Kentucky
10 things we learned from Kentucky's blowout win over Lipscomb
There was never a doubt, Kentucky steamrolling Lipscomb from start to finish inside Rupp Arena to move to 4-0 on the year and 1-0 in the BBN Invitational.
What went well for the Wildcats and what does it mean as they look to continue building this early winning streak to open the Mark Pope era? KSR has the top takeaways from the rafters of Rupp.
No Duke hangover
Celebrating the Champions Classic win was fun, but how long would it linger? That was the top concern for Kentucky entering the night, just as it was when the Cats took on Bucknell before that trip to Atlanta. They couldn’t look ahead then and they couldn’t look behind now. Fortunately for us, it wasn’t a factor in either matchup, starting with a 28-point win against the Bison and following that up with a 29-point win against the Bisons with the Duke victory sandwiched between.
It wasn’t a perfect performance for Kentucky, but it was never particularly close in terms of the actual score or how things felt in real time. The Wildcats led the entire way with the 2-2 tie one minute into the game being as close as things got with the lead stretching to as many as 40.
Good teams win, great teams cover
Speaking of that 28-point win, it was enough for a cover — the fourth straight to open the season in four opportunities. Kentucky opened as a 20.5-point favorite and that got as high as 21.5 ahead of the opening tip.
Then the Cats pushed the lead to 20 points at the 6:25 mark of the first half before going into the break up 17. That quickly ballooned back up to 20-plus a little over a minute into the second and never dipped below that point the rest of the way, going up 40 before some garbage-time buckets cut it back to 29 at the final horn.
Kentucky was a 20.5-point favorite vs. Wright State and won by 41. 20.5-point favorite vs. Bucknell? 28-point win. 5.5-point underdog vs. Duke? Five-point win. That trend continued once again tonight.
Jaxson Robinson doesn’t stay quiet for long
The BYU transfer had his first game without a bucket since the 2022-23 season, scoring just one point on 0-4 shooting and 1-3 at the line in the Duke win. Pope praised his defensive effort and said the upset would not have happened without his production on that end of the floor. Still, though, there was a reason Robinson said he “let (his) team down with (his) body language last game” and “wanted to make sure (he) was aggressive and a great teammate” against Lipscomb after the win. As much as Pope tried to lift him up, he wanted to respond in his own way. That’s what makes his 20-point effort so impressive, finishing 6-10 from the field, 3-6 from three and 5-5 at the line while adding seven rebounds in 22 minutes. He wasn’t going to let one become two, leading the team in scoring for the first time this season, just as he was brought in to do.
… but Lipscomb fortunately did!
As Robinson got hot, the Bisons went ice cold. Lipscomb entered the day averaging 8.2 3-pointers on 25.8 attempts per game (31.8% 3PT) after finishing 12th in the country last season in efficiency (38.0% 3PT) — not great to start the year, but a key part of the team’s identity. They’re expected to find their groove eventually, but it wasn’t going to be inside Rupp Arena, the opposition going just 5-29 from three on the day after starting an abysmal 0-13 in the first 15 minutes of the game. Whether they were heavily contested or wide-stinking-open, the shots just refused to fall, allowing Kentucky to build and extend its lead.
Lipscomb’s Charlie Williams was the only player to hit multiple threes (3-8) while Jacob Ognacevic (1-5) and Gyasi Powell (1-3) added one make apiece to round out the group. Any chance of an upset victory was very quickly killed thanks to the shooting woes.
This is a historic shooting team
Those shooting woes were reserved for Lipscomb and Lipscomb only on Tuesday. Kentucky knocked down 12 3-pointers on 25 makes for a ridiculous clip of 48.0 percent with six different Wildcats hitting shots from deep.
On the surface, it’s just another good shooting day for a good shooting team. But what if I told you it was actually a historic effort? According to Corey Price, it marked the first time in program history a Kentucky team has knocked down at least 10 3-pointers in each of its first four games of a season.
The Wildcats hit 11 in the opener against Wright State, 13 against Bucknell, 10 against Duke and now 12 against Lipscomb.
