Tag: Kentucky basketball

The best photos from Kentucky’s huge win over Duke Tuesday night

Here are the best pictures from the Kentucky basketball win over Duke.

The Mark Pope era has barely begun, but Kentucky basketball already has a signature victory after upsetting the Duke Blue Devils. The Wildcats defense led a second half comeback and they walked out with a 77 – 72 win.

Forward Andrew Carr was key in getting the win. He led the team in scoring with 17 points and made some big buckets in the second half. Otega Oweh also made a number of big plays down the stretch, including a steal and a massive rebound at the end of the game. He also scored 15 points.

Related: Dazia Lawrence leads Kentucky women to a win

Duke led the game by nine at halftime behind Freshman Cooper Flagg. The Blue Devils star was terrific all game long, but they also forced him into mistakes at the end of the game.

Amari Williams created a turnover on the baseline with a terrific defensive play, and Otega Oweh snatched the ball from him in the final minute as well.

The win was a statement from Pope and the Wildcats. They may not have the flashy players that they’ve had in past seasons. However, they’re experienced, and they will not give up.

Tuesday’s win was an exciting one, with lots of great moments. Here are some of the best pictures of the action:

Kentucky upset Duke after a furious second half comeback

Kentucky basketball defeats Duke behind a big second half defensive effort and comeback.

Kentucky basketball and Big Blue Nation are celebrating late Tuesday night after the Wildcats pulled off the huge upset over the Duke Blue Devils by a score of 77 – 72.

Mark Pope and the Wildcats had to come from behind after a tough first half. At halftime, Duke led by nine points, largely thanks to Freshman Cooper Flagg. In the second half, however, Kentucky’s defense came to play, and they held the Blue Devils to just 26 points.

Related: Kentucky women’s basketball advances to 3 – 0 with win

Andrew Carr led the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points. He also had multiple huge plays down the stretch. Otega Oweh was also instrumental in the finish of the game, including stealing the ball from Flagg in the final minute. He finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds.

In the end, Kentucky’s veteran leadership won out. They forced Flagg into two turnovers in the final moments of the game to close it out. It was a huge night for the Wildcats and their fans. Congratulations to Coach Pope and the Wildcats for pulling off a big upset.

Meet Mark Pope, the Kentucky men’s basketball coach who replaced John Calipari

Mark Pope won a championship while playing for Kentucky.

College basketball fans will see someone new on the sidelines coaching the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team this season.

After a decade and a half with Kentucky, former Wildcats head coach John Calipari is no longer leading the program. Now the head coach at Arkansas, the longtime face of the team brought a few of his former players to a new school in the SEC.

In his absence, former BYU head coach Mark Pope is now running the show for Kentucky.

OTHER NEW COACHES: The men’s NCAA basketball coaching carousel’s biggest moves, including John Calipari to Arkansas

Pope is originally from Washington and played college basketball for the Washington Huskies, where he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1992.

He eventually transferred to Kentucky, where he played from 1994 until 1996. As a forward, he was team captain for the Wildcats when they won the NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1996.

Selected in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft, he played professionally both overseas and in the NBA. After his playing career concluded, he began coaching.

Pope served as an assistant coach at Georgia, Wake Forest, and BYU before becoming head coach at Utah Valley in 2015. Pope took over as head coach for the Cougars in 2019 and was able to take the team to the March Madness tournament last season.

Now the head coach of his alma mater, fans will have high hopes for Pope’s first season. While several players left the team for the NBA or the transfer portal, he will bring former BYU top scorer Jaxson Robinson with him to the Wilcats.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=462925]

Staff prediction for Kentucky versus Duke on Tuesday night

Here is the staff prediction for Kentucky basketball versus Duke on Tuesday.

