Tag: Kentucky Wildcats

Fifth-Year Senior Koby Brea takes his first career charge

Kentucky ‘s Koby Brea took the first charge of his college career on Friday against Georgia St.

Weird things were happening with Georgia sports teams on Friday night. As the Georgia Bulldogs-Georgia Tech started to roll into overtime, the Kentucky basketball game against Georgia State came to an end.

It wasn’t weird in the same way the eight-overtime football matchup was. Kentucky won handily, taking home a 105-76 win.

No, it was weird for one player in particular: Koby Brea.

The senior guard, who had started the season shooting 67.6% from three through Kentucky’s first six games, was just 2/7 in the seventh.

Brea did come alive later in the game, finishing with 10 points — including a monster dunk to bring the Wildcat lead to 18 halfway through the second half.

Related: Kentucky’s offense has been key for the Wildcats

What was maybe even weirder in that performance was somewhat of a fun fact: the fifth-year senior had never taken a charge. Not once in any of the four seasons he played at Dayton, nor through his first six games with the Wildcats.

Until Friday night, when Brea took a charge late in the second half defending Zarique Nutter — Georgia State’s leading scorer with 19 points.

The Panther guard drove in from the wing, ultimately committing his fifth and final foul. Nutter went to the bench, and fans in Lexington erupted alongside Koby Brea and the Wildcats.

“We were complimenting him after the game, and he revealed to our team–you know, he’s a fifth-year senior, and he was like, ‘guys, that was the first charge I’ve ever taken’,” said Kentucky head coach Mark Pope. “So, you guys were all here to witness Koby Brea’s first charge ever. He was so hyped about it and I’m sure it won’t be his last. That’s why you come to Kentucky, man.”

The offense has been a key for Kentucky’s strong 2024 start

Kentucky basketball is one of the nation’s best offense teams so far in 2024.

It’s no secret that the Kentucky Wildcats are off and flying to start their season. They’re 6-0 and up to a two seed in ESPN Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi’s latest prediction, but what’s gotten the Wildcats to this point?

Thus far it’s been Kentucky’s high-flying offense, which features as one of the best in the nation.

Kentucky currently has the top-ranked Power 4 scoring offense, putting up 95.3 points per game. They’re third overall in the country, only trailing Utah State (98.6) and UNC Wilmington (97.5).

So what’s gotten Kentucky to this point of offensive prowess? How about passing the rock.

Related: Kentucky offers the son of a former NBA great

The Wildcats are also fourth in total assists, racking up 125 (20.8 per game) through their first six contests. They trail only Utah (22.5), Utah State (21.2), and defending national champion UConn (21.0).

With that, the Wildcats haven’t turned the ball over. They’re seventh in the nation in assist to turnover ratio, assisting a basket over twice as much as they give the ball up. Kentucky holds a 2.02 ratio — turning the ball over only 62 times against those 125 assists.

They’re taking advantage of that ball movement and security — utilizing it to capitalize on it in the open court. Kentucky is second in the nation in fast break points (23.0), only trailing NC State (28.4).

In addition, the Wildcats have been strong overall shooting at 39.9% from beyond the arc and 50.2% from the field.

Several Wildcats have had incredibly strong starts shooting, including senior guard Koby Brea (64.6% from the field, 67.6% from three) and junior guard Otega Oweh (56.5%, 44.4%).

Kentucky basketball returns this Friday night for their next matchup, with the Wildcats slated to take on Georgia State (3-3) in Lexington at 7 p.m.

How Kentucky fares in Joe Lunardi’s latest edition of Bracketology

Kentucky basketball is up another spot in the latest edition of Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology.

Kentucky basketball is continuing to rise, setting the team up for strong positioning as they hurtle towards SEC play and March Madness.

The Kentucky Wildcats have risen to a two seed in ESPN college basketball expert Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projection, which dropped Tuesday morning.

