Sunday, March 8, 2020

#1 Seed Kentucky To Play Alabama-Tennessee Winner On Friday At 1pm



After winning its 49th Southeastern Conference regular-season title with two games to spare at home against Auburn last week, the Kentucky men’s basketball team will be the No. 1 seed in the annual SEC Tournament when action begins Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee. The Wildcats, who earned the coveted double bye (automatically advancing to the quarterfinals), will play the winner of the Alabama-Tennessee on Friday in Nashville at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT).

Kentucky completed its 2019-20 regular season on Saturday with an 18-point second-half comeback win at Florida to finish 25-6 and 15-3 in the SEC. UK captured the outright crown, its sixth under head coach John Calipari in 11 seasons.

The Wildcats are seeking their seventh SEC Tournament championship under Calipari and 32nd overall. UK will need two wins to advance to their ninth SEC Tournament title game in the last 11 seasons. The Wildcats have earned a double bye in every season since it went into effect in 2013.  

The tournament could be wide open after a highly competitive and tightly bunched regular season among the league’s teams. After placing 15 teams in the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons, second most in the nation, the league has a handful of teams vying for at-large berths heading into the conference finale.

Tickets for the tournament are sold out.

UK’s quarterfinal SEC Tournament game will be televised by ESPN with Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes and Marty Smith on the call. If Kentucky wins Friday, it would play Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Sunday’s championship game is also scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Both the semifinals and championship game will be televised on ESPN with Ravech, Dick Vitale and Smith calling the action.

Kentucky leads the league with 31 SEC Tournament titles, more than the rest of the league combined (28). The Wildcats are 134-26 all-time in the SEC Tournament, including 45-11 in the quarterfinals. Last season’s loss in the semifinals ended a run of four straight SEC Tournament championships and 13 straight wins in the conference tournament.

John Calipari’s teams at UMass, Memphis and Kentucky have been to 19 conference championship games in his 27-year career, winning a remarkable 15 of them. Calipari is 57-12 (.826) all-time in conference tournaments, including 23-4 (.852) at UK. Calipari ranks fourth in SEC Tournament wins.

The Wildcats are 12-5 all-time against the Volunteers in the SEC Tournament and 2-0 in quarterfinals matchups. The Volunteers and Wildcats met in the semifinals a season ago, with the Vols’ win halting a sixth consecutive championship game appearance by the Wildcats. The two teams split the regular-season series this season. The Wildcats won 78-64 at Tennessee but the Volunteers overcame a 17-point deficit on Tuesday for an 81-73 upset of the Wildcats in Rupp Arena.

If Kentucky faces Alabama, it would be the fifth straight season the Wildcats have faced the Crimson Tide in the SEC Tournament. UK has won all four of the previous matchups and is 17-2 vs. Alabama in the league tournament and 6-1 in the quarterfinals. UK won the lone regular-season matchup between the two squads by a 76-67 margin on Jan. 11 in Rupp Arena.
Also on Kentucky’s side of the bracket is No. 4 seed Mississippi State, No. 5 seed Florida, No. 12 seed Ole Miss and No. 13 seed Georgia.

The tournament returns to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville for the fifth time in the last six seasons. UK has won the SEC Tournament when it’s played in Nashville four times under Calipari.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Immanuel Quickley Is SEC Co-Player Of The Week



Kentucky sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley was named the Southeastern Conference Co-Player of the Week on Monday after helping the Wildcats win their 49th SEC regular-season crown last week.

Arkansas’ Mason Jones shared the honor this week with Quickley.

In winning back-to-back weeks, Quickley becomes the first Wildcat in the history of the SEC weekly awards (dating back to the 1984-85 season) to win SEC Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks. He’s the first player from any SEC team to do so since Tennessee’s Admiral Schofield won two straight in December 2018.

Quickley was sensational for the Wildcats, averaging 24.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game in the two victories. He made nine 3-pointers during the week and shot 48.3% from the floor, including 52.9% from 3.

