Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt OFFICIAL Box-Score

Kevin Knox Named SEC Freshman of The Week... SHOCKING!!!

Kevin Knox had a monster week with two games of 19 or more points, including a career-high and UK season-high 34 points in a road win at No. 7/7 West Virginia on Saturday, en route to being named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday. 

Knox averaged a team-high 26.5 points per game over the two victories while shooting a blazing 69.6 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from behind the arc. He also chipped in with an 85.7-percent rate from the free-throw line. Knox hit four or more 3-pointers in both games, including a career-high five in the win against the Mountaineers.

He’s the first UK player to score 30 or more points this season and the first since De’Aaron Fox had 39 in a win over UCLA in the Sweet 16 in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The 34 points are the most for a UK player on the road since Malik Monk had 34 at Ole Miss to open SEC play a season ago. They’re also the most by a UK freshman in a non-conference true road game.  Knox also contributed 6.5 rebounds a game, the second-best mark on the team. He had six or more snares in both games.

Knox has emerged as Kentucky’s leading playmaker, leading the team in scoring (15.5 points per game), 3-pointers (34) and minutes per game (32.5 per game). The Tampa, Florida, native has led the Wildcats in scoring a team-high seven times and has scored in double figures in a team-best 16 games, including six performances of 20 or more points. A 6-foot-9 forward with an ability to play like a guard, Knox is shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 35.4 percent from 3-point range.

The SEC honor is the first of Knox’s career. It’s Kentucky’s third SEC honor of the season. Hamidou Diallo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander previously also won SEC Freshman of the Week.

Knox and the Wildcats return to action on Tuesday. UK will welcome Vanderbilt to Rupp Arena at 9 p.m. ET with the game set to air live on ESPN.

Notes From Kentucky's Impressive Win At WVU!

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

Kentucky at West Virginia

WVU Coliseum | Morgantown, W.Va.

JAN. 27, 2018ATTENDANCE: 15,835

Final Score: rv/rv Kentucky 83, No. 7/7 West Virginia 76

                                                         

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 16-5 overall. West Virginia is 16-5.
• Kentucky leads the series 16-5, and has won three in a row.
  • UK leads the series 2-1 in Morgantown.
• Kentucky finished the non-conference schedule 11-2.
• Kentucky is 2-3 all-time in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.
  • UK is 1-2 in the event on the road.
• Kentucky is 1-2 vs. top-25 teams this season.
• Kentucky returns to Southeastern Conference play Tuesday inside Rupp Arena vs. Vanderbilt at 9 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, PJ Washington, Kevin Knox and Nick Richards for the eighth time this season and sixth straight. UK is 6-2 with this lineup.
• Kentucky extended its streak of 1,034 consecutive games with a 3-pointer when Knox connected with 19:32 on the clock.
• Knox scored Kentucky’s first seven points of the game. 
• After Kentucky got within a point of West Virginia’s lead at 20-19 with 8:06 to play, WVU used a 15-1 run over 3:11 to take a 35-20 lead.
• Kentucky committed 11 turnovers in the first half.
  • That was the fifth time this year UK committed 11 turnovers in the first half.  UK’s most turnovers in any half was 13 in the second half vs. ETSU on Nov. 17
• West Virginia made seven first-half 3-pointers.
  • The Mountaineers entered the game averaging 8.9 made 3s per game.
• Jevon Carter's 18 points are the most an opponent has scored vs. Kentucky in the first half since Sindarius Thornwell posted 20 vs. the Wildcats on Jan. 21, 2017.
• Kentucky trailed by as many as 17 at the 3:50 mark of the opening stanza.
  • UK’s previous largest deficit of the season was 12 against both Utah Valley and UCLA.

In the Second Half

• Trailing 54-37 with 17:00 to play, UK used a 10-0 run over 1:45 to cut the WVU lead to seven points.
  • After West Virginia answered with a deuce, UK went on another run this time by a 7-0 margin.
  • Stretched over 4:32, UK closed the WVU lead to 52-54 at the 12:01 mark with a 17-2 run.
• All told, UK used a 22-4 stretch over 6:28 to take its largest lead at 62-58.
  1. West Virginia answered with an 8-0 run of its own over 1:07 to take a 66-62 lead.
• Kentucky outscored West Virginia 50-28 in the second half.

