Kentucky

Kentucky’s Best Performances in Memorial Gym: From Jordan Burks to Cliff Hagan

Published

12 months ago

January 24, 2025

Kentucky’s Best Performances in Memorial Gym: From Jordan Burks to Cliff Hagan

Your University of Kentucky Wildcats play in Nashville on Saturday after a rare midseason week of rest. Kentucky will face Vanderbilt in the Wildcats’ 80th game against the Commodores at historic Memorial Gymnasium, where Kentucky is 52-27 all-time as the road team.

Several outstanding individual performances were behind those 52 road wins. If you’re talking about Kentucky‘s all-time heroes at Vandy, the conversation should start with Nazr Mohammed, whose buzzer-beater in 1998 is the only walk-off in Nashville.

However, this exercise will reverse-chronologically list Kentucky’s Memorial Gym standouts, beginning with… Jordan Burks. Yes, Jordan Burks. Surely you haven’t forgotten Jordan Burks already.

Feb 6, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Jordan Burks (23) celebrates after a dunk during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Burks (2024)

Antonio Reeves was Kentucky’s leading scorer in last season’s 32-point win in Nashville, as he was in 15 of Kentucky’s 33 games in 2023-24. So, Reeves’ performance wasn’t nearly as surprising or meaningful as Jordan Burks‘ 13 points and five rebounds off the bench, a couple of career highs for the freshman who transferred to Georgetown.

Burks hit all six of his shot attempts on his career night at Vanderbilt last February. He didn’t hit another shot in the 15 other SEC games or for the rest of his time at Kentucky. Still, his impact was felt off the bench in Nashville.

Kentucky 109, Vanderbilt 77

Oscar Tshiebwe (2022)

Oscar Tshiebwe‘s 30 points at Vanderbilt in 2022 set a new career-high in scoring for Tshiebwe. And because he is Oscar, he also had 13 rebounds for his 12th double-double in 16 games. Led by Tshiebwe, the Wildcats never trailed in the win.

Jan 11, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34) celebrates a win against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Tshiebwe was the first Wildcat with a 30/10 game since Patrick Patterson against Tennessee State in Rupp Arena in 2008.

Kentucky 78, Vanderbilt 66

Davion Mintz (2021)

Feb 17, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Davion Mintz (10) is fouled by Vanderbilt Commodores forward Clevon Brown (15) during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Attendance was listed at 164 people to see Davion Mintz score 18 points, one shy of a season-high, at Vanderbilt in 2021. Mintz hit four 3-pointers against the Commodores, including the one that extended Kentucky’s lead to six with a minute and a half to go.

Kentucky 82, Vanderbilt 78

Tyrese Maxey (2020)

Tyrese Maxey was the high-scorer when Kentucky won in Memorial Gym in 2020. Now the star of the Philadelphia 76ers, Maxey scored 25 points to help lead the Wildcats out of a 14-point deficit in the first half.

Kentucky 78, Vanderbilt 64

PJ Washington (2019)

PJ Washington‘s 25 points and 12 rebounds led the 2018-19 Wildcats to a 35-point win over the Commodores in Nashville. Washington had his double-double by halftime with 18 and 10 at the break, Kentucky up by 30.

Kentucky 87, Vanderbilt 52

Tayshaun Prince (2001)

Tayshaun Prince scored 11 of his 27 at the free throw line, sinking all but one of his 12 trips to the line at Vanderbilt in 2001. Prince had 14 points with 5:20 to go in the game before scoring 13 of his game-high 27 points late in the Kentucky win. Prince also had a game-high nine rebounds as he and the Wildcats fought off Vandy’s late comeback attempt.

Kentucky 79, Vanderbilt 74

Desmond Allison (2000)

Desmond Allison tied Travis Ford’s Kentucky record of six 3-pointers at Vanderbilt in 2000. Allison’s 6-of-9 shooting from outside helped him match Jamaal Magloire with 23 points each in Kentucky’s overtime win over the Commodores in 2000. It was Allison’s best game in two seasons as a Wildcat.

Kentucky 81, Vanderbilt 73 (OT)

Nazr Mohammed (1998)

Jeff Sheppard‘s 20 points contributed to Vandy’s first home loss of the 1997-98 season. However, it was Nazr Mohammed who decided the final score with his two-handed lob with 0.1 seconds that hit the top of the backboard and dropped in for the game-winner. Was it even a shot? It doesn’t matter. It went in a few seconds after Vandy’s Drew Maddux tied the game with a desperation 3 at the other end. Sheppard passed the ball forward to Mohammed for the unlikely winner as time expired.

Kentucky 63, Vanderbilt 61

Ron Mercer (1997)

Ron Mercer‘s Nashville homecoming was part of a hot stretch in Mercer’s sophomore season when he scored 23 points in four of five games, including three consecutive 23-point games, ending in his hometown’s Memorial Gymnasium.

