Notes From Kentucky's Win Over Buffalo

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY vs. BUFFALO

NCAA TOURNAMENT | TACO BELL ARENA| BOISE, IDAHO

MARCH 17, 2018ATTENDANCE: 11,686

Final Score: No. 5 Kentucky 95, No. 13 Buffalo 75

                                                             

Team Records and Series Notes

·        Kentucky is 26-10 overall. Buffalo concludes the season 27-9.

·        UK leads the series 2-0. This was the first meeting in the NCAA Tournament.

·        Next for Kentucky: The Wildcats will play in the South Regional semifinal on Thursday in Atlanta.

NCAA Tournament Notes

·        Kentucky made its national-record 57th NCAA Tournament, extending the NCAA record for most tournament appearances.

·        UK owns a 126-50 record all-time in NCAA action.

·        Kentucky is 28-6 in NCAA Tournament games under Calipari.

·        Kentucky reached the Sweet 16 for the 26th time since 1975 (the first year that all teams in the tournament were required to win at least one game to advance to the Sweet 16), the second-most appearances.

·        In Calipari’s eight NCAA Tournament appearances with Kentucky, the Wildcats have reached the Sweet 16 on seven occasions.

o   Kentucky advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

·        Kentucky is a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second time, and first time since 2000.

o   UK is 3-1 as a No. 5 seed.

·        Calipari is undefeated in the NCAA Tournament against teams seeded lower than 10th.

In the First Half

·        Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox, PJ Washington and Nick Richards for the 16th time this season. UK is 11-5 with this lineup. 

·        Four of Kentucky’s first nine field goals were dunks.

·        Buffalo started the game 4 of 16 from the field.

·        Kentucky led by 11 at the 11:29 mark, but Buffalo started making 3s and cut UK’s lead to as little as five, 39-34, at the 5:21 mark.

o   From there UK went on a 12-4 lead to open up a 13-point lead, it’s largest of the half, 51-38 at the 1:44 mark.

o   UK held Buffalo without a field goal over 2:58 within that run.

·        Kentucky’s 51 points were its third most in a first half this year.

o   UK’s 19 made field goals tied for its second most in a first half this year.

In the Second Half

·        Buffalo used a 9-0 run over 2:20 to cut UK’s lead to 56-52, with 15:32 to play.

·        UK answered with a 7-2 run over 1:19 to pad the lead back to nine at the 13:42 mark.

·        With Kentucky’s lead down to five at 72-67, UK closed the game on a 23-8 run over the last 7:36.

Team Notes

·        Kentucky made seven 3-pointers, one game after failing to make a 3 for the first time in 1,047-consecutive games, which was the NCAA record.

·        Kentucky’s 95 points were the third most it has scored this year.

·        UK’s 36 made field goals were the second most it’s made in a game this year.

·        Kentucky limited Buffalo to 38.8 percent from the field.

o   UK is now 169-14 under Calipari when keeping the opponent under 40 percent from the field.

·        Kentucky shot 56.3 percent from the field today. UK is 14-1 this season when the Wildcats make at least half their shots.

·        UK led by as many as 20 points today.  The Wildcats are 233-5 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during a game.

Player Notes  

·        Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 27 points – three off his career high – on 10 of 12 shooting, including going 2 of 3 from 3-point range.

·        He grabbed six rebounds, dished six assists and had two steals.

·        He scored 17 points in the first half, reaching double figures in the first 20 minutes for the fifth time in the last seven games.

·        It was the most points any Wildcat has scored in a first half this season.

·        He’s scored 10 or more in nine first halves this season.

·        He scored 20 or more points for the sixth time, and second time in the last three games.

·        He played a career-high 39 minutes for the fifth time.

·        Over the last nine games he’s averaging …

·        19.4 points

·        54.4 field-goal-percentage

·        55.0 3-point field-goal percentage

·        5.3 rebounds

·        6.9 assists

·        1.6 steals

·        Hamidou Diallo scored 22 points, one off his career high.