Team Notes

• Kentucky came all the way back to win from a 17-point deficit for the first time since a 73-67 win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 28, 2017. That game also saw the Cats down 17 points in the first half.
• Kentucky’s comeback from a 15-point halftime deficit was the third-largest halftime comeback in school history.
  • UK rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit at LSU on Feb. 15, 1994 for a 99-95 victory in what’s known as the Mardi Gras Miracle.
  • The Wildcats also rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit at No. 13 Louisville on Dec. 18, 2004.
  • The four biggest halftime comebacks in school history have all been on the road.
• West Virginia shot 39.7 percent from the field, the fifth straight game that UK has held the opponent under 40 percent.
• UK outrebounded West Virginia 49-34.  The Wildcats are 15-1 this season when winning the battle of the boards.

Player Notes  

• Kevin Knox scored a career and game-high 34 points.
  • That was the most by a Wildcat this year, and most by a UK player since De’Aaron Fox scored 39 vs. UCLA in the NCAA Tournament last March.
  • He’s the first Wildcat to score more than 30 this year.
  • It’s the most points for a UK player on the road since Malik Monk had 34 points at Ole Miss to begin the SEC season last year.
  • He scored more than 20 points for a team-best sixth time this season and a second straight outing.
  • Knox's 15 first-half points tied his most in a half this season. He also had 15 in the first half vs. UIC on Nov. 26.
  • Knox made a career-high five 3-pointers.
    1. The previous most 3s in a game by any Wildcat this season was four (by Knox twice, including in the last game vs. Mississippi State, and Hamidou Diallo vs. Virginia Tech)
• Hamidou Diallo was UK’s second leading scorer with 13 points.
• Quade Green scored eight points, including two made 3s, had four assists and a steal.
• Wenyen Gabriel tied his career-high for the sixth time, blocking three shots.
  1. He added nine rebounds, six points and three assists.
• Jarred Vanderbilt snagged a game and career-high 11 rebounds in 11 minutes of action. 
  • Vanderbilt has 29 rebounds in 49 minutes this season.
  • He snagged all 11 rebounds in the first nine minutes he played.

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has a 710-198 all-time on-court record.
• Calipari is now 265-58 at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 13-7 vs. West Virginia in his career.

OFFICIAL BOX-SCORE From Kentucky's Impressive 83-76 Come Back Win Over WVU

Notes From Kentucky's 78-65 Over Mississippi State

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

MISSISSIPPI STATE AT KENTUCKY 

RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.

JAN. 23, 2018
ATTENDANCE: 20,609

Final Score: Kentucky 78, Mississippi State 65

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 15-5 overall and 5-3 in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State is 14-6 overall, 2-5 in league play.  
• Kentucky leads the series 95-20 and has won 11 in a row against the Bulldogs.
• UK leads 48-5 in games played in Lexington.
• Kentucky has its final non-conference game of the regular season Saturday at No. 7-ranked West Virginia.  Game time is 7 p.m. and it will be televised on ESPN.  
• ESPN College GameDay will be in Morgantown, the second consecutive week that the Wildcats will be featured on the popular show.  It will be UK’s 16^th appearance on GameDay, second only to North Carolina (17). It’s also the third year in a row that UK has appeared twice in the same season.

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, PJ Washington, Kevin Knox and Nick Richards for the seventh time this season. UK is 5-2 with this lineup.
• Kentucky extended its streak of 1,033 consecutive games with a 3-pointer when Knox connected with 13:46 on the clock. 
• It was a back-and-forth first half, with a couple of UK seven-point leads being the largest margin for either team.
• Led by Knox and Washington, UK took a 38-36 lead into intermission.  Knox had 13 points, the sixth time this season he hit double figures in the first half.  Washington had 11 points, the fourth time this season he had double digits in the opening stanza. 
• UK is 11-2 this season when leading at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Trailing 52-49, Kentucky went on a 13-2 run for a 62-54 lead.  
• Ahead 68-63, UK added a 6-0 run for a 74-63 lead.
• All totaled, UK closed the game on a 29-13 run over the final 12:30 of the game.

