Kentucky-Wisconsin Postgame Notes

April 6, 2014

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Kentucky improves to 29-10 overall, while Wisconsin concludes the season at 30-8.
Kentucky now leads the all-time series 4-1 and 2-0 in NCAA Tournament action.
The Wildcats lead the nation with a 116-46 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament.
UK is now 18-2 (.900) in NCAA Tournament games under John Calipari.
UK has amassed 18 tournament victories under Calipari which is the most of any school since 2010. Florida, Kansas and Louisville are next with 11 each.
Kentucky has defeated four-straight top-12 teams en route to the National title games. Three of the four teams comprised a portion of the 2013 Final Four.
UK is the first team to appear in three of the last four Final Fours since UCLA appeared in three-consecutive from 2006-08.
Tonight’s attendance of 79,444 broke an NCAA Tournament and Final Four record.
Kentucky has advanced to its 13th national title contest. UK has won eight championships.

Kentucky’s starting lineup consisted of five freshmen in Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson, Julius Randle and James Young. That lineup improves to 13-4 on the season.
Alex Poythress was the first sub off the bench for UK. It was his team-leading 23rd time being the first called upon.
Young hit a 3-pointer as the game’s first basket at the 19:01 mark of the opening stanza to extend UK’s 3-point streak to 898 consecutive games. It is the second-longest streak in the country.
John Calipari coached teams are now 129-38 in the months of March and April.
Calipari is 43-13 (.768) all-time as a coach in the NCAA Tournament. His career winning-percentage is the first among active head coaches.
Kentucky has won 11-straight NCAA Tournament games. That’s the most consecutive victories for a team in the NCAA Tournament since Florida won 12-straight en route to its national titles in 2006 and 2007.
UK has trailed by nine or more points and come back to win in each of the last three outings. The Wildcats have scored on its last possession in four-straight contests en route to the title game.

Young started the game with a 3-pointer and UK raced out to the early advantage to begin the opening half. UK held a 9-7 advantage into the game’s first media timeout.
Wisconsin took its first lead of the game at the 15:00 minute mark of the half at 11-9. The Badgers used a 10-0 run to take the game’s largest lead at 17-9 with just under 13 minutes remaining following a fast-break 3-pointer.
The Badgers again an eight-point lead with 6:26 remaining before Poythress slammed down a basket to end the threat to make the score 30-24 in favor of the designated home team.
Wisconsin captured a nine-point lead at the 4:13 mark by the score of 34-25.
The Badgers made only one field goal over the final seven minutes of the half. Ten of its last 12 points to end the stanza came at the charity stripe.
Kentucky trailed by four, 40-36, at the half and is 6-8 on the year when trailing at the break, but 2-0 during postseason competition.

Wisconsin opened the half with a made 3-pointer to take a 43-36 edge.
A 9-0 run highlighted by a Johnson traditional three-point play lifted the Wildcats to their first lead, 44-43, since a 9-7 advantage in the opening half. The run extended to 15-0 following a Poythress put-back, a dunk by Lee and two free throws by Young.
- The 15-0 run matched the longest of the season which UK had set twice earlier this year.
Wisconsin quickly cut UK’s eight-point advantage to two at 53-51 following an 8-2 burst, and then knotted the score on a pair of free throws the following possession.
After an Andrew Harrison drive and score, the Badgers answered with a 3-pointer to reclaim the lead at 56-55.
UK eventually tied the score at 69 apiece on a pair of Randle free throws.
After trading turnovers, Poythress’ feed from Andrew Harrison gave UK a 71-69 advantage with 2:11 remaining.
A foul on a Wisconsin 3-point attempt with 15.2 seconds remaining and under one second on the shot clock enabled the Badgers to go to the line and make two free throws for a 73-71 lead.
Mr. NCAA Clutch, Aaron Harrison, sunk his only made 3-pointer of the contest with six seconds remaining to lift UK to the 74-73 win after a last-second attempt by the Badgers rimmed out.

Aaron Harrison finished with eight points and a pair of assists.
- Has made at least one 3-pointer in 11-straight contests.
- Today’s eight points marked the first time this postseason he did not reach double-figure scoring.
- Has hit the game-winning 3-pointer in each of UK’s last three games.
Andrew Harrison scored nine points and had four assists.
- Dished out four or more assists in nine of UK’s last 11 games.
Dominique Hawkins scored two points in 11 minutes of action.
- Scored his first career postseason points on a driving bucket late in the opening half.
- They were the first points for the freshman guard since a game on Jan. 8, vs. Mississippi State.
Dakari Johnson tallied 10 points and had a team-high seven rebounds.
- Reached double-figure scoring for the second time in NCAA Tournament action.
- Was the fourth double-figure scoring game of his career.
- Has led the team in rebounding three times this season.
Alex Poythress scored eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 attempts from the field.
- Has scored six or more points in four-straight NCAA games.
- Is 12-of-13 (.923) from the field in UK’s last four games.
- Led the team with seven rebounds, his second game this season pacing the team in hauled in boards.
James Young tallied a game-high 17 points and added five rebounds.
- Marked his 29th double-figure scoring effort of the season.
- Led the team in scoring nine occasions this season.

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