·        He reached double figures for the first time since Feb. 24 vs. Missouri.

·        It was his most points since he scored a career-high 23 vs. Monmouth on Dec. 9.

·        He blocked two more shots tonight after swatting a career-high three against Davidson in the first round.

·        Wenyen Gabriel finished with a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

·        It was his first double-double of the season and the second of his career.

·        He scored in double figures for the eighth time this season and 15th time in his career.

·        He grabbed 10-plus rebounds for the fourth time this season and sixth time in his career.

·        He made three 3s. He has hit multiple 3s in four of the last five games, and five of the last seven.

·        PJ Washington scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

·        Kevin Knox scored eight points on 4 of 10 shooting, but he was 3 of 3 on baseline mid-range jumpers.

·        He is 8 of 9 on mid-range baseline shots through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

·        His four assists tied his career high for the fifth time.

Coach John Calipari

·        Calipari has a 719-203 all-time on-court record.

·        Calipari is now 275-63 at Kentucky.

·        Calipari is 53-17 in the NCAA Tournament games.

·        Calipari is 28-6 in NCAA Tournament games at UK.

Notes From Kentucky's Second Round Win Over Buffalo

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY vs. BUFFALO

NCAA TOURNAMENT | TACO BELL ARENA| BOISE, IDAHO

MARCH 17, 2018ATTENDANCE: 11,686

Final Score: No. 5 Kentucky 95, No. 13 Buffalo 75

                                                             

Team Records and Series Notes

·        Kentucky is 26-10 overall. Buffalo concludes the season 27-9.

·        UK leads the series 2-0. This was the first meeting in the NCAA Tournament.

·        Next for Kentucky: The Wildcats will play in the South Regional semifinal on Thursday in Atlanta.

NCAA Tournament Notes

·        Kentucky made its national-record 57th NCAA Tournament, extending the NCAA record for most tournament appearances.

·        UK owns a 126-50 record all-time in NCAA action.

·        Kentucky is 28-6 in NCAA Tournament games under Calipari.

·        Kentucky reached the Sweet 16 for the 26th time since 1975 (the first year that all teams in the tournament were required to win at least one game to advance to the Sweet 16), the second-most appearances.

·        In Calipari’s eight NCAA Tournament appearances with Kentucky, the Wildcats have reached the Sweet 16 on seven occasions.

o   Kentucky advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

·        Kentucky is a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second time, and first time since 2000.

o   UK is 3-1 as a No. 5 seed.

·        Calipari is undefeated in the NCAA Tournament against teams seeded lower than 10th.

In the First Half

·        Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox, PJ Washington and Nick Richards for the 16th time this season. UK is 11-5 with this lineup. 

·        Four of Kentucky’s first nine field goals were dunks.

·        Buffalo started the game 4 of 16 from the field.

·        Kentucky led by 11 at the 11:29 mark, but Buffalo started making 3s and cut UK’s lead to as little as five, 39-34, at the 5:21 mark.

o   From there UK went on a 12-4 lead to open up a 13-point lead, it’s largest of the half, 51-38 at the 1:44 mark.

o   UK held Buffalo without a field goal over 2:58 within that run.

·        Kentucky’s 51 points were its third most in a first half this year.

o   UK’s 19 made field goals tied for its second most in a first half this year.

In the Second Half

·        Buffalo used a 9-0 run over 2:20 to cut UK’s lead to 56-52, with 15:32 to play.

·        UK answered with a 7-2 run over 1:19 to pad the lead back to nine at the 13:42 mark.

·        With Kentucky’s lead down to five at 72-67, UK closed the game on a 23-8 run over the last 7:36.

Team Notes

·        Kentucky made seven 3-pointers, one game after failing to make a 3 for the first time in 1,047-consecutive games, which was the NCAA record.