Team Notes

• Mississippi State shot 38.8 percent from the field, the fourth straight game that UK has held the opponent under 40 percent.
• MSU hit only 5 of 29 on 3-point tries, 17.2 percent.  It’s the fourth straight game the Wildcat opponent has shot under 25 percent from long range.
• UK outrebounded Mississippi State 41-31.  The Wildcats are 14-1 this season when winning the battle of the boards. 
• UK had only 11 turnovers and the Wildcats are 8-0 this season when committing 12 or fewer miscues.
• UK is 42-9 under Coach John Calipari in bounce-back games after losses, including 4-1 this season. 
• UK’s largest lead was 13 points at the final buzzer.  UK is 224-5 under Coach John Calipari when leading by 10 or more during the game.
• Kentucky coaches and staff wore sneakers tonight as part of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer “Suits and Sneakers” week, raising funds and cancer awareness on behalf of the American Cancer Society.

Player Notes  

• PJ Washington had a career-high 22 points, sparked by a 10-of-14 performance at the foul line.
• He added six rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and a career-high three steals.
• Featuring 4 of 4 on 3-pointers, Kevin Knox tallied 19 points and added six rebounds.
• Knox tied his career high for 3-pointers, also tying the most by a Wildcat this season.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notched 16 points and six assists with no turnovers.
• Wenyen Gabriel contributed seven points and six rebounds.  He has six or more rebounds in each of the last four games.
• Hamidou Diallo scored six points, tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, adding two assists, two blocked shots (tying career high) and two steals.
• Jarred Vanderbilt snagged seven rebounds in 11 minutes of action.  Vanderbilt has 18 rebounds in 38 minutes this season, an average of one carom per 2.1 minutes of action, an outstanding ratio.

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has a 709-198 all-time on-court record.
• Calipari is now 264-58 at Kentucky, surpassing Orlando “Tubby” Smith for third-most wins as a Kentucky coach.
• Calipari is 146-7 at Rupp Arena, including 128-4 against unranked opponents.
• Calipari is 12-0 vs. Mississippi State in his career.

John Wall and Karl-Anthony Towns Named Reserves For NBA ALL-STAR Game

John Calipari said last week he hasn’t given up hope to one day fill the NBA All-Star Game with half the players from Kentucky. There’s reason for him to stay optimistic with four players in this year’s annual showcase of talent.

Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) and John Wall (Washington Wizards) were selected for the NBA All-Star Game as reserves on Tuesday. They’ll join starters DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 18. 

Only one other time in the history of the NBA All-Star Game has a college featured four or more of its former players in an NBA All-Star Game. That took place in 1983 with UCLA’s four representatives (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Marques Johnson, Kiki Vandeweghe and Jamaal Wilkes).

Kentucky will match that Feb. 18 in Los Angeles with Cousins, Davis, Tows and Wall. Davis will make his fifth consecutive appearance and third overall as a starter. Cousins is heading for his fourth All-Star Game but first as a starter. For Towns, this will be his first career All-Star appearance. Wall will make his fifth straight appearance.

Davis and Cousins were voted in by the fans, their peers and media members. Fans could vote via Twitter, Facebook, NBA.com, the NBA app and Google search. Towns and Wall were voted in by the league’s coaches.

Kentucky is the only school in the country with two former players in the 2018 All-Star Game starting lineup. When Cousins and Davis suit up for the game, it will mark the first time a school has had two players in the starting lineup of the NBA All-Star Game since Wake Forest had Chris Paul and Tim Duncan in the 2011 game. UK had two players – Davis and Wall – voted into the starting lineup in 2015, but Davis could not play due to injury.

Under a new All-Star Game format that replaces the traditional matchup between conferences, two captains will choose the rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves. The captains will be the All-Star starter from each conference who receives the most fan votes in his conference.

Towns has continued his ascension as one of the league’s brightest young stars in year No. 3 in the league. The top overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft – Calipari’s third at Kentucky – Towns has more than lived up to the billing as a franchise player.

The 7-foot forward has turned into a double-double machine, leading the league in that category with 41 such games. Showcasing his versatility, he ranks 24th in scoring (20.0 points per game), fifth in rebounding (12.1 rpg), eighth in blocks (1.55 bpg) and 23rd in 3-point field-goal percentage (.412). His player efficiency rating, a strong indicator of a player’s overall contributions and value, is at 23.81, the 12th-best mark in the league.