Quickley, a leading candidate for SEC Player of the Year, has won three SEC Player of the Week honors this season, behind only Jones, who has four.

Kentucky has dominated the weekly SEC awards under John Calipari. UK has won more weekly SEC honors (108) than any other school during the Calipari era, including 83 SEC Freshman of the Week honors and 25 SEC Player of the Week awards.

UK has five total SEC Player of the Week honors this season and eight total. In addition to Quickley’s three SEC Player of the Week awards, Nick Richards has won it twice and Tyrese Maxey is a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week winner.

Quickley provided two career performances for the Wildcats in wins over Texas A&M and against No. 15/15 Auburn as UK secured the regular-season championship. The Havre de Grace, Maryland, native began the week by draining a career-high eight 3-pointers and scoring a career-high 30 points against the Aggies.

He became the first UK player to log a 30-point game since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 on Jan. 30, 2018 against Vanderbilt. The eight 3s tie the single-game record in the Calipari era and are the fourth most in a game in program history. Quickley became the first player to have consecutive 25 points or more in back-to-back games since Malik Monk during the 2016-17 season. It was his eighth 20-point game of the season and the third straight, with Quickley becoming the first UK player to do that since PJ Washington had four straight 20-point games last February.

In nine true road games this season, Quickley is averaging 19.9 points per game.

Quickley then charted 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for his second-career double-double in the win over the Tigers to help UK clinch the crown in front of its home crowd.

Entering the game leading the SEC in free-throw percentage, he made all 11 attempts and has now made 17 straight, his fourth streak of 17 or more consecutive makes at the line this season. He’s making 92.2% from the line on the season which ranks third in the nation through games played on Feb. 29.

Quickley has charted double-figure scoring in a career-best 18 straight games. It’s the longest such streak for a UK player since Monk did it 30 straight times in 2016-17. During Kentucky’s current eight-game winning streak, Quickley has been on fire the second half. He is scoring 14.9 points per game in the second half alone and connecting on 57.7% of his 3-point attempts. He’s played all but three minutes during the second half in the current winning streak.

The Wildcats return to action for their final home game of the year as Tennessee visits Rupp Arena on Tuesday. Tip time is set for 9 p.m. ET and the game will air live on ESPN.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Notes After Kentucky's Win Over Auburn To Win The SEC Regular Season Championship

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
AUBURN at KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY.
FEB. 29, 2020 
ATTENDANCE: 20,638 (season high)

Final Score: No. 8/9 Kentucky 73, No. 15 Auburn 66

Team Records and Series Notes  
  • Kentucky has won eight in a row and is 24-5 overall, 14-2 in the Southeastern Conference.
    • The Wildcats clinched their 49th SEC regular-season championship (outright) and the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament. 
    • It’s  UK’s sixth regular-season SEC title in 11 seasons under John Calipari and first since 2017.
  • Auburn is 24-5 overall, 11-5 in the SEC. 
  • UK leads the series 95-21, although Auburn had won the previous two meetings. 
    • UK leads 49-2 in games played in Lexington.
  • Next up: it will be Senior Night on Tuesday as the Wildcats honor Nate Sestina before the 9 p.m. home game vs. Tennessee. The game will be televised on ESPN.  