·        Kentucky’s 95 points were the third most it has scored this year.

·        UK’s 36 made field goals were the second most it’s made in a game this year.

·        Kentucky limited Buffalo to 38.8 percent from the field.

o   UK is now 169-14 under Calipari when keeping the opponent under 40 percent from the field.

·        Kentucky shot 56.3 percent from the field today. UK is 14-1 this season when the Wildcats make at least half their shots.

·        UK led by as many as 20 points today.  The Wildcats are 233-5 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during a game.

Player Notes  

·        Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 27 points – three off his career high – on 10 of 12 shooting, including going 2 of 3 from 3-point range.

·        He grabbed six rebounds, dished six assists and had two steals.

·        He scored 17 points in the first half, reaching double figures in the first 20 minutes for the fifth time in the last seven games.

·        It was the most points any Wildcat has scored in a first half this season.

·        He’s scored 10 or more in nine first halves this season.

·        He scored 20 or more points for the sixth time, and second time in the last three games.

·        He played a career-high 39 minutes for the fifth time.

·        Over the last nine games he’s averaging …

·        19.4 points

·        54.4 field-goal-percentage

·        55.0 3-point field-goal percentage

·        5.3 rebounds

·        6.9 assists

·        1.6 steals

·        Hamidou Diallo scored 22 points, one off his career high.

·        He reached double figures for the first time since Feb. 24 vs. Missouri.

·        It was his most points since he scored a career-high 23 vs. Monmouth on Dec. 9.

·        He blocked two more shots tonight after swatting a career-high three against Davidson in the first round.

·        Wenyen Gabriel finished with a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

·        It was his first double-double of the season and the second of his career.

·        He scored in double figures for the eighth time this season and 15th time in his career.

·        He grabbed 10-plus rebounds for the fourth time this season and sixth time in his career.

·        He made three 3s. He has hit multiple 3s in four of the last five games, and five of the last seven.

·        PJ Washington scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

·        Kevin Knox scored eight points on 4 of 10 shooting, but he was 3 of 3 on baseline mid-range jumpers.

·        He is 8 of 9 on mid-range baseline shots through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

·        His four assists tied his career high for the fifth time.

Coach John Calipari

·        Calipari has a 719-203 all-time on-court record.

·        Calipari is now 275-63 at Kentucky.

·        Calipari is 53-17 in the NCAA Tournament games.

·        Calipari is 28-6 in NCAA Tournament games at UK.

Notes From Kentucky's First Round Win Over Davidson

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY vs. DAVIDSON

NCAA TOURNAMENT | TACO BELL ARENA| BOISE, IDAHO

MARCH 15, 2018ATTENDANCE: TBA

Final Score: No. 5 Kentucky 78, No. 12 Davidson 73

                                                             

Team Records and Series Notes

·       Kentucky is 25-10 overall. Davison is 21-12.

·       UK leads the series 2-0. Both meetings have come in the NCAA Tournament.

·       Next for Kentucky: The Wildcats will play the winner of this evening’s Arizona vs. Buffalo game.

NCAA Tournament Notes

·       Kentucky made its national-record 57th NCAA Tournament, extending the NCAA record for most tournament appearances.

·       UK owns a 125-50 record all-time in NCAA action. 

·       Kentucky is 47-10 in tournament openers and has won 24 of its last 25 first-round tournament games. 

o   UK has won eight NCAA Tournament openers in a row, all under Calipari.

·       Kentucky is 27-6 in NCAA Tournament games under Calipari.

·       In Calipari’s eight NCAA Tournament appearances with Kentucky, the Wildcats have reached the second round every time.

·       Calipari is undefeated in the NCAA Tournament against teams seeded lower than 10th.

In the First Half

·       Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox, PJ Washingtonand Nick Richards for the 15th time this season. UK is 10-5 with this lineup.

