KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY vs. MICHIGAN STATE
STATE FARM CHAMPIONS CLASSIC
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN | NEW YORK
NOV. 5, 2019
ATTENDANCE: 19,812
 
Final Score: No. 2/2 Kentucky 69, No. 1/1 Michigan State 62
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky opens the season 1-0. Michigan State begins 0-1.
• UK improves to 14-11 vs. Michigan State and has won three of the last five matchups, including back-to-back games.
• Kentucky increased its NCAA-leading win total to 2,294 all-time.
• UK is now won 10 of its last 11 season openers, all under John Calipari.
• Next up: The Wildcats open their home season Friday night in Rupp Arena vs. Eastern Kentucky. That game will tip at 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
  • UK is 12-0 all-time vs. the Colonels.

 
1-2 Matchup

• Tuesday’s matchup marked just the second all-time meeting between the Associated Press Top 25’s top two ranked teams to open their respective seasons.
  • In November 1975, No. 1 Indiana defeated No. 2 UCLA 84-64.
  • It was the 42nd time overall the AP’s top two teams have met.
• UK improved to 6-3 in AP 1-2 matchups but captured its first win in a 1-2 meeting since the second-ranked Wildcats defeated Calipari’s top-ranked UMass team 81-74 on March 30, 1996.
  • It was UK’s first 1-2 meeting since losing to Michigan State 78-74 in the 2013 State Farm Champions Classic in Chicago.
• Kentucky – regardless of its ranking – defeated the AP top-ranked team for the ninth time in program history. UK is now 9-15 vs. the No. 1-ranked team.
  • The Wildcats have defeated the No. 1 team in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. UK topped Tennessee 86-69 on Feb. 16.
  • UK is 3-2 vs. the top-ranked team under Calipari

 
Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic

• Kentucky moved to 5-4 in the State Farm Champions Classic.
  • Duke leads the four teams with a 6-3 record. Kentucky is 5-4, Kansas is 4-5 and Michigan State is 3-6.
• UK is 2-1 vs. Michigan State in the Champions Classic

 
Kentucky in New York

• UK improved to 38-14 in games in the New York City area.
• The Wildcats are now 14-4 in Madison Square Garden and have won five of their last six in “the Mecca.”

 
Player Notes  

• Tyrese Maxey made his Kentucky debut in historic fashion. With 26 points, Maxey scored the most points by a UK freshman in a debut in school history, topping Terrence Jones’ mark of 25 (Nov. 12, 2010).

  • Mike Casey scored 28 on Dec. 2, 1967, in his debut but was a sophomore.
  • Maxey was 7 of 12 from the floor, 3 of 7 from 3 and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line.
  • He also had five rebounds.
• In addition to his typical lockdown defense, Ashton Hagans scored 11 points with three assists.
• Immanuel Quickley was the third Wildcat in double figures with 10 points thanks to a 7-of-8 performance at the free-throw line.
  • It’s his seventh career game in double figures.
  • He also added five boards.

 
Calipari

• Calipari improved to 306-71 at UK. 
• He has a 751-211 all-time on-court record.
• UK is 10-1 in season openers under Calipari.
• In addition to his 3-2 record vs. top-ranked teams at Kentucky, Calipari is now 6-4 all-time vs. the AP’s top team in the land.
• Calipari is now 60-31 vs. AP Top 25 teams at Kentucky.
• Calipari improved to 13-8 in his career when both teams are ranked in the AP top five, 27-18 when both are in the top 10 and 83-54 when both are in the top 25.
  • At UK, Calipari is 7-4 when both are in the top five, 16-11 when both are in the top 10 and 52-27 when both are in the top 25.

 
Team Notes

• UK shot 38.0% from the floor but held Michigan State to 39.3% from the floor.
  • The Wildcats improved to 188-16 under John Calipari when holding the opponent to 40% or less from the floor.
  • Kentucky is now 174-7 under Calipari when limiting the opposition to 63 points or less.
• The Wildcats generated 21 points off 16 Michigan State turnovers.
• UK improved to 261-6 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points.

 
In the First Half

• The first starting lineup of the season consisted of Ashton Hagans, Immanuel Quickley, Kahlil Whitney, Nate Sestina and Montgomery.

  • Nick Richards was the first sub of the season.
• Quickley scored the first points of the season with three free throws on UK’s first possession after drawing a foul on Cassius Winston for a 3-2 lead.
• Montgomery made the first field goal of the season, a turnaround layup in the paint on a feed from Hagans.
• UK reeled off the first significant run of the game, an 8-0 stretch to take an 11-4 lead.
• After the Wildcats took a 16-9 lead, Michigan State answered with a 7-0 run to tie the game.
  • The Cats went 7:28 of game time without a field goal before Tyrese Maxey hit a floater at the 9:20 mark.
  • Maxey would go on to score UK’s next seven points.
• Kentucky opened up a 30-23 lead on a Quickley 3 with 3:09 left in the first half. Maxey increased it to 34-23 after a pair of free throws.
• UK took a 34-24 lead into the halftime locker room.
  • Quickley led the Wildcats in the first 20 minutes with 11 points. Hagans and Quickley added seven.
  • UK held MSU to 29.6% from the floor.

 
In the Second Half

• With Michigan State clawing back, Maxey again provided the answer for the Wildcats. He scored six straight points to put the Cats up 42-36.
• The key stretch of the game was a 9-0 run by the Wildcats midway through the second half. With Michigan State trailing by four, Quickley got the run going by getting fouled on a 3-point attempt and making all three at the line. Whitney followed with a trey from the right wing and Sestina answered with another triple from the top of the key on three straight possessions. That put UK up 54-41 with 10:00 left.
  • Michigan State answered with seven straight points.
• Up 60-56, Maxey hit a another key bucket – a layup – to go up by six with 2:25 left.
• MSU closed it to 62-60 on an “and one” by Winston.
• Maxey answered with a 3 from three feet behind the 3-point line to go up 65-60.