Player Notes    
  • Immanuel Quickley had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, his second double-double of the season. 
    • He has been torrid in the second half in UK’s current eight-game win streak, veraging 14.9 points in the second half alone during this eight-game stretch. 
    • It is his 18th consecutive game in double figures, most since Malik Monk had a 30-game streak during the 2016-17 season.  
    • Entering the game leading the SEC in free-throw percentage at 91.5%, he made all 11 charity tosses tonight and has made 17 straight, his fourth streak this season of 17 or more consecutive makes at the line. 
  • Tyrese Maxey recorded 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
    • Maxey continues to play his best against the best, averaging 19 points per game against UK’s six ranked (Associated Press Top 25) opponents.
    • It is his 21st game this season in double figures.
    • UK is 5-0 this season when he gets seven or more rebounds.  
  • Despite being limited to 18 minutes because of foul trouble, Nick Richards had 14 points, three rebounds and two blocked shots. He made all five field-goal attempts. 
  • Nate Sestina came off the bench to get 11 points, steadying the Wildcats when they fell behind early. It was his fourth game in double figures this season. 
Coach John Calipari  
  • Calipari is now 329-76 at UK. 
  • He has a 774-216 all-time on-court record. 
  • UK is 63-33 vs. AP Top 25 foes under Calipari.
  • Kentucky is 150-40 under Calipari in SEC regular-season games.
  • Calipari is 12-4 all-time vs. Auburn. 
  • Not only was it Calipari’s sixth regular-season conference title at UK, it’s his 16th career regular-season championship with his time at UMass and Memphis. 
    • In addition to his 16 regular-season titles, he has 15 league tournament crowns for a combined 31 conference championships. That mark trails only Mark Few of Gonzaga, who is up to 34 total after winning the West Coast Conference regular-season title this season.
Team Notes  
  • Kentucky held Auburn to 36.1% from the field. UK is 202-19 (.914) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 40% or less, including 15-3 this season.
    • UK entered the game leading the SEC in field goal defense at 38.7 percent. 
  • Entering the game leading the SEC at 79.3% at the foul line, Kentucky made 27 of 33 free throws (81.8%).
    • UK has made at least 75% at the line in 12 straight games. 
  • Free throws made the difference in both of the games this season vs. Auburn.  
    • On Feb. 1, Auburn made 33 of 44 at the charity stripe while UK hit 20 of 24.
    • Today, UK made 27 of 33 while Auburn got 13 of 22. 
  • Kentucky is 8-2 all-time on games played on Leap Day, with a seven-game winning streak, and has not lost on Leap Day since 1936.  
In the First Half  
  • The starting lineup consisted of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards for the 14th time this season. UK is 12-2 with the lineup. 
    • Nate Sestina was UK’s first substitute at the 16:40 mark. 
  • Auburn came out hot, making its first four 3-point shots en route to an 18-9 lead.
  • Trailing 20-11, UK went on an 18-3 run for its first lead at 29-23. The Cats never trailed again.
  • UK went to the locker room ahead 40-37. Maxey paced the first-half effort with 12 points. 
    • UK is 19-2 this season when leading at intermission. 
 In the Second Half  

  • Kentucky opened the second half with the starting lineup. 
  • Ahead 53-46 at the 14:32 mark, UK went more than seven minutes without a basket. Five free throws by Quickley, one by Richards and two by Montgomery during that span kept a tenuous lead for the Wildcats. Hagans finally broke the drought with a steal and layup at the 7:08 mark, making it 63-58.  
  • Auburn got no closer than three points the rest of the way as the Wildcats held on for the win. 

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Hagans Is A National Defensive Player Of The Year Semifinalist



Kentucky men’s basketball sophomore guard Ashton Hagans remains in contention for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Hagans, the 2019 Southeastern Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, remained on the Naismith watch list as the Atlanta Tipoff Club trimmed its list to 10 semifinalists on Thursday.

It’s the second season in a row Hagans has been named a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist.

The finalists for the award will be revealed March 12. The winner of the 2020 Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year will be announced April 5 during the Naismith Awards Brunch in Atlanta.

Hagans is once again UK’s best on-ball defender with a team-high 54 steals, oftentimes drawing the assignment on the opposing team’s best offensive player. He’s averaging 1.9 swipes per game, second in the SEC. In just 65 career games, Hagans has already amassed 115 career steals, and his 1.797 steals-per-game career mark is second in school history, behind only Rajon Rondo’s career mark of 2.294

With Hagans spearheading the defensive effort, UK is limiting teams to 38.7% shooting from the floor, among the top 20 teams nationally.

"You're not going to find a player that is better on the defensive end on and off the ball than Ashton Hagans has been," ESPN analyst Jay Bilas recently said. "I think he's the frontrunner for national defensive player of the year."