Towns is the leader of a young nucleus in Minnesota that is off to a head-turning 31-18 start, currently the third-best record in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. According to the Minnesota Timberwolves public relations department, in the past 35 years, only Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and David Robinson have recorded more double-doubles in their first 175 career games.

In 2015, Towns was tabbed the NBA Rookie of the Year, the first player in Kentucky’s storied history to win the award. Although he’ll be making his first appearance in the All-Star Game, he was at NBA All-Star weekend in both 2016 and 2017. In 2016 he won the Skills Challenge. He’s also appeared in the Rising Stars Challenge in both of his first two seasons in the league.

Towns was one of the centerpieces of the historic 2014-15 UK team that flirted with a perfect season. He was an NCAA Consensus Second Team All-American and Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year.

Wall is in his eighth season in the NBA and continues to be among the elite point guards in the NBA. Despite missing some time in November and December due to injuries, he remains among the league leaders in several categories.

He’s 29th in scoring (19.3 points per game), second in assists (9.2 apg), 32nd in steals (1.31 spg), 21st in in blocks (1.14 bpg) and 20th in double-doubles (15). Despite the nagging injuries, his player efficiency is still among the top 50 in the league at 19.41.

Wall, who has led the Wizards to playoff appearances in three of the last four seasons, is Washington’s franchise leader in career assists and steals. The All-NBA Third Team selection a season ago has averaged 18.8 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game over his career, joining Magic Johnson as the only other player in NBA history to post those averages for his career, according to the Wizards. He’s also one of four players in NBA history (Isiah Thomas, Stephon Marbury and Chris Paul) with 9,000 points and 4,500 assists through the age of 26

A member of the remarkable 2009-10 team, Calipari’s first at Kentucky, Wall became the first No. 1 pick in the history of the program after averaging 16.6 points, 6.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game en route to the SEC regular-season and tournament championships and an Elite Eight appearance. His 241 assists were, at the time, the most in school history. He was an NCAA Consensus First Team All-American, the recipient of the Adolph Rupp Trophy (national player of the year) and SEC Player of the Year. 

After winning the All-Star game’s most valuable player award a season ago, Davis returns to the starting lineup for the third consecutive season. Davis is among the league leaders in a number of the major statistical categories. The 6-foot-11 forward ranks fourth in scoring (26.7 points per game), eighth in rebounding (10.5 rpg), third in blocks (2.05 bpg) and eighth in double-doubles (24). His player efficiency rating is at 28.65, the fourth-best mark in the league.

Davis has had a number of jaw-dropping performances this year, including making NBA history by posting 95-plus points and 50-plus rebounds over the first three games of a single season.  On Nov. 21, he recorded his 16th 35-point, 15-rebound game. According to BasketballReference.com, the only other player since 1983 who record more than 10 before turning 25 was Shaquille O’Neal, who had 27. Just recently, Davis recorded a 48-point, 17-rebound game and followed it with a 45-point, 16-rebound effort. He’s just the third player in NBA history with back-to-back games of at least 45 points and 15 rebounds. He’s now achieved the feat twice in his career, also turning the trick last season as well.

Davis was also voted in as a starter for the 2015 and 2017 games. In his MVP performance, 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 was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2015 and 2017 and the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2013. He was considered the consensus national player of the year – Kentucky’s first – in 2012. 

Cousins is in his eighth season in the NBA and is having a magnificent start to an MVP-caliber season. He, along with Davis, are among the league leaders in a number of the major statistical categories.

Cousins ranks sixth in scoring (25.6 points per game), third in rebounding (12.9 rpg), 14th in steals (1.63 spg) 21st in assists (5.2 apg), ninth in blocks (1.54 bpg) and second in double-doubles (36). His player efficiency rating is at 23.29, which ranks as the 19th-best mark in the league. He’s the only player in the NBA averaging 25 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and five or more assists.