Per Lunardi’s prediction, Kentucky is still slated to play in the Midwest region. However, the team has risen a slot from last week’s edition — now sitting as the second best team in that corner of the bracket.

The Wildcats are slated to open play in this edition against the fifteenth-seeded University of North Florida, who are 4-2 to start the year. The winner of that matchup would then play whoever advances between seventh-seeded Xavier and tenth-seeded Michigan.

It’s no surprise Kentucky has continued to rise, capitalizing off of a strong win against Duke. In the week since, they’ve dominated their two opponents — beating Lipscomb 97-68 and Jackson State 108-59.

With the trio of recent wins, plus an 87-68 thumping of Western Kentucky in the BBN Invitational after the poll dropped, the Wildcats are now 6-0 in head coach Mark Pope’s inaugural campaign. They’ve shot up to eighth in the most recent USA Today Coaches Poll, and are absolutely rolling early in the year.

They’ll have a chance to continue shooting up the bracket this week, as they’ll only play Georgia State before Lunardi’s next prediction drops.

The next edition of Lunardi’s Bracketology will release next Tuesday, December 3.

Former Georgia quarterback benched

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Brock Vandagriff benched after underwhelming first season as a starter

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops announced on Monday that true freshman Cutter Boley will start at quarterback for the Wildcats in the Governor’s Cup game against Louisville on Saturday.

Boley takes over for Brock Vandagriff, who had started every game this season up until now.

Vandagriff is a Georgia Bulldogs transfer. He transferred to Kentucky in December 2023.

“Yes, (Cutter Boley) does get to start,” Stoops confirmed during his press conference earlier in the day. “I thought he handled himself very well. Once again, I thought he showed a lot of poise in the pocket, distributed the football well, had the vision to hit open receivers, and showed the arm strength to get the ball downfield. I saw a lot of good things from him, and he deserves this opportunity to start this week.”

Stoops’ decision is a tough blow to Vandagriff, who has led a struggling Kentucky offense this season. The Wildcats have not scored more than 21 points against a Power Four opponent all season. Vandagriff has not passed for more than 250 yards in any game.

The former Georgia quarterback has 1,593 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season. Vandagriff has a QBR of 56.7, which ranks 71st in the nation.

Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff  has had an up-and-down season. Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Boley has appeared in three games this season and has started the second halves of Kentucky’s last two games: Murray State and Texas. In limited action, he has completed 20 of 38 passes (52.6%) for 290 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. However, in the last two games, he has improved significantly, completing 20 of 32 passes (62.5%) with both touchdowns and only one interception during those outings.

A native of Hodgenville, Kentucky, Boley played high school football at Lexington Christian Academy, just minutes away from Kroger Field. A four-star prospect, he was ranked No. 398 nationally in the 2024 recruiting class.

Georgia transfer has stunning fumble return for TD vs. Texas

Georgia Bulldogs linebackers continue to haunt the Texas offense

Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson is continuing his strong career with the Kentucky Wildcats. Dumas-Johnson, who transferring to Kentucky ahead of the 2024 college football season, had arguably his biggest play of the season with a pick-six of Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Dumas-Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown helped cut Texas’ lead to 10 points in the third quarter. However, the Longhorns went on to win 31-14.

The former UGA linebacker has 62 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble returns, one interception and one touchdown this season.

Kentucky’s defense has played well this year, but the Wildcats’ offense and quarterback Brock Vandagriff, another Georgia transfer, has struggled. In fact, Kentucky’s offense has not scored more than 20 points against a Power Four opponent all season.

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Chiefs scouting report: Kentucky Wildcats DL Deone Walker

Kentucky Wildcats defensive lineman Deone Walker could become a target for the Kansas City #Chiefs in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs lose interior defensive linemen Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel, and Tershawn Wharton to free agency after the 2024 season. That places a lot of stress on the team to add interior help through the 2025 NFL draft.