Said national writer Jeff Goodman: "Lots of great defensive players out there, but I'll take Ashton Hagans over all of them."

Last season, breaking onto the national stage because of his defensive prowess, Hagans was a finalist for the 2019 Naismith award and was named to the CollegeInsider.com Lefty Drisell Defensive All-America Team, the CollegeInsider.com Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Team and the Athletic’s All-Glue Team.

UK’s point guard’s game has evolved in year two and he’s impacting the game in a multitude of ways. Hagans is averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game while grabbing the leadership reins of a talented but once again young team. 

The midseason Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year finalist has scored in double figures in 19 games, including a career-high 26-point performance in the win over Utah Valley. Hagans has dished out three or more assists in every game and has five or more in 21 outings

With 342 career dimes, Hagans is 12th in program history. His assist average is ranked 12th in the country and tops in the league (through games on Feb. 25).

UK returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Auburn at 3:45 p.m. in Rupp Arena on CBS. A victory would clinch the outright SEC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament.

Kentucky leads the league with 48 SEC regular-season crowns.

Monday, February 24, 2020

Immanuel Quickley Named SEC Player Of The Week




 After back-to-back 20-point games in victories over LSU and Florida last week, Kentucky men’s basketball sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday.

UK owns a two-game lead in the SEC standings with four regular-season games remaining and Quickley’s recently play is a big reason for the cushion. He averaged 23.5 points and induced a career-high three steals in both victories last week. 

Monday’s honor is the second of the season for Quickley, who has produced clutch moments all season long for the Wildcats.

Kentucky has dominated the weekly SEC awards under John Calipari. UK has won more weekly SEC honors (107) than any other school during the Calipari era, including 83 SEC Freshman of the Week honors and 24 SEC Player of the Week awards.

The sophomore guard began the week by helping UK to a 79-76 win in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Quickley scored 21 points and added five assists, four rebounds and three steals. The Havre de Grace, Maryland, native was 5 of 5 from the floor in the second half as the Wildcats shot a season-high 73.8% during the second half.

Quickley then scored a career-high 26 points in the win over the Gators – and UK needed every one of them. He scored 20 of 28 points once the Wildcats trailed 40-33 and also added 17 of 19 during a decisive second-half surge. Twenty-two of his 26 points came after intermission. He made four 3-pointers and also contributed a trio of swipes.

During the second half of this week’s victories, Quickley averaged 18.0 points per game and shot 75% from the field and 71.4% from 3-point range with five 3’s. 

For the season, Quickley is averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game. He’s scored in double digits in 16 straight games, the longest streak for a UK player since Malik Monk had 30 straight such games in 2016-17. Quickley has topped double-figures in 22 of 26 games he’s played this season and boasted 20 or more in seven games.

Since his double-figure scoring streak began against Louisville, Quickley is averaging 18.5 points per game to go along with 4.3 rebounds and 37 3-pointers while shooting 45.1% from long range.

What those stats don't fully reveal is just how clutch Quickley has been. He's become Kentucky's go-to scorer down the stretch late in games, breaking the will of more than a handful of opponents with daggers from beyond the arc and clutch free throws. 

This week only accentuated just how clutch he’s been.  

ESPN's Jay Bilas said during the LSU game: "That young man has got ice water in his veins." With Karl Ravech lamenting, "On a team that has (Tyrese) Maxey and (Nick) Richards and (Ashton) Hagans, Quickley has become the go-to guy."

Over the course of UK's current six-game winning streak in the second half alone, Quickley is averaging 15.5 points and shooting 57.1% from the field, 58.8% from 3-point range and 92.1% from the charity stripe.

"The kid lives in the gym," Calipari said. "He's kind of like Tyler (Herro). He's like Shai (Gilgeous-)Alexander, those guys. He's just like them."

After Herro set a new school record at the free-throw line last season, Quickley is threatening to make it a short-lived mark. Quickley is currently making 91.5% at the line, just behind Herro's 93.5%. He's ranked first in the SEC (through games on Feb. 22) and fifth in the nation in the category. He's enjoyed three different stretches of 24, 18 and 17 consecutive makes and missed more than one free throw in a game just once this season.

