P.J. Washington Named 3rd Team All-American By Sporting News

After helping lead the Kentucky men’s basketball team to a No. 2 seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament and a 26-win regular season, sophomore forward PJ Washington opened awards season on Monday with selection to the Sporting News All-America Third Team. 

Washington is the first Wildcat to earn All-America distinction by the publication since Malik Monk was a second-team choice in 2017. The Sporting News is one of the four “major” NCAA-recognized All-America teams that the NCAA uses for its consensus All-America teams. The other three are the Associated Press, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The Dallas native, was joined on the Sporting News All-America Third Team by Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), Carsen Edwards (Purdue), Kyle Guy (Virginia) and De’Andre Hunter (Virginia).

Washington is the 11th player under John Calipari to earn All-America honors by one of the four major organizations. He joins John Wall (2010), DeMarcus Cousins (2010), Anthony Davis (2012), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2012), Julius Randle (2014), Willie Cauley-Stein (2015), Karl-Anthony Towns (2015), Tyler Ulis (2016), Jamal Murray (2016) and Malik Monk (2017) in earning All-America distinction by either the Sporting News, AP, USBWA or the NABC.

The dynamic sophomore has been the catalyst to UK’s success in 2019. He’s among the candidates for two national player of the year honors as one of 15 candidates for the Wooden Award and one of 10 semifinalists for the Citizen Naismith Trophy. He’s also one of five finalists for the Karl Malone Award, which honors the nation’s best power forward.

Washington has been on a tear since the calendar flipped to 2019. He’s scored 20 or more points in eight of the last 14 games and has been at the center of Kentucky’s national surge. The Wildcats have won 16 of their last 18 and are firmly in the discussion for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Washington is averaging 18.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks over the last 14 games. During that stretch, he’s shooting 52.8 percent from the floor and 45.2 from 3-point range. That span also includes three straight double-doubles vs. then-No. 9/10 Kansas, at Vanderbilt and at Florida. 

Overall, Washington leads the Wildcats in both scoring (14.9 points per game) and rebounding (7.5 rpg). After mulling a decision to turn pro after last season, Washington is enjoying career highs in virtually every statistical category in his return sophomore season, including a team-high seven double-doubles.

For the season, Washington is shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from 3-point range. A year after hitting just five 3s in 37 games at a 23.8-percent rate, he's already drained 30 this season.

He’s one of just four players nationally standing 6-foot-8 or taller averaging at least 14.5 points, shooting at least 50 percent from the field, at least 42 percent from 3-point range and with at least 30 made 3-pointers.

Perhaps the truest indicator of Washington’s worth this season is his impressive play vs. Kentucky’s best competition. In UK’s eight games vs. Associated Press Top 25 teams, Washington is averaging 16.1 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 52.9 percent. 

Notable games include a recent 23-point game vs. Auburn that featured a career-high five 3-pointers, 23 points in the home win over then-top-ranked Tennessee, and a 29-point, 12-rebound game vs. Seton Hall.

Washington was named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Feb. 19 and is a two-time SEC Player of the Week pick this season.

Kentucky begins postseason action at the SEC Tournament on Friday. The Wildcats will take on the winner of Ole Miss and Alabama at 7 p.m. ET on Friday inside of Bridgestone Arena in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. The game will air live on the SEC Network. 

Calipari Named Semifinalist For Naismith Coach of The Year

Already one of just two coaches to win the Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year three times, John Calipari is looking to become the first four-time winner of the award with the his inclusion on Monday’s semifinalists list.

Calipari is one of 11 coaches up for the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s top coaching honor. Calipari (1998, 2008, 2015) is tied with Duke’s Mike Kzryzewski (1989, 1992, 1999) for the most Naismith honors.

Four finalists will be announced on March 20, at which point fans can support their favorite coach by visitingNaismithTrophy.com/vote. Voting will take place March 22 through April 3 with the fan vote accounting for five percent of the overall final vote.

The winner will be awarded at the Naismith Awards Brunch during the Final Four in Minneapolis.

The Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy is comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners. The voting is based solely on the performances of the 2018-19 season.

Calipari’s work in 2018-19 has certainly been one of his finest.

With Calipari at the helm, Kentucky completed a 26-5 regular season Saturday and earned a No. 2 seed in the annual Southeastern Conference Tournament, just a game behind LSU for the SEC regular-season championship.

UK has positioned itself for a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a No. 5 ranking in the NCAA Evaluation Tool, a 5-3 record vs. Associated Press Top 25 teams and a 10-4 mark vs. quadrant one teams, including five of those away from home. 