Don’t let Lamont Butler get hot!
Three of those makes came from Butler, who was a perfect 3-3 from deep on the day and 6-8 from the field overall en route to his best scoring performance of the season with 16 points while adding one rebound, one assist, one steal and zero turnovers in 17 minutes.
Butler entered the year shooting just 32.1 percent from three on 2.5 attempts per game — not necessarily a non-shooter, but not a great one either. Pope’s take? “He is an elite-level shooter. I have every expectation he is going to continue shooting it great. He’s a dangerous guy.”
The fifth-year senior is now up to 4-9 on the year, good for a smooth 44.4 percent. Is that sustainable? Maybe, maybe not. He’s been confidently firing away since he arrived on campus, though, and that’s not slowing down anytime soon.
Koby Brea is the best shooter in college basketball
We’ll see if Butler’s efficiency is sustainable, a somewhat reasonable number. The real question, however, is if Brea can continue knocking them down at an all-time rate the way he has. He started out the year on fire with 10 makes on 12 attempts while averaging 19.0 points in the first two games, then had a ho-hum 2-4 night against Duke to drop his hit rate all the way to 75 percent. To make up for it, the Dayton transfer responded with a 3-3 night against Lipscomb to bring his season average back up to 78.9 percent (15-19 3PT).
Reed Sheppard broke the 3-point shooting record last year with a season average of 52.08 percent on 4.36 attempts per game. Brea has him beat by 26 percent on higher volume through four games.
Brandon Garrison continues to make strides
Garrison hasn’t gotten his first career triple to drop quite yet — although he was an inch off with a foot on the line against Duke — but he’s emerging as a consistent spark plug off the bench in the post. He’s started his time in Lexington with games of six points and four rebounds, six points and five rebounds and eight points and four rebounds while adding ten assists, two blocks and two steals. Tonight? Another eight-point, five-rebound, two-block night for the Cats.
The sophomore forward found mismatches with size and length while also out-hustling the competition all 20 minutes he was on the floor. Amari Williams is the team’s anchor in the frontcourt, but Garrison’s value as an energy piece in that second wave is both high and growing.
Otega Oweh sets the tone for the Cats
Another day, another consistent and productive day for Otega-tron, the Oklahoma transfer adding yet another 14-point effort to the game log for his fourth straight double-figure performance to open his Kentucky career. The craziest part? He only did it on six shots, going 5-6 from the field, 1-1 from three and 3-4 at the line while adding four rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 15 minutes.
Oweh dealt with early foul trouble to limit his time on the floor, but he still made the most of his minutes out there, just as he always does.
Big Blue Nation can make a statement
A sleepy mid-week matchup against mid-major competition? Some programs have to give free tickets away at Planet Fitness or have their head coaches beg fans to show up. Not Kentucky.
BBN proved why it is unmatched among fanbases on Tuesday, filling Rupp Arena from top to bottom for ASUN competition in mid-November. That’s unheard of, but also unsurprising.
Maybe it was a continued celebration of the Duke win, fans getting their first chance to cheer on the Cats at home since pulling off the upset. Or maybe it’s because this team is legit and people want to see them in person.
How about both?
LEXINGTON — Kentucky basketball is off to its first 3-0 start since the 2016-17 season. And the Wildcats are now up to No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll. As UK prepares to host Lipscomb in a nonconference clash tonight at Rupp Arena, Kentucky coach Mark Pope said there’s “a lot he’s really proud of” so far.
But there’s still so much work left to do.
“Our defensive punches, which is all the different ways that we can kind of change up the texture of the game schematically at a moment’s notice; we’d like to make some progress there,” Pope said. “We’d like to continue growing on the glass on both sides. That’s a real big deal for us. (And) offensively, we’d like to continue to get in a space where our guys are able to pay attention — it becomes part of their DNA — where they’re paying attention to how they’re being guarded and responding accordingly, where it becomes second nature.”
Tonight will be the third meeting between UK and Lipscomb, all since the turn of the millennium. The Wildcats lead the series 2-0. Kentucky won the first matchup, 67-49, on Nov. 14, 2005. In the most recent tilt, UK cruised to an 88-50 win on Dec. 15, 2012.