Kentucky 82, Vanderbilt 79

The Whole Team (1996)

Kentucky scored a record 120 points on Vandy in 1996, the national championship season. Tony Delk, another Tennessean, led the Wildcats with 22, but he wasn’t alone in lighting up the Commodores. Antoine Walker had 17, Walter McCarty 16, and another 15 each by Mark Pope and Mercer, then a freshman. Pope recently recalled chest-bumping Rick Pitino during the dunk-fest at Vandy as Kentucky moved to 19-1 that season.

Kentucky 120, Vanderbilt 81

Travis Ford (1994)

Travis Ford made seven of 11 from the field with five assists in Kentucky’s 1994 win in Nashville. Ford played even better the year before when he set a new high mark for 3s made versus Vandy (6), but it was his 22-point performance in ’94 that earned a win over the Commodores, only the second in five tries for his head coach, Rick Pitino.

Kentucky 77, Vanderbilt 69

Kenny Walker (1985)

If you thought Oscar Tshiebwe’s 30 and 15 game at Vandy was impressive, may I interest you in Kenny Walker‘s 31 and 15 game at Memorial Gym in 1985? Walker scored 31 points with 15 rebounds in Kentucky’s 68-62 win. He and Ed Davender (16) nearly matched Vanderbilt’s 62 points by themselves. Walker scored 25 in Nashville a year later.

Kentucky 68, Vanderbilt 62

Melvin Turpin (1984)

Melvin Turpin went 11 of 15 from the field in Kentucky’s 58-54 win at Vanderbilt in 1984. The 6-11 center scored 22 points, part of his All-American senior season at Kentucky.

Kentucky 58, Vanderbilt 54

Jim Master (1983)

Jim Master had the hot hand in 1983, scoring 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting in Memorial Gym. Master’s 12 made shots were a career-high, and he was three points shy of matching his career-best point total. Late in the game, Kentucky needed six free throws near the end of overtime to win the game and retake first place in the SEC with the victory.

Kentucky 82, Vanderbilt 77

Derrick Hord (1982)

It was Derrick Hord who shined in 1982, scoring 26 points on a career-high 12 field goals to lead Kentucky over C.M. Newton’s Commodores in 1982. Hord was named First Team All-SEC later that season, his junior year.

Kentucky 73, Vanderbilt 69

Kyle Macy (1978)

Kyle Macy enjoyed playing in Memorial Gymnasium. He played there three times, scoring 22, 24, and 22 points in those trips to the Music City. In 1978, Macy’s 28 points led the eventual national champs to a 78-68 win. He’d win there again in 1980 by scoring 22.

Kentucky 78, Vanderbilt 68

Tom Parker (1971)

Kentucky scored 119 points against Vanderbilt in 1971, the second to last trip to Nashville under Adolph Rupp. Junior Tom Parker, Kentucky’s All-SEC forward, led the way with 26 points and eight rebounds in the Kentucky win. The Wildcats went 49 of 91 from the field for the game.

Kentucky 119, Vanderbilt 90

Louie Dampier (1966)

Louie Dampier couldn’t be stopped in the 1966 Kentucky-Vanderbilt game in Nashville. Dampier outshined Pat Riley’s 28-point night with 42 points and nine rebounds. Dampier’s 42 points are a Kentucky record against Vanderbilt in Memorial Gymnasium. He hit 18 of 29 shots in the win.

Kentucky 105, Vanderbilt 90

Cotton Nash (1962)

Cotton Nash scored 31 points at Vanderbilt in 1962, needing only seven two-pointers to get there. Nash did most of his work at the line, where he sank 17 of 19 free throws at Memorial Gym in No. 3 Kentucky’s 77-68 win. Larry Pursiful added 19 points for the Wildcats. Nash would score another 27 on Vandy a year later.

Kentucky 77, Vanderbilt 68

Carroll Burchett (1960)

Carroll Burchett was a bucket in 1960, hitting a career-best 10 of 16 shots for a career-best 24 points. The freshman forward/center from Flat Gap, Kentucky, added 13 rebounds in Kentucky’s 76-69 win over Vandy.

Kentucky 76, Vanderbilt 59

Earl Adkins (1958)

Ashland, Kentucky’s own Earl Adkins gave Vanderbilt all it wanted in 1958, Adkins’ senior season. He set a career-high for shots made (9) in scoring a career-high 25 points against Vanderbilt. His seven free throws also were a career-best.

Kentucky 86, Vanderbilt 81

Frank Ramsey and Cliff Hagan (1954)

Finally, the first time Kentucky played in Memorial Gymnasium, an 85-63 win for the first-ranked Wildcats. Frank Ramsey (24) and Cliff Hagan (22) scored 46 of Kentucky’s points as UK moved to 13-0 in its undefeated 1953-54 season.

