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Reed Sheppard makes Kentucky history and gets a shoutout from Rick Pitino

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Reed Sheppard makes Kentucky history and gets a shoutout from Rick Pitino


The Kentucky Wildcats found a way to win on the road against Mississippi State, while Reed Sheppard has continued to prove he’s among the best players in the class of 2023.

Sheppard has had a tremendous season, but he took it to another level as the No. 17 Cats spoiled the Bulldogs’ evening. Kentucky allowed 43 in the first half to Mississippi State, but they scored 56.

Who scored most of that?

None other than Sheppard, who totaled 32 points on just 14 field goals. 23 of those points came in the second half.

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The Bluegrass kid also made a bit of history, a common occurrence in what will likely be his only season in Lexington. He scored the most points ever by a Kentucky native in his freshman season, a record previously held by Jack ‘Goose’ Givens and Rex Chapman.

Sheppard also became the first Kentucky player in the last 25 seasons to have 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He’s also the first to have 30 points, five boards, and five dimes since Derek Anderson in 1996.

Sheppard had the best game of his young career, and with that play, he was awarded a shoutout from coaching icon Rick Pitino.

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Sheppard was also 6/6 from the free-throw line, which ended up playing a huge role in the game, as five of them came down the stretch.

Oh, did we mention he had the game-winning shot as well after the Bulldogs tied it up with a deep 3?

Here’s the Tom Leach/Jack Givens radio call of that beautiful moment.

Want more A Sea Of Blue coverage? Then follow our Twitter page and like us on Facebook to get all the latest Kentucky Wildcats news and views. And Go CATS!

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Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report

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Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report


Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.

One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.

Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.

The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.

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Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.



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Kentucky football spring game offers early look at Will Stein’s Cats

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Kentucky football spring game offers early look at Will Stein’s Cats


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LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.

The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.

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Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.

Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.

“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”

While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.

“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.

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“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”

New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.

And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.

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This story will be updated.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.



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Kentucky has reportedly moved on from top-10 transfer Paulius Murauskas

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Kentucky has reportedly moved on from top-10 transfer Paulius Murauskas


NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Texas A&M at Saint Marys

Mar 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Saint Mary’s (CA) Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) takes a shot during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images



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