·       Neither team led by more than four in the first 10 minutes.

o   Kentucky opened up its largest lead, six points, with a 6-0 run over 2:30 to take a 23-17 lead at the 7:10 mark.

o   Davidson answered with a Kellan Grady dunk at the 6:54 mark, but then UK went on a 7-0 run over 1:07 to open up a 30-19 lead.

·       From tied at 17-17 with 11:39 to play, UK outscored Davidson 17-7 to close the first half.

In the Second Half

·       Davidson made its first three 3-point-attempts of the half, and stretched further was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc in the first 11:52.

·       Davidson tied the game at 52-52 and 54-54 at the 7:41 mark, but got not closer.

·       Kentucky led by as much as 11 points in the second half as late as with 24 seconds to go.

Team Notes

·       UK’s NCAA-record streak of 1,047 consecutive games with at least one made 3-pointer came to an end.

o   UK’s last game without a made 3-pointer came against Seton Hall on Nov. 26, 1988 in a three-point loss.

o   Kentucky’s streak started two nights later in a win over Cal.

·       Kentucky limited Davidson to 39.3 percent from the field.

o   UK is now 168-14 under Calipari when keeping the opponent under 40 percent from the field.

·       Kentucky shot 51.0 percent from the field today. UK is 13-1 this season when the Wildcats make at least half their shots.

·       UK had 10 turnovers today. UK is 14-0 this season when committing 11 or fewer miscues.

·       UK led by as many as 13 points today.  The Wildcats are 232-5 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during a game.

Player Notes  

·       Kevin Knox scored 25 points, 16 of them coming in the second half. He shot 8 of 16 from the field.

·       It was his team-leading 10th game with 20 or more points.

·       It was his team-leading 28th game with 10 or more points.

·       Knox failed to make a 3-pointer for the first time in 12 games.

·       Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, after a slow start, finished with 19 points,  a career-high eight rebounds, seven assists and a career-high five steals.

·       After starting 1 for 8 from the floor, he made four of his next five shots and scored 17 points in the second half.

·       His five steals are tied for the fourth most in an NCAA Tournament game by a Wildcats

·       PJ Washington scored 11 points, all in the first half, marking the sixth time he reached double-figures in a first half this season, and the first time since Feb. 20 at Arkansas.

·       Hamidou Diallo scored eight points.

·       He blocked a career-high three shots.

·       Sacha Killeya-Jones posted eight points and grabbed six rebounds.

·       His eight points were his most since scoring eight vs. Louisville on Dec. 29.

·       His six rebounds were his most since grabbing eight vs. ETSU on Nov. 17.

Coach John Calipari

·       Calipari has a 718-203 all-time on-court record.

·       Calipari is now 274-63 at Kentucky.

·       Calipari is 52-17 in the NCAA Tournament games.

·       Calipari is 27-6 in NCAA Tournament games at UK.

Notes From Kentucky's Loss To Texas A&M

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY AT TEXAS A&M

REED ARENA | COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS

FEB. 10, 2018ATTENDANCE: 13,263

Final Score: #24/24 Kentucky 74, Texas A&M 85

                                                         

Team Records and Series Notes

·        Kentucky is 17-8 overall and 6-6 in the Southeastern Conference. Texas A&M is 17-8, 6-6 in league play. 

·        Kentucky leads the series 9-4, including 3-2 in College Station.

·        Next for the Wildcats: Kentucky plays Wednesday at Auburn. Game time is 9 p.m. EST (8 p.m. CST in Auburn) and it will be televised by ESPN2.

In the First Half

·        Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, PJ Washington, Kevin Knoxand Nick Richards for the 11th time this season. UK is 6-5 with this lineup.

·        Kentucky extended its streak of 1,038 consecutive games with a 3-pointer when Knox connected with 17:33 on the clock in the opening half.

·        Gilgeous-Alexander scored the opening basket for Kentucky 1:27 into the game.