Further illustrating his cool, calm, clutch demeanor, Quickly is 30 of 31 at the free-throw line this season when it's a two-possession game at any point with 3:00 or less to go or the game is in overtime. Against Mississippi State, Quickley made all 14 of his free-throw attempts tying a school record for makes without a miss. Previously, Louie Dampier (Dec. 22, 1966 vs. Oregon State), Ramel Bradley (Nov. 7, 2007 vs. Gardner-Webb) and Jodie Meeks (Jan. 13, 2009 at Tennessee) also hit 14 without a miss. Quickley made eight of them in the final minute as Mississippi State tried to extend the game.

Mirroring his even-keel approach, Quickley has been Kentucky's most consistent performer in hostile territory. He's averaging a team-best 18.6 points in addition to 5.1 rebounds and 19 3-pointers (on 54.3% shooting) in UK's eight true road games.

The Wildcats return to action at Texas A&M on Tuesday. Tip time is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will air live on ESPN.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Post Game Notes From Kentucky's 71-62 Win Over Vanderbilt

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
VANDERBILT at KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON
JAN. 29, 2020 
ATTENDANCE: 20,311

Final Score: No. 13/13 Kentucky 71, Vanderbilt 62

Team Records and Series Notes  
  • Kentucky is 16-4 overall, winner of eight of its last nine games. UK is 6-1 in the Southeastern Conference, the sixth time in 11 seasons that UK has started 6-1 in league play under Coach John Calipari. 
  • Vanderbilt is 8-12 overall, 0-7 in the SEC. 
  • UK leads the series 148-47 and has won seven in a row vs. the Commodores.
  • Next up: Kentucky plays Saturday at No. 17/16 Auburn. Game time is 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT in Auburn) and it will be televised on ESPN. 

Player Notes    
  • Nick Richards had 15 points and 11 rebounds – all except one rebound coming in the second half – his ninth double-double in 20 games.
    • He had one double-double in 74 games entering the season. 
    • He scored in double figures for the ninth straight game and is averaging 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds over the last nine games, both game highs. 
    • UK is 15-1 this season when he scores in double figures and 9-0 when he grabs double-digit rebounds.
    • The Wildcats were plus-16 in Richards’ 22 minutes on the floor. 
  • Tyrese Maxey led the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points, his 13th double-figure scoring game of the season. 
  • Ashton Hagans had 12 points with efficient shooting. He was 4 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 at the foul line. He drew nine fouls in the game.
    • He had six assists to extend his five-or-more-assists streak to 17 straight games, the best streak since Tyler Ulis did it 24 straight games in 2015-16.
  • Immanuel Quickley tallied 11 points, his ninth straight game in double figures.  
    • He’s averaging 16.9 points over the last nine games.
  • EJ Montgomery had an efficient evening with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. 
    • He had two crucial offensive rebound baskets during the second-half rally. 
Coach John Calipari  
  • Calipari is now 321-75 at UK.    
  • He has a 766-215 all-time on-court record. 
  • UK is 259-43 against Associated Press unranked foes under Calipari.
  • UK is 142-39 under Calipari in SEC regular-season games.
  • Calipari is now 18-4 all-time vs. Vanderbilt and notched his first career win vs. Jerry Stackhouse.
Team Notes  
  • This marked UK’s first double-digit comeback win since Feb. 26, 2019, at home vs. Arkansas.  
  • UK won the rebounding 37-29, leading to an 11-0 advantage in second-chance points.
    • Kentucky is 14-0 this season when outrebounding the opponent.
  • The Wildcats limited Vanderbilt to 62 points and 38.9% from the field.
    • UK is 182-7 (.963) under Calipari when keeping the opponent to 63 points or less.
    • UK is 197-18 (.916) under Calipari when keeping the opponent at 40% or less. 
  • UK shot 46.4% from the field and is now 15-1 this season when outshooting the opponent. 
  • Entering the game at 77.1% at the foul line, the Wildcats had another solid performance at 84.2% (16 of 19).
  • Kentucky led by 11 points late in the game. UK is now 276-7 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest.
  • Kentucky has won 11 in a row at home and is 12-1 on the season at Rupp Arena.
In the First Half  
  • The starting lineup consisted of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards for the sixth time this season. The Wildcats are 5-1 with the lineup. 
  • Maxey made a rim-bouncing 3-pointer on the first possession.
  • Richards picked up two quick fouls and was replaced by UK’s first sub, Nate Sestina, at the 16:34 mark. 
  • VU’s Scotty Pippen Jr. broke a 22-22 tie with a 3-pointer with 5:43 remaining. 
  • Vanderbilt went on to lead at halftime, 35-28, UK’s largest halftime deficit of the season. 
    • UK is now 2-3 this season when trailing at halftime.
 In the Second Half  

