalachian State before ending up in Lawrence. Now, as a junior, Graham is averaging 13.7 points and 4.7 assists per year. Graham has scored 56 points in Kansas’ last three games. 3. Kansas is thin in the front court. First there was the wrist injury to Udoka Azubuike , the Jayhawks’ talented 7-foot freshman center – Bill Self says Azubuike has a chance to be the second-best center he’s coached behind Joel Embiid – that shelved Azubuike for the season after 11 games. Then came Thursday’s announcement that 6-10 sophomore Carlton Bragg has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. True, the Mc Donald’s All-American has disappointed on the floor ...

3 Things To Know From The Loss To Tennessee

... 2 blocks and 9 rebounds, all of them defensive. Derek Willis did no better, going 1-5 from the field and 0-3 from 3-point range. The slightest contribution from the stretch fours would have made all the difference in such a close game. Hopefully the team isn’t back to square one when it comes to the forwards. It looked as though Gabriel was going to take command of that spot. Hopefully he’ll take control of it again. Tennessee shot extremely well. The Vols shot way better than anyone expected. On the year, they’ve shot 42% from the field and 33% from the 3-point line. Today, Tennessee shot 47% from the field and an even 50% from deep. The weird philosophy of “double-team random players” didn’t work all that well, but nonetheless, Tennessee was way hotter than you could’ve expected. It’s hard to stop that kind of hot ...

Kentucky Calls For Bam Adebayo To Find His Inner Demarcus Cousins

... of De Marcus Cousins’ mentality, he changes the dynamic of the team. Every game I’m telling him to take over the game for us. Dominate the game for us. Don’t sit back, and five or six minutes (go by and) you don’t touch the ball and don’t say a word. That’s not who you are. Kenny Payne, UK associate coach. Envisioning the Adebayo he’d like to see, Payne harked back to a former UK big man who was anything but shy about wanting the ball, and making sure everyone knew it. “I think if he had a little of De Marcus Cousins’ mentality, he changes the dynamic of the team,” Payne said. “Every game, I’m telling him to take over the game for us. Dominate the game for us. Don’t sit back, and five or six minutes (go by and) you don’t touch the ball and don’t say a word. That’s not who you are.”. Wenyen Gabriel, Adebayo’s roommate, confirmed that Payne preaches this message repeatedly. “K. P. tells Bam that every day,” Gabriel said. “Whether ...

Kentucky Basketball Previews Tennessee

... need to do in that game, how I can get better from last game, and that’s all for me. Not looking ahead at anything else.”. On how much better he feels about his game …. “I just feel a lot more confident, honestly. I trust myself more, I feel more comfortable out there. I just needed a little bit to get me going. I think I’m good now.”. On being more aggressive …. “For a little bit there, as I was trying to find my footing, it disappeared. That was a big issue for me. I had to kind of find it again. Through practicing and trying to get like that in practice, it came back and I’m starting to feel more comfortable with being aggressive and stuff like that.”. On his defensive development …. “I’m trying to just be active and stay in control and active on the ball-screen defense. Just bouncing and trying to be aggressive, again, on defense because you gotta be aggressive on defense as well. Trying to see both, both my man and the ball, and just trying to be aware of everything as opposed to just my guy and ...

Kentucky Basketball Previews Kansas

... want to continue to be better and communicate with each other on defense. Hopefully we get better every day.”. On whether communication is the big thing on defense …. “I feel like it is, definitely. We need to communicate more and be more focused and pay attention to the scouting report.”. On the importance of not getting in a one-on-one battle with Kansas’ guards …. “It’s very important. Coach is going to calm us down. We’re going to be very hyped for the game and once the game starts Coach probably will calm us and we’ll just have to play basketball, as we love to, but you never know what will happen.”. On what happens in players’ minds when they stop listening to the coach …. “I guess it’s having a young team, is what happened. Guys don’t really focus in on what Coach is saying and they just want to play basketball the way they do. We’re going to have to learn how to play basketball together and the way that Coach Cal wants us to.”. On the talk about UK needing to win this game to remain in contention for a No. 1 seed …. “I just think we need to come into the game relaxed and just play the game that we’ve been playing ...