According to Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy, Kentucky Wildcats defensive tackle Deone Walker entered the season at 6’7.5″, 353 lbs with 34.5-inch arms and hands over 10.5 inches.

He’s a one-of-one prospect in this class. Michigan’s Kenneth Grant is the only other player who comes close to his size and mass along the defensive line.

Despite his size, Walker is an extremely versatile player. He lines up everywhere from nose tackle to 5-tech. He gets off the line quickly and uses his powerful upper body to displace offensive linemen. Walker’s twitchy hands attack the blocker’s hands and arms to prevent linemen from gaining access to his frame.

Walker’s pass rush plan includes bull rushes, clubs, club-swims, pull-swims and rip-spins. He stacks moves and uses counters to keep his rush alive. When all else fails, Walker latches onto the offensive lineman and pulls him off balance to create an opening.

Walker’s raw power helps him shed blocks and close lanes in the run game. However, his large frame and high pad level consistently cause him to lose the leverage battle. This makes it easier for offensive linemen to access his trunk and displace or knock him off balance.

Walker’s lower half is much thinner than his upper body. Combined with his pad level, this makes him unreliable at the point of attack despite his incredible size and strength. Walker doesn’t two-gap, which is alarming for a player with his physical profile. He needs to shift some weight on his frame and improve his late-game conditioning.

After a disappointing 2024 campaign, analysts believe Walker’s ceiling is the late first round, but he could sink as far as the late second round. Walker is only a junior, so he could return to school in 2025.

The Wildcats finish their season with a brutal stretch. They go to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST before playing against Louisville at home on Nov. 30.

Will Levis sets a record for former Kentucky quarterbacks in the NFL

Quarterback Will Levis set a record for the longest pass by a former Kentucky player in the NFL.

Former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, now with the Tennessee Titans, completed the longest touchdown pass by a Wildcat football alumni in NFL history.

Down 16-3 in the third quarter of Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Levis found wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine thirty yards downfield. The receiver beat his man, and streaked up the sideline for a touchdown.

The pass ended up going for 98 yards, which was the longest completed by a former Kentucky quarterback in NFL history.

Related: Where SEC football is at in latest US LBM Coaches Poll

Beyond Kentucky, it was important in a few other respects as well. For one, it tied for the longest pass in Titans history — matching Jacky Lee’s 98-yard touchdown throw to Willard Dewveall from Nov. 25, 1962. It is also the longest passing touchdown in the NFL so far this season.

Although the Titans still lost 23-13, the pass still showed some of the promise Levis displayed at Kentucky that got him drafted.

The Titans took Levis with the first pick of the second round (33rd overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft. Although he hasn’t yet looked like a premium NFL quarterback, Levis has had a few flashes in the pan — like with Sunday’s touchdown.

Levis transferred to Kentucky in 2021 after spending his first two years at Penn State. He appeared in 24 games between 2021-2022 for the Wildcats, throwing for 5,233 yards and 43 touchdowns.

Duke basketball drops from the top 10 of the AP Poll after Kentucky loss

Despite their big win over Wofford this weekend, the Duke Blue Devils couldn’t stay in the top 10 of the AP Poll on Monday.

The Associated Press revealed the updated men’s basketball AP Poll on Monday, and the Duke Blue Devils slipped down to 12th after their Tuesday loss to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Superstar freshman Cooper Flagg scored 26 points in the loss, but two costly turnovers on the final two possessions helped the Wildcats erase a nine-point halftime deficit. Kentucky, now led by first-year head coach Mark Pope, vaulted up 10 spots to No. 9 thanks to the win.

Duke’s tumble also meant that the North Carolina Tar Heels emerged as the highest-ranked ACC team. UNC lost one of its first three games as well, but the 92-89 road loss to top-ranked Kansas kept the Tar Heels at No. 10.