Follow along below with live updates from Rupp Arena:
The contest between the Wildcats and Bisons will not air on a traditional TV channel.
Instead, it will stream live on SEC Network+. Andrew Kappes (play by play) and Travis Ford (analyst) will have the call.
Authenticated subscribers to SEC Network+ can watch the contest on WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
Those without access to SEC Network+ can access coverage via a subscription to ESPN+. (To sign up for ESPN+, click here.)
Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington.
You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.
Betting odds: Kentucky is a 21.5-point home favorite (-110) on BetMGM, which set the over-under at158.5 points (-110). The money line odds areUK -5000, Lipscomb +1500.
- Oct. 23: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
- Oct. 29: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
- Nov. 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
- Nov. 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
- Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
- Nov. 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena), 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
- Nov. 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge), 9:30 p.m., ESPN
- Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle), Time TBA
- Dec. 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena), 8 p.m., ESPN2
- Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena), 5:15 p.m., ESPN
- Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York), 5:30 p.m., CBS
- Dec. 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena), 2 p.m., ESPNU
- Jan. 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena), 11 a.m., ESPN
- Jan. 7: at Georgia, 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Jan. 11: at Mississippi State, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network
- Jan. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN2/ESPNU
- Jan. 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN
- Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m., ESPN/2
- Jan. 28: at Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 1: vs. Arkansas (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 4: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 8: vs. South Carolina (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN/ESPN2
- Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 15: at Texas, 8 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 19: vs. Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Feb. 22: at Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 26: at Oklahoma, 9 p.m., SEC Network
- March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1/4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
- March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), 7/9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
- March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN/SEC Network
Record: 1-0
- Ansley Almonor (forward, senior)
- Koby Brea (guard, graduate)
- Lamont Butler (guard, graduate)
- Andrew Carr (forward, graduate)
- Collin Chandler (guard, freshman)
- Grant Darbyshire (guard, junior)
- Brandon Garrison (forward, sophomore)
- Walker Horn (guard, junior)
- Kerr Kriisa (guard, senior)
- Trent Noah (forward, freshman)
- Otega Oweh (guard, junior)
- Travis Perry (guard, freshman)
- Jaxson Robinson (guard, graduate)
- Zach Tow (forward, junior)
- Amari Williams (center, graduate)
Lipscomb went 20-12 overall last season, posting a 11-5 mark in Atlantic Sun Conference play. Its season ended in a 77-75 loss to North Alabama in the quarterfinals of the league tournament.
The Bisons are 2-3 this season, with losses at Arkansas, Western Kentucky and a one-point home setback to city rival Belmont. Lipscomb’s two wins are at the expense of Duquesne and Wofford, respectively.
Click here to see the Bisons’ full 2024-25 schedule.
Want to learn the Bisons’ roster?
Click here for player bios and more.
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off a massive win over the Duke Blue Devils but the key for Mark Pope’s bunch will be to stay focused on the next game. The Wildcats have had a full week off and are set to take on Lipscomb, who is an extremely underrated team.
At a recent media viewing period, Kentucky point guard Lamont Butler was asked about how Coach Pope is preparing for this game. Butler had this to say about how Coach Pope has discussed the importance of this matchup with Lipscomb, “I think Coach Pope put it best. He said the next game is going to be the biggest game of your life, and that’s how we have to treat it. Lipscomb has the power to come in here and beat us. We don’t want that to happen, especially on our home court. We got our fans there. We’re very locked in on this game. We’re locked in on their personnel and their game plan to go out there and win.”
Kentucky fans should love to see this quote from Butler because it shows Coach Pope is never going to let his team look past an opponent. Some teams would lose a game like this after a big win because they get full of themselves after a big win. That won’t be the case for Coach Pope’s team, as he always makes sure his team is ready to play no matter the opponent.
Coach Pope’s coaching style is going to be a big reason why the Kentucky Wildcats are so successful during his tenure.
The 2024 high school basketball season is set to get underway in the coming days and the state of Kentucky once again features a litany of talent-rich programs.