·        Kentucky missed its last nine field goals and was scoreless from 16:29-11:18. During this 5:11 stretch, TAMU went on a 7-0 run to lead 12-8.

·        UK dropped to a zone and held TAMU without a point for from 10:36-7:50. TAMU answered with a 6-0 run.

·        Brad Calipari checked in with 6:36 left. It was his first action since Jan. 16 at South Carolina.

·        Knox scored in double figures for the eighth time in an opening half this season.

·        Kentucky ended the first half on an 8-0 run to lead 30-26 which is the first time UK has lead at halftime since Jan. 23 vs. Mississippi State.

·        Kentucky is now 11-3 when leading at the half.

In the Second Half

·        Texas A&M opened the second half on a 17-2 run forcing Kentucky to call a timeout at 16:16.

·        UK held Texas A&M to 26 points in the first half, but the Aggies matched that by the 12:48 mark of the second half.

·        TAMU shot 66.7 percent in the second half and was 7 of 9 on 3-pointers.

·        Kentucky went on an 8-0 run from 3:49-0:56 to cut the deficit to eight, but would get no closer.

·        Gilgeous-Alexander and Diallo scored 13 points in the second half.

Team Notes

·        UK is now 3-3 this season in games decided by three points or less.

·        UK is 42-11 in “bounce back” games (following losses) under John Calipari.

·        This is the first time that Kentucky has lost three games in a row under Calipari.

·        Kentucky allowed 40 rebounds, which tied the most allowed this season. Last time was on Jan. 16 at South Carolina.

·        UK allowed 59 points in the second half, which is the most this season.

Player Notes

·        Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 19 points, three rebounds and eight assists. 

·        Alexander has averaged 19.75 points over the last four games.

·        It is the 10th time this season he has had at least six assists, including the fifth time in the last seven games.

·        Kevin Knox had 18 points, his 19th double-figure game of the season.

·        PJ Washington had five points and led the Wildcats in rebounding with eight.

·        Hamidou Diallo scored 13 points which all came in the second half. It was his 14th double-figure game of the season.

Coach John Calipari

·        Calipari has a 711-201 all-time on-court record.

·        Calipari is now 266-61 at Kentucky.

·        Calipari is 8-3 vs. Texas A&M in his career.

Kevin Knox On Julius Erving 10 Player Mid Season List

Kentucky freshman forward Kevin Knox is among the 10 players on the Julius Erving midseason list, announced Wednesday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Erving Award is in its fourth year and is presented to the top small forward in college basketball.

Knox is looking to become the first winner of the award in school history.

In March, five finalists will be presented to the award’s namesake and the Hall of Fame selection committee. The winner of the 2018 Julius Erving Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles on April 6. Players do not have to be on the watch list to win the award until the five finalists are announced. The Hall of Fame announced its original list in October.

The three previous winners of the award include Villanova’s Josh Hart (2017), Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine (2016) and Arizona’s Stanley Johnson (2015).

Knox, a freshman from Tampa, Florida, leads the Wildcats in scoring at 14.9 points per game. He’s reached double-figure scoring in 18 games this season, highlighted by a 34-point output on the road at No. 7 West Virginia to lead UK to a thrilling and historic comeback victory. 

The 6-foot-9 forward has a team-high six games of 20 or more points, while also leading the team in rebounding on six occasions. He’s also leads the team with 134 rebounds on the year for an average of 5.6 per game. Knox has also put together a team-high two double-doubles on the year and has drained a team-high 36 3-pointers.

Knox is shooting 44.9 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from 3-point range and 75.2 percent from the charity stipe. In games in which UK has won this season he is averaging 16.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. 

The Erving Award is named after Julius Erving, who attended the University of Massachusetts and averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, making him one of only six NCAA men’s basketball players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. After two seasons, Erving made the jump to the American Basketball Association and was the league’s most recognizable player when it merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976. During his professional career, Erving won three championships, four most valuable player awards and three scoring titles. In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

The Wildcats are back in action when they travel to Texas A&M on Saturday. The game is set to air live on ESPN at 8:15 p.m. ET.