His latest highlight in his best season to of his career so far included a monster 44-points, 24-rebound, 10-assist game on Monday night in a win over Chicago. Cousins became the first NBA player since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to have as many as 40 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He was the fastest player during the 2017-18 season to record 500 points and 250 rebounds. He recorded 40 points and 22 rebounds on Dec. 6 vs. Denver. According to NBA.com/stats, he’s the first player with multiple 40-point, 20-rebound games in a season since Patrick Ewing had two such games in 1989-90.

One of Calipari’s first-ever signees at Kentucky, Cousins went on to average 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in an All-America (NCAA consensus second team) season. He helped lead the Cats to an Elite Eight appearance after capturing the SEC regular-season and tournament crowns.

But NBA All-Star weekend won’t just be relegated to just these Wildcats as several others anticipate joining them as a part of the weekend’s festivities.

Recent NBA All-Star weekends have featured former UK players in the Rising Stars Challenge Game, the Skills Challenge, the Slam Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Challenge. Those announcements are expected to be made soon.

Notes From Kentucky's Loss To Florida

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

FLORIDA AT KENTUCKY 

RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.

JAN. 20, 2018
ATTENDANCE: 24,394 (season high)

Final Score: Florida 66, #18/16 Kentucky 64

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 14-5 overall and 4-3 in the Southeastern Conference. Florida is 14-5 overall, 6-1 in league play.  
• Kentucky leads the series 100-39, including 51-10 in games played in Lexington.
• Kentucky finishes the two-game homestand Tuesday at 9 p.m. vs. Mississippi State.  The game will be televised on ESPN.   

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, PJ Washington, Kevin Knox and Nick Richards for the sixth time this season. UK is 4-2 with this lineup.
• The game was evenly played until the Wildcats went on a 7-0 run to create a 28-20 gap.  
• However, at that point the Cats went cold – no field goals in the final five minutes of the half – and Florida finished with a 13-3 run to take a 33-31 advantage at intermission.
• UK is 4-3 this season when trailing at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Florida came out hot and extended its lead to 45-37, forcing a UK timeout at 15:24. 
• Kentucky extended its streak of 1,032 consecutive games with a 3-pointer when Diallo connected with 8:08 left in the game. 
• UK went ahead 56-53 on a GIlgeous-Alexander 3-pointer with 5:35 to go. 
• Florida responded with an 11-2 run to ahead 64-58.
• Kentucky hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute to draw within 66-64.
• After a Florida missed free throw, UK had a chance to tie or win on the final possession but Florida blocked two shots and got a steal to hang on to the win. 

Team Notes

• Kentucky had a pair of home winning streaks broken tonight. UK had won 16 in a row at Rupp Arena and won 30 consecutive games against SEC opponents. 
• UK outrebounded Florida 49-38.  This is the first time this season UK won despite winning the rebounding. The Wildcats are 13-1 this season when winning the battle of the boards. 
• UK is 41-9 under Coach John Calipari in bounce-back games after losses, including 3-1 this season. This is the first time this season UK has lost consecutive games.
• ESPN’s popular traveling show, College GameDay, was broadcast from Rupp Arena this morning. It’s the 15^th time that GameDay has hosted from a UK game, including the seventh time at Rupp Arena.  
• UK will be involved in back-to-back GameDays next week as the road show makes its way to Morgantown for UK’s game Jan. 27 at West Virginia.

Player Notes  

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 10 points and led the Wildcats with six assists.
• Nick Richards scored eight points and led the Wildcats with nine rebounds. 
• Wenyen Gabriel came off the bench to score 10 points and collect seven rebounds.
• After a three-game absence because of injury, Quade Green returned to action. He played 17 minutes and totaled two points and two assists.

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has a 708-198 all-time on-court record.
• Calipari is now 263-58 at Kentucky, tying Orlando “Tubby” Smith for third-most wins as a Kentucky coach.
• Calipari is 145-7 at Rupp Arena, including 127-4 against unranked opponents.
• Calipari is 15-7 vs. Florida in his career.

DeMarcus Cousins/Anthony Davis Named Starters In NBA All- Star Game

 The dynamic duo from the Big Easy are headed for the bright lights of Hollywood. Former Kentucky greats Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins were named NBA All-Star Game starters on Thursday. Davis will make his fifth consecutive appearance while Cousins is heading for his fourth All-Star Game.