  • Kentucky began the second half with the opening lineup.
  • Vanderbilt stretched the lead to 40-30 at the 18:20 mark of the second half, only the second opponent this season UK has trailed by double digits. UK was behind by as many as 17 vs. Utah.
  • Kentucky gradually edged back in the game, retaking the lead 51-50 with 9:27 to go on a second-chance basket by Montgomery. 
  • Free throws by Quickley at 8:33 put UK ahead again at 53-52 and the Wildcats led the rest of the way. 
  • Ahead 60-58, UK closed the game on an 11-4 run.
  • UK held Vanderbilt without a basket for the final 5:39 of the game. 
  • Richards recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds after halftime.  

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Anthony Davis Voted A Starter In This Years NBA-ALL Star Game




Former Kentucky great Anthony Davis will make his seventh consecutive appearance at the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16 in his hometown of Chicago. Davis, who led UK to the national championship in 2012, was one of 10 starters announced on TNT on Thursday night. 

His seventh appearance is the most of any Wildcat. 

For the third straight year, teams for the All-Star Game will be chosen by two captains from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves. Votes were tallied from a pool of fans (50%), players (25%) and media (25%). As the All-Star starters who led their respective conferences in fan votes during NBA All-Star voting, LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) will serve as this year's captains.   

The complete team rosters will be unveiled on Jan 30 on TNT.  

Davis is in his eighth season in the NBA and first for the Los Angeles Lakers. He and the Lakers are off to a terrific start to the season as the Lakers are currently in first place in the West with a 35-9 overall record. Davis is among the league leaders in a number of the major statistical categories. 

The 6-foot-11 forward ranks third in blocks (2.5 blocks per game), eighth in scoring (26.6), 16th in steals (1.5) and total double-doubles (17) and 20th in rebounding (9.1). His player efficiency rating, a strong indicator of a player’s overall contributions and value, is at 28.43, which ranks fourth in the league. 

Already a two-time NBA Western Conference Player of the Week in 2019-20, Davis is among the midseason frontrunners for the league’s most valuable player award. He’s scored 40 or more points four times this season, including 50 on Dec. 8 vs. Minnesota. 

The game will mark Davis’ fourth as a starter. He was also voted in as a starter for the 2015, 2017 and 2018 games. In 2017, he won MVP honors on what was then his home court in New Orleans. Davis scored an All-Star Game record 52 points in addition to contributing 10 rebounds. He broke Wilt Chamberlain’s previous scoring record of 42 points set in 1962.  

Named the 2012 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after leading Kentucky to the 2012 national championship, Davis has already put together a long list of accolades in the NBA during his short career. Among his most noteworthy achievements, he’s a three-time All-NBA First Team selection (2015, 2017 and 2018) and made the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2013. He was considered the consensus national player of the year in 2012 before being drafted No. 1 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans (formerly the New Orleans Hornets) in 2012. 
  
Participants for the NBA Rising Stars Game, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest and the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest have not been named yet. Those announcements are expected to be made soon.