Paris Outlasts Lca For First Finals Trip

... able to lead these seniors to something that they’ll never get a chance to do again in their lives,” Johnson said. Paris finished with a 33-26 advantage on the glass despite a lineup exclusively consisting of guards against an LCA team boasting three 6-foot-6 players. Lexington Christian got to within two points with 1:51 left following a three-pointer by junior Carter Hendrickson. Paris responded with five straight points and ended the game on a 7-2 run. “Every time we made a run at ’em, they had an answer,” LCA Coach Nate Valentine said. “It just wasn’t our night.”. LCA was playing for its first trip to the All “A” Classic finals. Newport Central Catholic 61, Russellville 51: Senior forward Trey Wurtz had 15 points on 7-for-7 shooting, scoring 11 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime to propel New Cath into the finals for the fourth time in five ...

Kentucky Can’t Get Out Of Its Own Way In 82-80 Loss At Tennessee

... guard Shembari Phillips (25). Mark Cornelison __link__. Kentucky Wildcats forward Bam Adebayo (3) got the early jam over Tennessee Volunteers forward Grant Williams (2). Mark Cornelison __link__. Kentucky Wildcats guard De'Aaron Fox (0) scored two of his 17 points. Mark Cornelison __link__. Kentucky Wildcats guard Isaiah Briscoe (13) pulled his jersey over his head after missing a wide open layup. Mark Cornelison __link__. Kentucky Wildcats guard De'Aaron Fox (0) left, Kentucky Wildcats forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) center, and Kentucky Wildcats forward Bam Adebayo (3) tried to pick up Kentucky Wildcats guard Isaiah Briscoe (13) after he missed a wide open layup. Mark Cornelison __link__. Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk (5) was first one to Kentucky Wildcats guard Isaiah Briscoe (13) after Briscoe missed a wide open layup. Mark Cornelison __link__. 1 of 22. Kentucky Coach John Calipari talks about what went wrong in an 82-80 loss at Tennessee. Tennessee started only one player taller than 6-foot-5. But the Vols had the width to combat Adebayo. “Size does not affect Tennessee,” Mississippi State Coach Ben Howland said ...

Don’t Count Out Uk For Five-star Recruit Kevin Knox, Who Visits This Weekend

... of this Story. For the second consecutive week, John Calipari will welcome one of the best basketball recruits in the country to Lexington for an official visit. Five-star small forward Kevin Knox — a 6-foot-9 prospect from Tampa, Fla. — is set to be at UK with his family this weekend, a trip that will include the Wildcats’ game against Kansas on Saturday night in Rupp Arena. Knox, along with 7-footer Mohamed Bamba, who visited Kentucky last weekend, is one of Calipari’s top two remaining targets in the 2017 recruiting class. UK already has the No. 1-ranked group nationally in this recruiting cycle, but Knox would be the highest-rated player in the Wildcats’ class if he ultimately commits. “He’s a dynamic prospect, and he’s so versatile at the forward spot,” __link__’s Evan Daniels told the Herald-Leader. “You can play him as a ‘3’ man on the perimeter. You can play him as a mismatch nightmare at the face-up ‘4’ position. He’s a really good athlete. He has long arms. He’s fluid and mobile. And he’s really improved as a shooter and a scorer. He’s a guy that’s starting to make shots.”. __link__ ranks ...

30 Years Ago, Navy’s David Robinson Arguably Had The Best Performance Rupp Arena Has Ever Seen

... the 1981 Kentucky boys’ Sweet Sixteen. Only three other men’s college players have scored 40 or more in Rupp: Texas A&M’s Elston Turner scored 40 in 2013, LSU’s Chris Jackson had 41 in 1990, and UK’s Derrick Miller poured in 40 in 1990. But Robinson’s performance is the only triple-double by a men’s college player in Rupp history. The 7-foot-1 center blocked layup attempts — and even a three-pointer — and scored 12 of Navy’s first 14 points and 19 of the first 23. Ten of those points came on dunks. The halftime score was UK 40, Robinson 21. This scoring chart ran in the Jan. 26, 1987, Lexington Herald-Leader. David Robinson’s baskets are highlighted in yellow. “There are not enough superlatives to describe him,” UK center Rob Lock said. Asked whether he was surprised by Robinson’s dominance, Lock said: “I expected him to get every one of the points. He’s the best I’ve ever played against. I thought I was a pretty good defensive player, but I couldn’t defend him at all. I was lucky he scored only 45 points.”. Robinson, the only player from the ...