The Pelicans’ stars will join the league’s best players on Feb. 18 in Los Angeles for the league’s annual NBA All-Star Game. Davis was drafted No. 1 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans (formerly the New Orleans Hornets) in 2012, while Cousins was the No. 5 overall selection in the 2010 draft to the Sacramento Kings. Since joining forces midway through last season, they’ve arguably been one of the league’s best 1-2 punches inside and have propelled the Pelicans into position for a playoff appearance.

Davis and Cousins were voted in by the fans, their peers and media members. Fans could vote via Twitter, Facebook, NBA.com, the NBA app and Google search.

Fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote to determine the 10 starters for the 67th NBA All-Star Game. All current NBA players and a panel of basketball media accounted for 25 percent each, with each participant completing one full ballot featuring two guards and three frontcourt players from both conferences.

Kentucky is the only school in the country with two former players in the 2018 All-Star Game starting lineup. When they suit up for the game, it will mark the first time a school has had two players in the starting lineup of the NBA All-Star Game since Wake Forest had Chris Paul and Tim Duncan in the 2011 game. UK had two players – Davis and John Wall – voted into the starting lineup in 2015, but Davis could not play due to injury.

Under a new All-Star Game format that replaces the traditional matchup between conferences, two captains will choose the rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves. The captains will be the All-Star starter from each conference who receives the most fan votes in his conference.

Voting closed Monday. The All-Star reserves are selected by NBA head coaches and will be revealed on Jan. 23. The complete team rosters will be unveiled on Jan. 25.

Davis is in his sixth season in the NBA and is enjoying another terrific season of what’s already been a stellar professional career. Davis is among the league leaders in a number of the major statistical categories.

The 6-foot-11 forward ranks fourth in scoring (26.7 points per game), eighth in rebounding (10.5 rpg), third in blocks (2.08 bpg) and eighth in double-doubles (23). His player efficiency rating, a strong indicator of a player’s overall contributions and value, is at 28.81, the fifth-best mark in the league.

Davis has had a number of jaw-dropping performances this year, including making NBA history by posting 95-plus points and 50-plus rebounds over the first three games of a single season.  On Nov. 21, he recorded his 16th 35-point, 15-rebound game. According to BasketballReference, the only other player since 1983 who record more than 10 before turning 25 was Shaquille O’Neal, who had 27. Just recently, Davis recorded a 48-point, 17-rebound game and followed it with a 45-point, 16-rebound effort. He’s just the third player in NBA history with back-to-back games of at least 45 points and 15 rebounds. He’s now achieved the feat twice in his career, also turning the trick last season as well.

The game will mark Davis’ fifth appearance in the NBA All-Star Game and his third overall as a starter. He was also voted in as a starter for the 2015 and 2017 games. A season ago, he won MVP honors as the game was played 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 was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2015 and 2017 and the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2013. He was considered the consensus national player of the year – Kentucky’s first – in 2012. 

Cousins is in his eighth season in the NBA and is having a magnificent start to an MVP-caliber season. He, along with Davis, are among the league leaders in a number of the major statistical categories.

Cousins ranks sixth in scoring (25.3 points per game), third in rebounding (12.7 rpg), 17th in steals (1.57 spg) 22nd in assists (5.1 apg), seventh in blocks (1.57 bpg) and second in double-doubles (34). His player efficiency rating is at 22.85, which ranks as the 24th-best mark in the league. He’s the only player in the NBA averaging 25 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and five or more assists.

His season highlights include returning to Sacramento and scoring 41 points, 23 rebounds and six assists. It was the first time a player scored at least 40 points, grabbed at least 20 rebounds and dished out at least five assists since Chris Webber did it on Jan. 5, 2001. According to NBA.com/stats, he was the first player with at least 40 points, at least 20 rebounds and at least six assists on 50-percent shooting since Bob McAdoo on Jan. 15, 1976. He was the fastest player during the 2017-18 season to record 500 points and 250 rebounds. He recorded 40 points and 22 rebounds on Dec. 6 vs. Denver. According to NBA.com/stats, he’s the first player with multiple 40-point, 20-rebound games in a season since Patrick Ewing had two such games in 1989-90. Add in his four blocks that game and he became the first player to record 40 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks in a game since Hakeem Olajuwon in March 1989.