Kentucky versus Duke isn’t a traditional rivalry, since they don’t play that often. They’ve met just 23 times over the years, with Kentucky leading the series 12 – 11. However, if you ask the fans, it’s a heated rivalry, and they’ll meet again on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats had to rebuild their entire roster this year after the coaching change from John Calipari to Mark Pope. However, it’s a talented Kentucky roster, with lots of veteran leadership and a number of quality shooters.

Related: Kentucky up five spots in new Coaches Poll

The Blue Devils come into the game as the sixth ranked team in the country, led by number one recruit Cooper Flagg. They’re talented, as always, and will certainly test the new Kentucky roster.

Here is how the staff at UKWildcatsWire predict the game:

Kentucky 84 – Duke 93

Both teams can put points up in a hurry, so whichever team gets hot early will have an advantage. The Wildcats have more experience, and should try to be physical with the younger Blue Devils. Kentucky also has to limit second chance points, but Duke rebounds well.

The Cats will need their three-point shooters to be effective, and they cannot turn the ball over with careless passes. They should keep it close, but Duke is the better team..for now.

Kentucky climbs five spots to 18 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Kentucky basketball is now ranked 18th after starting the season with a 2 – 0 record.

The start of the 2024-25 Kentucky basketball season couldn’t have started much better. The Wildcats came out on top in both of its opening games in blowout fashion, and in the first USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll of the season, it paid off.

In the preseason Coaches Poll, Kentucky was ranked 23rd. In Monday’s new top 25, they have moved up five spots, and are now ranked 18th in the nation. That’s also good for fourth among the teams of the SEC.

Related: The best photos of Kentucky’s win over Bucknell

The Auburn Tigers were the biggest riser in the SEC, up seven spots to number four. Texas A&M and Arkansas each took a fall, dropping eight and five spots respectively.

Kentucky meets the Duke Blue Devils next. They’re ranked sixth in the country, and a win would certainly boost the Wildcats up even further in the polls next week.

Here is the full USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll:

 

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Kansas 2-0 759 (21)
2 Alabama 2-0 724 (4)
3 UConn 2-0 702 (3)
4 Auburn 2-0 660 (2)
5 Gonzaga 2-0 651 (1)
6 Duke 2-0 608
7 Iowa State 1-0 576
8 Arizona 2-0 516
9 Tennessee 2-0 502
10 Houston 1-1 488
11 North Carolina 1-1 456
12 Purdue 2-0 437
13 Creighton 2-0 385
14 Baylor 1-1 328
15 Marquette 2-0 308
16 Indiana 2-0 234
17 Cincinnati 2-0 230
18 Kentucky 2-0 182
19 Florida 2-0 179
20 Illinois 2-0 151
21 Arkansas 1-1 150
22 Ohio State 1-0 148
23 Texas A&M 1-1 99
24 Rutgers 1-0 84
25 St. John’s 2-0 79

Kentucky defeats Bucknell with a balanced offensive attack

Kentucky basketball got another blowout win on Saturday against Bucknell.

Game two of the 2024-25 Kentucky basketball season went much like the first game did. They opened with a 103 – 62 win over Wright State. On Saturday, the Wildcats took on Bucknell, and came away with a 100 – 72 victory.

Kentucky didn’t shoot the ball as well as they did in the opener, but they dominated the boards and played tough on the defensive end, setting up a lot of open shots. As promised, they took a lot of three-pointers, attempting 36 of them. They made 13.

Related: Jay Bilas puts Kentucky 15th in his rankings

Koby Brea led six Wildcats in double figures with 20 points. He was 6-of-8 from three-point range. Amari Williams recorded another double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kerr Kriisa led the team in assists with 12.

The Wildcats have scored 100-plus in both of their games so far, and have won each convincingly. The Duke Blue Devils are up next, though, and it will not be as easy to win. It will be a good test of where Kentucky is at this season.

Analyst Jay Bilas ranks Kentucky basketball as a top 15 team

Kentucky basketball is ranked as a top 15 team by ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas.