While the Bluegrass may not rival the likes of Florida or California when it comes to national rankings, it’s still a state that prides itself on the hardwood and continuously churns out top prospects.
Below are the top 25 teams in the state of Kentucky entering the 2024-25 basketball season, as of Nov. 18, per the On3 Massey Ratings.
The On3 Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.
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Lexington Catholic holds the top spot and is coming off a 28-win season last time out. The Knights won at least eight games in a row three separate times last season and are poised for another impressive campaign this winter. The No. 118 team nationally, Lex Cath’s defense ranks No. 2 in the state preseason, per the Massey Ratings. A Dec. 7 matchup against preseason No. 2 Covington Catholic will be appointment viewing.
Covington Catholic is the only team to own a top-five offensive and defensive rating in the state ahead of the season, per the Massey Ratings. The Colonels won 24 games a season ago and will look to make a statement early this time around, as their first six games are all against ranked foes.
The highest-ranked of last season’s Sweet 16 participants, Great Crossing is once again expected to be dominant in and around Georgetown this winter. Led by top-30 prospect and Kentucky center commit Malachi Moreno, the Warhawks, who lost in the state semifinals last time around, are expected to be a force on both sides of the ball. Their offensive and defensive rating both check in inside the top 10 in-state, per the Massey Ratings.
To no surprise, Trinity is a top program out in Louisville. The Shamrocks lost in the Sweet 16 Quarterfinals last season and won 27 games. Heading the roster is junior four-star shooting guard Jayden Johnson, a top-100 prospect. Per the Massey Ratings, Trinity has the top-ranked in-state defensive rating. A matchup against No. 5 Louisville Male early next month looms large.
Louisville Male sits right behind Trinity and, as always, will challenge the Shamrocks every step of the way this season. The Bulldogs won 21 games last season and are expected to be potent offensively for the 2024-25 campaign. They rank No. 4 offensively in-state, per the Massey Ratings. The schedule will be rigorous at the beginning for Male, as it will take on Trinity, Dupont Manual and Eastern early on next month.
After winning 25 games a season ago, Bowling Green is considered a top contender in the Bluegrass once again this season. The Purples have a top-15 offense and the No. 10 defense in the state, per the Massey Ratings. Paired with a favorable schedule, BG will be a tough out if it can make it to Rupp Arena come March.
North Oldham rattled off an 11-game winning streak a season ago as the Mustangs finished 24-6 on the year. The No. 8 offense in the state, per the Massey Ratings, resides in Goshen preseason. A Dec. 5 clash against No. 10 Ballard will serve as an early measuring stick. It is currently Oldham’s lone ranked matchup until January.
Lyon County won the state championship last season and is back for more this winter. The Lions were led by now-Kentucky Wildcats guard Travis Perry — who became the state’s all-time leading scorer during his senior season. While the workload left by Perry is impossible to fully pick up, Lyon Co. is still expected to do damage to opposing defenses this season, as its offensive rating is No. 2 in the state, per the Massey Ratings.
St. Xavier is yet another elite program out of Louisville that’s coming off an impressive 2023-24 season. The Tigers won 29 games and will look to reach 30-plus this time around. They check in right behind Lyon County with the No. 3 offensive rating in the state, and also like the Lions, they have a defensive rating that ranks outside the top 50, per the Massey Ratings.
The preseason No. 1 offensive rating in the state belongs to Ballard, yet another Louisville power. Unlike the rest of the top 10, the Bruins are coming off a bit of a down 2023-24 season, as they won just 13 games. The Massey Ratings predict a big bounce back this winter, and they’ll have a chance to kick things off with a bang thanks to December matchups against North Oldham and Frederick Douglass.
Teams 11-25 in Kentucky High School Basketball Rankings
11. Evangel Christian
12. Dupont Manual
13. George Rogers Clark
14. Warren Central
15. De Sales
16. Frederick Douglass
17. Newport
18. Cooper
19. Oldham County
20. Ashland Blazer
21. Harlan County
22. Woodford County
23. Eastern
24. Christian Academy
25. Bryan Station
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