Calipari has once again proved to be a master of blending talented but young pieces together in a short period of time. With just two significant returners from last season’s Sweet 16 team in PJ Washington and Nick Richards and one of the most inexperienced lineups in the country – KenPom.com rates UK 351st out of 353 teams in its experience rankings – the Wildcats have won 16 of their last 18 games and positioned themselves as national title contenders.

Washington has emerged as an All-American player, Kentucky’s freshman class has proven to be one of the best in the country, and UK overcame early-season adversity and a late-season injury to graduate transfer Reid Travis for Calipari’s sixth straight 25-win season. 

Calipari has strung together 25 straight seasons of 20 or more on-court wins, the longest active streak in the country. Three of UK’s five losses this season have been by a combined five points, and UK’s strength of schedule ranks No. 16 in the country.

How has Calipari’s team done it? His career staple: defense.

After struggling to defend early in the season with new pieces, the Wildcats are once again one of the best defensive teams in the country. UK ranks No. 8 in the latest KenPom.com defensive efficiency rankings.

UK has been particularly good in the conference season on the defensive end, limiting opponents to just 62.6 points per game and 39.4 percent from the field. The Wildcats have held five league foes to their lowest point total at the time of the game. 

This season has featured a couple of milestones for Calipari.

With an 80-53 victory vs. Auburn on Feb. 23, Calipari moved past Joe B. Hall for the second-most wins in program history. He trails only the legendary Adolph Rupp (876 wins) for the most wins at Kentucky and earned win No. 300 at Ole Miss on Tuesday.

When he reached win No. 300 at UK, he became the fourth-fastest coach in NCAA Division I history to 300 wins at the same school. Only Bill Self (358 games at Kansas), Claire Bee (359 games at Long Island) and Rupp (366 at UK) got there faster.

A “players-first” coach with a penchant for helping players reach their dreams, Calipari has guided six teams to the Final Four, led one to a national championship and helped 42 players earn selection in the NBA Draft during his now-27-year college coaching career.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer guided Kentucky to its eighth national championship and his first national title in 2012. In becoming only the second coach in NCAA history to lead three different schools to the Final Four, he has racked up more than 700 on-court victories, 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, six Final Fours and numerous national coach of the year honors.

Among the other major coach of the year honors Calipari has won during his career:

·         Three-time NABC National Coach of the Year

·         Three-time Naismith National Coach of the Year

·         Three-time Sporting News National Coach of the Year

·         Two-time Adolph Rupp National Coach of the Year

·         Nine-time conference coach of the year (league or media in Atlantic 10, Conference USA or Southeastern Conference)

·         2018 NABC Metropolitan Award

·         2015 Associated Press National Coach of the Year

·         2012 Nell & John Wooden Coach of the Year Leadership Award

·         2009 Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year

Kentucky Earns The #2 Seed For the SEC Tournament With Win Over Florida

The Kentucky men’s basketball team will be the No. 2 seed in the annual Southeastern Conference 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 No. 7 seed Ole Miss vs. No. 10 seed Alabama on Friday in St. Louis at approximately 7 p.m. ET in the quarterfinals.

Kentucky completed its 2018-19 regular season on Saturday with a 66-57 victory over Florida to finish at 26-5 and 15-3 in the SEC. UK finished in a tie for second place with Tennessee, just a game behind LSU for the regular-season championship.  

The Wildcats are seeking their fifth straight SEC Tournament championship and seventh in John Calipari’s 10 seasons at Kentucky.

  

UK will need two wins to advance to their ninth SEC Tournament title game in the last 10 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. As many as eight teams are projected to get into the NCAA Tournament with several schools looking to strengthen their postseason profile for an at-large berth.

UK’s quarterfinal SEC Tournament game will be televised by the SEC Network. If Kentucky wins Friday, it would play Saturday at approximately 3:25 p.m. ET. Sunday’s championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Both the semifinals and championship game will be televised on ESPN.

Kentucky leads the league with 31 SEC Tournament titles. The Wildcats are 133-25 all-time in the SEC Tournament, including 44-11 in the quarterfinals.

UK defeated Ole Miss on Tuesday, 80-76, in Oxford, Mississippi, in the lone meeting this season between the two schools. The Wildcats are 15-0 all-time vs. Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament, including 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

If Kentucky faces Alabama, it would be the fourth straight season the Wildcats have faced the Crimson Tide in the SEC Tournament. UK has won all three of the previous matchups and is 16-2 vs. Alabama in the league tournament and is 5-1 in the quarterfinals. But, Alabama won the lone regular-season meeting back on Jan. 5 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 77-75.