Notes From Kentucky's 61-59 Loss To Tennessee

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

TENNESSEE AT KENTUCKY 

RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.

FEB. 6, 2018
ATTENDANCE: 23,332

Final Score: #15/14 Tennessee 61, #24/24 Kentucky 59

                                                          

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 17-7 overall and 6-5 in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee is 18-5, 8-3 in league play.  
• Kentucky leads the series 153-71, including 92-17 in Lexington. 
• Next for the Wildcats: Kentucky plays Saturday at Texas A&M. Game time is 8:15 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST in College Station) and it will be televised by ESPN.

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starting lineup featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, PJ Washington, Kevin Knox and Nick Richards for the 10^th time this season. UK is 6-4 with this lineup.
• Kentucky extended its streak of 1,037 consecutive games with a 3-pointer when Quade Green connected with 16:10 on the clock. 
• It was UK’s only field goal of the first nine minutes of the game, but made foul shots and energetic defense kept the Wildcats in the contest.
• UK’s next basket also was a 3-pointer by Green and puts the Cats ahead 11-9 at the 10:46 mark.
• UK’s first two-point field goal of the game was a dunk by Vanderbilt with 5:09 on the clock.
• After making just two of the first 14 shots, Vanderbilt’s dunk began a streak of four straight made field goals.  
• Tennessee got hot late in the half and went to intermission ahead 27-26.  
• Green led the Wildcats with 10 points, the fourth time this season he has been at double figures in the first half.
• UK is 6-5 this season when behind or tied at halftime. This was UK’s fourth straight game to trail at halftime.

In the Second Half

• Tied at 46, Tennessee went on a 4-0 run to lead 50-46. 
• It was the only time in the entire game that either team led by more than three points.
• Kentucky responded with a 7-0 run, capped by a Knox steal and driving basket-and-one, to put the Cats back ahead 53-50.  
• Tied at 56, Gilgeous-Alexander worked his way into the lane and swished a jumper with 1:28 left.
• Tennessee came back with a 3-pointer by Lamonte Turner and a breakaway dunk by Admiral Schofield to go ahead 61-58.
• Tennessee fouled with 1.3 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander made the first but Tennessee claimed the rebound on the second to hold on to the 61-59 win.

Team Notes

• UK is now 3-2 this season in games decided by three points or less.
• Tennessee shot 23.8 percent from three-point range today, 5 of 21.  UK entered the game third in the nation in 3-point defense at 28.9 percent. 
• UK is 42-10 in “bounce back” games (following losses) under Coach John Calipari.
• UK is 51-25 under Calipari in games vs. opponents in The Associated Press top 25.
• Kentucky is 150-6 under Calipari when limiting the opponent to 63 or fewer points.
• UK had not lost when holding the opponent to 63 or less since the 2014 NCAA championship game vs. Connecticut. 
• Over the last four seasons, the Wildcats had won 60 in a row when keeping the opponent to 63 or less. 

Player Notes  

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 15 points, six rebounds and six assists.  
• Alexander has averaged 20 points over the last three games.
• His six rebounds is one shy of his career high.
• It is the ninth time this season he has had at least six assists, including the fourth time in the last six games. 
• It is the third time this season he has played 39 minutes in a game.
• Quade Green had his best game since returning from injury six games ago. He tallied 15 points tonight, his most since getting 15 vs. Georgia on Dec. 31.
• Kevin Knox had 10 points, his 18^th double-figure game of the season.
• Nick Richards had five points and led the Wildcats in rebounding with eight. 

Coach John Calipari

• Calipari has a 711-200 all-time on-court record.
• Calipari is now 266-60 at Kentucky.
• Calipari is 147-8 at Rupp Arena.
• Calipari is 14-94 vs. Tennessee in his career.