The Jayhawks, whom Duke plays on Tuesday in Las Vegas, remain firmly in front of the rankings. Kansas received 49 out of a possible 61 first-place votes, keeping them above the Connecticut Huskies, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers, and Iowa State Cyclones in the top five.

Duke’s next opponent, the Arizona Wildcats, dropped eight spots to 17th after a loss to the Wisconsin Badgers.

Duke basketball narrowly hangs within the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

The Duke Blue Devils (barely) stayed within the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports Men’s College Basketball Coaches Poll.

Despite suffering their first loss of the season on Tuesday, the Duke Blue Devils grabbed the last spot within the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll on Monday.

Head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] and his team obliterated Wofford at Cameron Indoor Stadium over the weekend, but the performance won’t be enough to erase lingering doubts created by the midweek defeat. The Kentucky Wildcats outscored Duke 24-11 over the final 10 minutes to steal a 77-72 win, and superstar freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] turned the ball over twice on the last two possessions after scoring 26 points.

If Scheyer and the Blue Devils want a chance to erase that memory from all the voters, however, they’ll have chances over the next week. Duke’s next two opponents both sit within the top 20 with Arizona at No. 17 and the Kansas Jayhawks still in the top spot.

Check out the complete results of this week’s coaches poll below:

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 4-0 665 (21)
2 UConn 3-0 632 (3)
3 Auburn 3-0 608 (2)
4 Gonzaga 3-0 599 (1)
5 Iowa State 2-0 516
6 Purdue 4-0 513
7 Houston 2-1 470
7 Alabama 3-1 470
9 Tennessee 4-0 462
10 Duke 3-1 421
11 Kentucky 3-0 381
12 North Carolina 2-1 377
13 Creighton 4-0 348
14 Marquette 4-0 319
15 Baylor 3-1 313
16 Cincinnati 3-0 229
17 Arizona 2-1 228
18 Indiana 3-0 208
19 Florida 4-0 168
20 Illinois 3-0 133
21 St. John’s 4-0 119
22 Texas Tech 3-0 95
23 Texas A&M 3-1 94
24 Arkansas 2-1 82
25 Wisconsin 4-0 75

Dropped Out

No. 22 Ohio State; No. 24 Rutgers

Receiving Votes

Rutgers 56; Xavier 43; Ole Miss 39; BYU 28; Saint Mary’s 18; Pittsburgh 18; Texas 14; Michigan State 9; Mississippi State 5; Oregon 4; Nevada 4; Ohio State 3; Dayton 3; Wake Forest 2; VCU 2; UCF 2

Latest AP Poll reveals much about Kentucky’s bowl chances

Kentucky football remains unranked in the AP poll, and needs two more wins to be bowl eligible.

Kentucky Football is staring down a significant battle for a bowl game following — especially considering the most recent AP Poll.

Nobody should be shocked that Kentucky football wasn’t ranked in week 13’s poll. The Wildcats haven’t been ranked all season, and sit at 4-6 on the year after Saturday’s 48-6 win over Murray State.

The real question surrounds bowl eligibility. With two games left this year, Kentucky has to win out to make a bowl game. For the Wildcats, this might be an uphill battle as they’re set to face off against two tough opponents over these final two weeks.

This upcoming Saturday, November 23, marks a matchup for the Wildcats in Austin. Kentucky is set to travel to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium for a matchup against the third-ranked Texas Longhorns.

Related: Seven SEC teams ranked in latest Coaches Poll

Texas is a national title contender, sitting at 9-1. Their only loss came earlier this year against the eighth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.

They’ll follow up that tough matchup with a rivalry week game in Lexington. The Wildcats are set to host Louisville in Lexington on Saturday, November 30.

Although unranked following a 38-25 heartbreaker to Stanford over the weekend, Louisville is still an upper-class college football team. They were ranked l9th last week prior to the loss, and still received fifteen top-25 votes in week 13’s poll.

With Kentucky needing to win out against the two, the Wildcats might need a miracle to make a bowl game this year.