Kentucky 85, Vanderbilt 63

Will a new Wildcat join this list in 2025?

We’ll find out when Kentucky and Vanderbilt tip off in Nashville.

Source link

Kentucky

Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville

Published

4 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Montavin Quisenberry isn’t the only former Kentucky wide receiver to switch out blue for red this offseason.

Hardley Gilmore IV announced Thursday that he has committed to the Louisville football program.

He’s the fifth Wildcat to transfer to the Cardinals in this cycle, following Quisenberry, who committed earlier in the day, cornerback D.J. Waller plus defensive ends Jerod Smith II and Jacob Smith.

Gilmore is also the 11th portal pickup for UofL in the last three days, and their 15th transfer commitment overall in this cycle, beginning to offset 23 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up this past Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.

Despite Kentucky’s instability at quarterback this past season, Gilmore put together a productive 2025 campaign. Playing in all 12 games while starting five, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound receiver caught 28 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown. His reception and yardage total was second on the team to Kendrick Law.

The Belle Glade, Fla. native got immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2024. Appearing in seven games, Gilmore was able to haul in six passes for 153 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown vs. Murray State.

While Gilmore has shown high end potential on the field, he comes with some off-the-field baggage from last offseason. Last January after opting to transfer to Nebraska following his true freshman season, he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching someone in the face at a storage facility in Lexington. Then this past April, he was dismissed from the Huskers for unknown reasons, and wound up returning to Kentucky.

“Nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that,” Huskers head coach Matt Rhule said at the time regarding Gilmore’s dismissal. “Just won’t be with us anymore.”

Gilmore and Quisenberry are the first of likely multiple transfer pieces that Louisville will add to their wide receiver room. Between graduation and the portal, the Cardinals are losing six receivers – including Chris Bell & Caullin Lacy.

In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

Kentucky

Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect

Published

16 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect

The invasive spotted lanternfly has been confirmed in eight new Kentucky counties in 2025, bringing the total to 16.
Native to China, these insects pose a significant threat to agriculture, including orchards, vineyards, and various trees.
Spotted lanternflies damage plants by feeding on them and leaving behind a waste product that encourages mold growth.
Officials advise residents to inspect their property for the bugs and their egg masses, especially around dusk.
Sightings in Kentucky should be reported to the Department of Forestry or the University of Kentucky.

Entomologists have confirmed spotted lanternflies in eight more counties in Kentucky during 2025, according to a recent announcement.

These include Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford. The invasive insect was first found in the commonwealth in October 2023, in Gallatin County, and spread to counties including Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Henry, Kenton and Owen in 2024.

Here’s what to know.

What is a spotted lanternfly?

In short, the spotted lanternfly is a moth-like bug that’s not supposed to be in the U.S. The bugs tend to be red with black and/or white spots on their wings, according to the Department of Agriculture.

They’re native to China and first showed up in the U.S. in 2014. They’ve mostly been found in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the USDA reports, but they’ve also been found in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia.

One of the things that makes them so risky as an invasive species is that the eggs are thought to travel well, on everything from packages being shipped to moving boxes on U-Hauls.

Why are spotted lanternflies dangerous?

Spotted lanternflies can pose a major threat to the things such as orchards, vineyards and logging facilities. How? They tend to swarm and devour what they land on quickly, causing serious damage.

Their “waste product” — known as “honeydew” — can also attract molds and other bugs that further damage plants.

They pose a threat, according to the USDA, to everything from almonds, apples and hops to maple, oak and pine trees and more.

Is the spotted lanternfly in Kentucky?

Yes. The Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist said in a post to Facebook that the spotted lanternfly was confirmed in eight new commonwealth counties during 2025.

The species has been located in 16 counties total — Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford.

What to do about spotted lanternflies

The biggest thing you can do, according to the USDA, to help control the spread of the spotted lanternfly is to keep an eye out for them.

It is recommended that you inspect trees, plants and other surfaces on your property for bugs. It’s best to do that around dusk, the USDA says, because that’s when bugs tend to congregate, making them easier to spot.

Signs that a plant may be infected include the plant oozing, becoming moldy or developing a fermented odor, according to the USDA. You may also see a “buildup of sticky fluid” beneath the infected plant.

The agency also recommends you keep an eye out for egg masses on everything from plants to boxes that hold things such as holiday decorations and often sit unattended for much of the year. If you spot an egg mass, you should scrape it “into a plastic zippered bag filled with hand sanitizer, then zip the bag shut and dispose of it,” according to the USDA.

