Kentucky
Kentucky's playmaking carved up Florida's defense: 'We trusted in each other.'
Kentucky came into Saturday’s game against Florida ranking third in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.99). Following a thrilling 106-100 win over the previously undefeated Gators, UK will likely end the day ranked at the very top.
The Wildcats dished out 25 assists to just six turnovers (4.19 ratio) in what was one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season. Kentucky has posted similar figures a handful of times this season, but none of them came against a team as talented as Florida, which had been playing like one of the nation’s top defensive teams over the last few weeks.
“The last six games, (Florida has) the number one analytical half-court defense in the entire country and our guys were 25 assists and six turnovers,” Head coach Mark Pope said postgame. “Like that number guys, I was going to say breathtaking but Lee Anne (Pope) gets mad at me when I say breathtaking. That number is insane. 25 assists, six turnovers against the number one defensive team in the half-court in the country over the last six games, that’s crazy.”
Lamont Butler led the way for Kentucky with eight dimes while a pair of big men, Amari Williams and Andrew Carr, both chipped in five assists each. Seven Wildcats recorded at least one assist. No one had more than two turnovers. Kentucky shot 58 percent from the field as a team and 48 percent from deep.
“I think we trusted in each other, trusted in ourselves, played off two feet, wasn’t going in there wild,” Butler, who turned the ball over just twice, said postgame. “I know I have to continue to work on my turnovers, I think I had some careless ones tonight. It’s a big point of emphasis for us all. We continue to try to be good in that category.”
Respectfully, Lamont, 25 assists to six turnovers is better than just good. That’s a pretty damn impressive stat.
Six turnovers are the second-fewest of the season for Kentucky. 25 assists rank third-most. Including Brandon Garrison, over half (13) of UK’s assists came via the frontcourt — that might be the craziest part about these passing numbers. There were stretches in the second half when Williams was personally carving up the Gators with aggressive (and instinctual) playmaking. Backdoor cuts were easily accessible.
“They were pressing up at first and we found the passes,” Williams said. “We got great cutters, I feel like that’s the best thing about our team. Lamont had a lot of backdoors, Otega (Oweh), Koby (Brea), Jaxson (Robinson). Guys like that cutting, it makes our job a lot easier.”
Pope has emphasized more off-ball movement as of late. His players listened against Florida. The result was a near-flawless offensive performance against a tough SEC defense.
GRAYSON, Ky. (WSAZ) – New information has been released in the search for a missing woman at Grayson Lake.
According to game wardens with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Marly Kinney, 19, of Ashland, was last seen at Grayson Lake on Wednesday afternoon.
They say search efforts are focused on the water at this time and include Kentucky State Police aerial support, drones, boats, and K9 assistance.
Crews suspend search for missing teen for the night
The search is now into its third day, with officials saying on and off rain has hindered their search and that a group of 50 volunteers are walking the banks of the lake to help in the search.
Search and rescue boats have been seen at the lake as well.
Officials say there are still many questions, including if Kinney is still alive and where exactly she went missing.
They also say they’ve been using a variety of equipment, including sonar and thermal detectors, as well as helicopters and underwater drones.
WSAZ received a statement from Kinney’s family Friday afternoon:
“We are very appreciative of the absolute surplus of support from law enforcement, search and rescue, 1st responders, and all of the community and its volunteers that are here with us and for us searching for Marly. We do not even know how to express our absolute gratitude to you all. We continue to have faith she will be found and brought back to us. We know we have the very best people doing all they can to bring her home.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
We are still working to get more information.
Previous coverage can be found here.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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