The game will mark Cousins’ fourth appearance in the NBA All-Star Game but his first as a starter.

One of John Calipari’s first-ever signees at Kentucky, Cousins went on to average 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in an All-America season. He helped lead the Cats to an Elite Eight appearance after capturing the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament crowns.

Notes From Kentucky's Painful 74-73 Win Over Texas A&M

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

TEXAS A&M AT KENTUCKY 

RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.

JAN. 9, 2018
ATTENDANCE: 22,643

Final Score: #21/20 Kentucky 74, Texas A&M 73

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 13-3 overall and 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference. Texas A&M is 11-5 overall, 0-4 in league play.  
• Kentucky leads the series 9-3 and has won four in a row vs. the Aggies.
• UK leads the series 5-2 in Lexington.  
• Kentucky begins a two-game road swing Saturday at Vanderbilt, 4 p.m. EST (3 p.m. CST in Nashville). The game will be televised on ESPN.   

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, PJ Washington, Kevin Knox and Nick Richards for the third time this season. UK is 3-0 with this lineup.
• Kentucky extended its streak of 1,029 consecutive games with a 3-pointer when Washington hit a long ball at the 17-minute mark. 
• Texas A&M came out hot, making 8 of the first 10 shots for an 18-14 lead. But, the Aggies missed their next six field goals and UK went on a 12-2 run for a 26-20 Wildcat advantage.
• UK went cold at that point, going over seven minutes without a field goal, but the Cats’ defense and foul shots kept them in the game.
• Knox swished a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to send UK to intermission with a 37-35 lead.
• Gilgeous-Alexander led the Wildcats with 12 points, most he has scored this season in the first half. 
• UK is 9-1 this season when leading at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Tied at 67 with 2:44 remaining, Washington was involved with UK’s next six points:
• A steal by Washington led to a fast-break layup by Knox.
• A TAMU turnover was followed by a Washington foul shot. 
• Two TAMU missed foul shots prefaced a Washington driving layup for a 72-67 lead with 58 seconds remaining.
• Ahead 72-69 with 37 seconds left, Washington got a rebound and hit a free throw.
• Ahead 73-71 with 15.9 seconds left, Knox hit a free throw.
• TAMU got a tip-in with five seconds left to make it 74-73.  
• UK missed two foul shots, but a long Aggie pass went out of bounds at the buzzer as UK held on to win. 

Team Notes

• It was a close game throughout, featuring 14 ties and 12 lead changes, and six points was the widest margin for either team during the game.
• UK shot 55.8 percent from the field, making 24 of 43.  
• UK is 6-0 this season when making at least 50 percent, 10-0 when making at least 46.4 percent.
• UK outrebounded Texas A&M 28-27.  The Wildcats are 12-0 this season when winning the battle of the boards. 
• UK had only 12 turnovers tonight.  The Cats are 6-0 this season when committing 12 or fewer miscues. 
• UK has won a pair of one-possession games in the last week, 74-71 at LSU and 74-73 tonight.
• UK is 41-8 under Coach John Calipari in bounce-back games after losses, including 3-0 this season.
• Kentucky has won 16 in a row in Rupp Arena.

Player Notes  

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notched 16 points and a career-high seven rebounds.
• Had five assists tonight and has had at least four in six straight games.
• Hamidou Diallo led the Wildcats with 18 points, 14 of which came in the second half. 
• Scored 10 in a row early in the second half.
• PJ Washington had 16 points, his third straight game in double figures. 
• With the game tied at 67, Washington was involved with the next six points – a steal which led to a Knox layup, a free throw, a driving layup and a free throw.
• Kevin Knox tallied 15 points, making all five field goal attempts, including a pair of 3-pointers.
• Wenyen Gabriel only points came on a 3-pointer.  He’s made at least one 3-pointer in eight consecutive games, the longest such streak for any UK player this season.
• Quade Green and Tai Wynyard missed the game because of injury.

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has a 707-196 all-time on-court record.
• Calipari is now 262-56 at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 145-6 at Rupp Arena, including 127-3 against unranked opponents.
• Calipari is 8-2 vs. Texas A&M in his career.