In Kentucky, you should report sightings to your Department of Forestry regional office or reach the UK at 859-257-7597 or forestry.extension@uky.edu. UK experts also ask that anyone who finds one send a picture with the location to reportapest@uky.edu.

Contributing: Mary Ramsey, The Courier Journal. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.

Source link

Kentucky

Kentucky vs Missouri score today, UK basketball game updates

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky vs Missouri score today, UK basketball game updates

LEXINGTON — Every time Jaland Lowe steps on the court, be it a practice or a game, is like rolling the dice. Or, as he described it during a news conference Tuesday morning, “it’s a risk” whenever he suits up for Kentucky basketball because of his ongoing shoulder injury.

He originally injured the shoulder during the Blue-White game on Oct. 17. He’s reinjured it twice more since then.

Expected to be the Wildcats’ starting point guard this season, Lowe has yet to appear in the lineup since the regular season tipped off. Each of his seven outings this season has been in a reserve role.

Stream Kentucky vs. Missouri

With the injury hanging over his head like a guillotine that could end his 2025-26 campaign at any moment, Lowe has had to learn to play a new way.

“I don’t know if y’all will notice on TV as much or in person,” he said. “But sometimes when you’re on the court, you can realize I’m not doing some things that I would love to do in the moment, just as a competitor and as a fighter. I can’t do some of those things. I have to pull back sometimes just to not put myself at a huge risk.”

Lowe acknowledged having to rein in his aggressive tendencies is “frustrating” to no end.

“But if I wanna play, I gotta do what I gotta do,” Lowe said.

Lowe and the rest of his teammates aim to help Kentucky bounce back from last week’s loss at Alabama. UK has that opportunity tonight, hosting Missouri at Rupp Arena in the Wildcats’ SEC home opener.

UK (9-5, 0-1 SEC) and Missouri (11-3, 1-0) are unranked in the two major polls (USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches and AP Top 25).

Courier Journal sports reporter Ryan Black and columnist C.L. Brown are at Rupp Arena and will have live updates throughout the game — here and on X, formerly known as Twitter — and complete coverage after. You can follow them on X at @RyanABlack and @clbrownhoops.

Follow along with live updates from today’s game between the Wildcats and Tigers below:

TV channel: ESPN2
Livestream: Fubo (free trial)

The game between the Wildcats and Tigers will air nationally on ESPN2.

Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN2 via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.

Those without cable can access ESPN2 via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial.

Stream Kentucky vs. Missouri on ESPN2

Betting odds: Kentucky is a 12 ½-point favorite (-112) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 149 ½ points (-115/-105).

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.

Oct. 17: Blue-White game (Click here to read takeaways from the intrasquad scrimmage.)
Oct. 24: exhibition vs. Purdue (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Purdue 65
Oct. 30: exhibition vs. Georgetown University (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Georgetown 84, Kentucky 70
Nov. 4: Nicholls (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Nicholls 51
Nov. 7: Valparaiso (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 107, Valparaiso 59
Nov. 11: at Louisville (KFC Yum! Center) | SCORE: Louisville 96, Kentucky 88
Nov. 14: Eastern Illinois (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 99, Eastern Illinois 53
Nov. 18: vs. Michigan State (Champions Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Michigan State 83, Kentucky 66
Nov. 21: Loyola University Maryland (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Loyola Maryland 46
Nov. 26: Tennessee Tech (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 104, Tennessee Tech 54
Dec. 2: North Carolina (Rupp Arena; ACC/SEC Challenge) | SCORE: North Carolina 67, Kentucky 64
Dec. 5: vs. Gonzaga (Bridgestone Arena; Nashville) | SCORE: Gonzaga 94, Kentucky 59
Dec. 9: North Carolina Central (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 103, North Carolina Central 67
Dec. 13: Indiana (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 72, Indiana 60
Dec. 20: vs. St. John’s (CBS Sports Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) | SCORE: Kentucky 78, St. John’s 66
Dec. 23: Bellarmine (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 99, Bellarmine 85
Jan. 3: at Alabama | SCORE: Alabama 89, Kentucky 74
Jan. 7: Missouri (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m.
Jan. 10: Mississippi State (Rupp Arena), 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 14: at LSU, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17: at Tennessee, noon
Jan. 21: Texas (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m.
Jan. 24: Ole Miss (Rupp Arena), noon
Jan. 27: at Vanderbilt, 9 p.m.
Jan. 31: at Arkansas, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 4: Oklahoma (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m.
Feb. 7: Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 8:30 p.m.
Feb. 14: at Florida, 3 p.m.
Feb. 17: Georgia (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m.
Feb. 21: at Auburn, 8:30 p.m.
Feb. 24: at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28: Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 2 p.m.
March 3: at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
March 7: Florida (Rupp Arena), 4 p.m.