The college basketball season is finally underway, and there are any number of sets of rankings that people use to try and rank the team. On Thursday, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas released “The Bilas Index” with his thoughts on the subject.

Kentucky basketball just made the top 25 in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. However, Bilas likes the Wildcats a bit more. He has them as the number 15 team overall.

Related: Mark Pope praises assistant Jason Hart

Bilas points out the influence of Mark Pope as a big reason for their ranking, as well as their experience:

(Mark) Pope is an offensive genius, and there will be 3s raining down in Rupp all season. Pope is a positive influence and thinker, but he does not have a superstar or surefire NBA draft pick on this completely new roster. What he has is loads of very good, very skilled players who can shoot the ball, and that will be nothing but fun.

Bilas specifically pointed out the shooting ability of Jaxson Robinson and Koby Brea, while lauding Otega Oweh as a defender. He had plenty to good to say about this year’s Wildcats, and clearly thinks highly of their potential.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope heaps praise on one of his assistants

Kentucky basketball assistant coach Jason Hart was praised by Mark Pope at Thursday’s press conference.

Once Mark Pope was hired to be the new head coach of Kentucky basketball, one of his first acts was to hire a staff. One of the first additions was Jason Hart, who coached in the G-League for a few years before coming to Lexington.

On Thursday, at his press conference, Pope had plenty of praise for Hart, and his future in basketball. He also said he’s on track to advance his career as soon as next year if he wants. In fact, he noted that an NBA team tried to hire him this year, but Hart declined.

Related: Best photos from Kentucky’s win over Wright State

J-Hart is a no-brainer. He just finished as a head coach in the G League. If he hadn’t taken the job with Ignite, he would be a head coach somewhere else right now. He’s one of those guys who’s on an insane trajectory in this business because he’s that good.

Pope added that Hart was “really, really special” and that he’d eventually be one of the best coaches in the game.

Kentucky fans have a good one, and had better appreciate him while they can.

The best pictures from Kentucky’s opening night win over Wright State

Here are some of the great images from Kentucky’s opening night win over Wright State.

Kentucky basketball and new coach Mark Pope made their debut on Monday night against Wright State. They would look impressive, especially on offense, and walk away with a 103 – 62 victory.

Just like in their exhibition games, the Wildcats shot the ball well, particularly from deep, and scored points in bunches. They also passed the ball well, keeping the offense flowing, and it led to a number of wide open shots, most of which were made.

Related: Amari Williams nominted for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award

Otega Oweh scored 21 points to lead Kentucky, but six players scored in double figures. Amari Williams recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Guard Lamont Butler filled the stat sheet as well, and was terrific on defense.

It was a fun game for Big Blue Nation to open the season with, and a great way to begin the Mark Pope era.

Here are some of the best images from the season opening victory, and Pope’s first win as Kentucky head coach.

The Mark Pope era at Kentucky starts off with a blowout victory

Kentucky basketball begins the season with a win over Wright State 103 – 62 in Mark Pope’s first game as coach.

It’s a new era of Kentucky basketball under new coach Mark Pope, and his first season began on Monday night against Wright State. Like their exhibition games against Kentucky Wesleyan and Minnesota State, the Cats not only won, but did so in a big way, winning 103 – 62.

The Wildcats offense once again demonstrated just what their goal will be. They pushed the ball up the floor quickly, and shot the ball well from three-point range, leading to a lot of points.

Related: Class of 2025 guard Acaden Lewis commits to Kentucky

Otega Oweh led the way for Kentucky with 21 points. He was 3-of-3 on three-pointers. Koby Brea also shot it well, making 4-of-4 from deep, and scoring 18 points. Four other Wildcats were in double figures.

Amari Williams had a big game as well, with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Lamont Butler also did a bit of everything, with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.

Up next for Pope and Kentucky is Bucknell. That game will be on Saturday, November 9th. Congratulations to Coach Pope on his first win as Kentucky’s head coach.