Notes From Kentucky's Loss To Tennessee

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY AT TENNESSEE

THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA | KNOXVILLE, TENN.

JAN. 6, 2018ATTENDANCE: 21,678

Final Score: #23/22 Tennessee 76, #17/14 Kentucky 65

               

Team Records and Series Notes

·        Kentucky is 12-3 and had a three game winning streak snapped. Tennessee is 10-4. UK is 2-1 in the SEC. UT improved to 1-2 in the league.

·        Kentucky leads the series 153-70, and 54-51 in Knoxville.

o   Tennessee has won four of the last five in Knoxville and three in a row.

·        Kentucky’s returns to Rupp Arena on Tuesday vs. Texas A&M, Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

In the First Half

·        Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Quade Green, Hamidou Diallo, PJ Washington, Kevin Knox and Nick Richards for the 13th time this season. UK is 9-3 with this lineup.

·        Wenyen Gabriel hit a 3-pointer with 12:20 remaining, giving Kentucky 1,028 consecutive games with a 3-pointer.

·        UK’s largest lead was by nine, 24-15, at the 7:51 mark.

o   From there UT used a 12-4 run over 3:35 to close within a point at 28-27 with 3:33 to play.

·        Tennessee got no closer than within one, as Green hit a 3 and then a layup on consecutive possessions to extend UK’s lead.

·        Green catalyzed a 9-2 UK run over the last 2:55. The Wildcats held the Vols scoreless over the last 2:13.

·        This was the first game Kentucky lost this season after leading at halftime.

In the Second Half

·        Tennessee outscored Kentucky 13-4 over the first 2:32 of the second half to take a 42-41 lead, its first since early in the first half.

·        Tennessee went on a 10-0 run over 2:45 to take a 54-47 lead at the 11:12 mark.

o   At that point UT had outscored UK 25-10 to start the second half.

·        Tennessee led by as many as 11 at the 6:18 mark.

·        Tennessee outscored Kentucky 47-28 in the second half.

Team Notes

·        Tennessee made 12 of 25 3-pointers. UK had limited its last three opponents to 11 of 70 from 3-point range.

·        Kentucky grabbed a season-low 30 rebounds.

o   Kentucky entered the game with a plus-6 rebounds per game advantage on its opponents’ average (39.9-33.7). Tennessee won rebounding 37-30.

·        Kentucky committed 23 fouls tying for the most it’s been charged with in a game this season (vs. Georgia on Dec. 31, 2017).

·        Kentucky attempted a season-low 52 field goals.

o   Tennessee’s 55 field-goal-attempts tied Virginia Tech for fewest by a UK opponent this season.

·        Kentucky’s 65 points were its second fewest this season.

·        Tennessee’s 76 points were the third most UK has allowed in a game this season.

·        Tennessee went 18 of 22 from the free-throw line. Both outputs were season highs by a UK opponent.

·        Tennessee’s 23 assists were the most by a UK opponent this year.

Player Notes  

·        Quade Green led UK with 14 points. He added four assists while playing a career-high 33 minutes.

·        He tied his career high with three made 3s.

·        He attempted a season-high 14 field goals and seven 3-pointers.

·        PJ Washington scored 13 points in 23 minutes. He had leg cramps and did not play after the 12:33 mark of the second half.

·        He was 6 of 8 from the field.

·        He had a career-high three steals.

·        He also blocked two shots.

·        He scored a game-high 11 first-half points. It was his third game scoring 10 or more in a first half, and the second most he’s scored in a first half (he scored 16 vs. Monmouth).

·        Wenyen Gabriel was the other Wildcat to finish in double-figures scoring. He finished with 11 points, including a career-high-tying three made 3s, but he fouled out at the 11:58 mark.

·        He’s made at least one 3-pointer in seven-consecutive games, the longest such streak for any UK player this season.

·        Nick Richards scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds.

·        It was his best output since scoring 10 against Monmouth on Dec. 9, 2017.

·        Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played a career- and game-high 38 minutes.

·        His six assists were a game high, and his second most in a game this year (9 vs. Monmouth).

Coach John Calipari

·        Calipari has a 706-196 all-time on-court record.

·        Calipari is now 261-56 at Kentucky.

·        Calipari is 14-8 vs. Tennessee in his career.