Also on Kentucky’s side of the bracket is No. 3 seed Tennessee, No. 6 seed Mississippi State, No. 11 seed Texas A&M and No. 14 seed Vanderbilt.

The tournament returns to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville for the fourth time in the last five seasons after a pit stop in St. Louis last season. UK has won the SEC Tournament the last three times it has been in Nashville and four times under Calipari. 

  

Single-session tickets for the SEC Tournament are on sale at SECTicketOffice.com. 

P.J. Washington Added To The John R. Wooden Award's List

 With the way sophomore PJ Washington has led the Kentucky men’s basketball team through the arduous Southeastern Conference slate, it should be no surprise that he’s being mentioned as one of the best players in the country. On Saturday, Washington added another honor to his growing list of recognition with a selection to the John R. Wooden Award’s 2018-19 National Ballot.

Washington is one of 15 players selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, who are candidates for the Wooden Award All American Team and the Wooden Award Trophy, which is given to the season’s most outstanding college basketball player.

Voting for the award will begin on March 18 and conclude on March 25. Voters consist of nearly 1,000 members of the media as well as the fans. Fans may vote at woodenawardvote.com.

All balloted players have been certified by their university to meet or exceed the qualifications for the Wooden Award set forth by Coach Wooden when the award was established. The qualifications include: candidates must exhibit strength of character, both on and off the court; candidates must be a full-time student in an accredited NCAA college or university; candidates must be making progress toward graduation and have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or better; candidates must contribute to team effort; candidates must excel in both offense and defense; and candidates should be considered on their performance over the course of the entire season.

On Wednesday, Washington was tabbed as one of 10 semifinalists for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, awarded annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the national player of the year, and he was selected as one of five finalists for the Karl Malone Award, which honors the nation’s best power forward on Thursday.

This year’s finalists for the Wooden Award are Washington, RJ Barret (Duke), Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), Jarrett Culver (Texas Tech), Mike Daum (South Dakota State), Carsen Edwards (Purdue), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin), Markus Howard (Marquette), De’Andre Hunter (Virginia), Dedric Lawson (Kansas), Ja Morant (Murray State), Grant Williams (Tennessee), Zion Williamson (Duke) and Cassius Winston (Michigan State).

Washington is looking to become the second winner in program history. Anthony Davis was tabbed the Wooden Award winner in 2012 after leading Kentucky to its eighth national championship. Other winners include Larry Bird (1979), Michael Jordan (1984), Tim Duncan (1997) and Kevin Durant (2007).

The Dallas native has been on a tear since the calendar flipped to 2019. He’s scored 20 or more points in eight of the last 13 games and has been at the center of Kentucky’s national surge. The Wildcats have won 15 of their last 17 and are firmly in the discussion for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Washington is averaging 18.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocks over the last 13 games. During that stretch, he’s shooting 53.7 percent from the floor and 47.5 from 3-point range. That span also includes three straight double-doubles vs. then-No. 9/10 Kansas, at Vanderbilt and at Florida. 

Overall, Washington leads the Wildcats in both scoring (14.9 points per game) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). After mulling a decision to turn pro after last season, Washington is enjoying career highs in virtually every statistical category in his return sophomore season, including a team-high seven double-doubles.

For the season, Washington is shooting 52.5 percent from the floor and 43.5 percent from 3-point range. A year after hitting just five 3s in 37 games at a 23.8-percent rate, he's already drained 30 in 30 games this season.

He’s one of just five players nationally standing 6-foot-8 or taller averaging at least 14.5 points, shooting at least 50 percent from the field, at least 40 percent from 3-point range and with at least 30 made 3-pointers.

Perhaps the truest indicator of Washington’s worth this season is his impressive play vs. Kentucky’s best competition. In UK’s eight games vs. Associated Press Top 25 teams, Washington is averaging 16.1 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 52.9 percent. 

Notable games include a recent 23-point game vs. Auburn that featured a career-high five 3-pointers, 23 points in the home win over then-top-ranked Tennessee, and a 29-point, 12-rebound game vs. Seton Hall.

Washington was named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Feb. 19 and is a two-time SEC Player of the Week pick this season.

The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top-10 players, and the five finalists for the Wooden Award will be announced following the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. The announcement will take place April 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET and air live on ESPNU.

OFFICIAL BOX SCORE: Kentucky 66 Florida 57

Final OFFICIAL Box-Score from Kentucky's IMPRESSIVE 87-52 Win Over Vandy

FINAL Box-Score From Kentucky's 71-63 Win Over Kansas