Kentucky Cares Classic a No-Brainer for Cal, Cats
It’s a rare thing to see two Division-I teams facing off in a preseason exhibition.
For John Calipari, it’s somewhat of a daunting proposition.
“It’s the first Division I game we’ve played this year,” Calipari said of Monday’s matchup with Morehead State. “We’re not ready to play. I’d imagine he’s not ready to play – your team – we’re both in the same boat.”
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| Kentucky vs. Morehead State | ||
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Mon., Oct. 30 – 7 p.m. ET |
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| Coverage | ||
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TV: None |
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| UK | 2016-17 Team Stats | MSU |
| 32-6 | Record | 14-16 |
| 16-2 | Conference Record | 10-6 |
| 84.9 | PPG | 79.0 |
| 71.5 | Opp PPG | 77.0 |
| .473 | FG% | .461 |
| .424 | Opp FG% | .462 |
| 39.8 | RPG | 37.6 |
| .353 | 3PT FG% | .386 |
| .424 | Opp 3PT FG% | .384 |
| .703 | FT% | .726 |
| 15.4 | APG | 16.1 |
| 6.0 | SPG | 6.7 |
| 5.3 | BPG | 3.2 |
In spite of that sentiment, Coach Cal and Morehead State’s Preston Spradlin shared a podium last week and couldn’t have been more excited about the Kentucky Cares Classic. The game, which will tip at 7 p.m. on Monday in Rupp Arena, gives two coaches with two of the youngest teams in America a chance to see how they stack up far earlier than they otherwise would.
“It’ll be a great benchmark for anybody that watches the game to say, ‘Alright, when we start playing early on, how far have they come?’ ” Calipari said.
Uniquely, there won’t be all that many people who can watch.
The game will not be televised, so only those who buy tickets, which are still available, will be able to watch. The full net proceeds from their sale will benefit victims of recent disasters through Team Rubicon, a non-government 501(c)(3) organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams.
“We’re playing a basketball game for other people,” Spradlin said. “Sure, we’re going to benefit from it. We’re going to get great experience. We’re going to find out as coaches more things about our team. The real winner here is much bigger than basketball.”
For Kentucky, it will be the third major charitable initiative in the last two-plus months. First was the annual UK Alumni Charity Game, which raised for more than $1 million in total for 17 worthy causes. About a week and a half later, Calipari and his Wildcats participated in the “Teaming up for Texas” telethon and generated another $1 million to help victims of Hurricane Harvey.
Calipari expects the Kentucky Cares Classic to raise $500,000, in addition to serving as yet another valuable lesson for his young team.
“The telethon that we’ve done over the years, the things we do at Christmas where we bring in families, yes, we’re doing that for those families and these victims, but do you understand what it does for an 18- and 19-year-old to be able to give a family a rent check and see that mother cry in their arms?” Calipari said. “To be able to get these kids to understand, you’re going to be in a position to leverage who you are and what you’re about to help others. Do it.”
The lesson, to hear the Wildcats tell it, has sunk in.
“We’re just blessed to be in this position to sell tickets and raise all this money for people that need it,” Sacha Killeya-Jones said. “It’s just one game on our schedule, but it’s a lot more than that. I think it’s going to really change a lot of people’s lives, which is good.”
“I think it’s a great opportunity to help raise money and give back to the cities and states that are struggling with the hurricanes and stuff like that,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s just great knowing we have that effect on the world and that many people. It’s a great feeling.”
Adding to the feel-good atmosphere in Rupp on Monday will be the return of Spradlin. Now in his first full year as head coach after stepping in on interim basis last year and earning it permanently this spring, Spradlin spent five years on Calipari’s staff.
“It’ll be fun,” Spradlin said. “You know, it will be a lot of fun. There’s a lot of people here at this university that have been really good to me. Not just Coach and the staff, but everyone. So, it’s special for me to be able to come back. I have a lot of great memories in that building. It’ll be a great experience for me, obviously coaching in Rupp, coaching against a Hall of Famer with a really talented team.”
All that adds up to a can’t-miss game for fans.
“You’ve gotta be in that building to watch this game,” Calipari said. “You get to see Preston back home coaching his team. In-state Morehead, who we all have ties to. And then we’ll hopefully have fun.”
Wildcats Roll Past Thomas More 103-61
Kevin Knox scored 27 points and classmate PJ Washington added 15 points and 10 rebounds as Kentucky rolled past Thomas More 103-61 in an exhibition game on Friday night at Rupp Arena.
Nick Richards had 14 points for the Wildcats and Hamidou Diallo added 12. Sophomore Wenyen Gabriel was the fifth Wildcat in double figures, scoring 11 points to go with 10 rebounds.
Kentucky exploited its height advantage, outrebounding the Saints 49-26. The Wildcats shot 55.1 percent (38 of 69) from the floor, including 5 of 16 (31.3 percent) from 3-point range.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 7-2 lead early behind three points from Washington. Quade Green then hit back-to-back 3-pointers to extend Kentucky’s lead to 13-4.
Kentucky extended its lead to 21-6 on a layup by Diallo. But after a Thomas More timeout, the Saints went on an 11-2 run to cut Kentucky’s lead to 23-17. The Wildcats responded with a 17-3 run to take a commanding 40-20 lead. Kentucky would lead 53-30 at the break.
In the second half, Kentucky pulled away, building the lead behind a balanced offensive effort and 60.6-percent shooting. The 42-point margin of victory was Kentucky’s largest lead of the game.
• The Wildats started five freshmen vs. Thomas More. The last time a UK team started five freshmen in a regular-season game was the 2014 national championship game vs. UConn
• UK held Thomas More without a field goal for 10:57 in the first half
• It was the seventh straight exhibition game Kentucky has surpassed 100 points, dating back to the 2013-14 season
• The Wildcats dominated the specialty stats, smashing Thomas More in the paint (58-14) in second-chance points (26-9) and fast-braek points (26-2)
Cats Show Talent, Long Road Ahead in Blue-White Game
John Calipari has preached patience every chance he’s had. Coaching his youngest team to date, Coach Cal has warned fans to expect bumps on Kentucky’s road to March. The reasons why were apparent during the Blue-White Game on Friday night. So was the fact that fans are going to have plenty of fun watching these Wildcats along the way.
UK looked far from a finished product in its annual intrasquad scrimmage in Rupp Arena. Turnovers and fouls came in bunches, but so did thunderous dunks and impressive drives. Potential, albeit raw, was on full display as Blue downed White in front of a crowd of 15,530 – the second largest in the history of the event – by a score of 88-67.
Not coincidently considering the result, the stars of the evening both suited up exclusively for the Blue team. Versatile freshman forwards Kevin Knox and PJ Washington were a handful throughout. Knox had 22 points and seven rebounds and Washington had 21 points and five rebounds, the pair shooting a combined 18 of 26 from the field.
UK’s two returning forwards – Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones – showed improved form from a season ago. Gabriel scored 19 points, while Killeya-Jones had 10 points and six rebounds.
Quade Green split his time between the two squads and didn’t hesitate to shoot. He scored a combined 18 points, but made time for passing too. The 6-foot point guard had a game-high seven assists. His point-guard opposite, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had 14 points and five assists.
All nine active players expected to contend for spots in UK’s rotation scored in double figures, the balance of this year’s roster on display. Hamidou Diallo scored 15 points and Tai Wynyard and Nick Richards had 10 apiece. Richards stuffed the stat sheet elsewhere as well, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking eight shots in serving as an intimidating defensive presence.
Four Players on Hall of Fame Watch Lists
Freshmen Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox, Nick Richards and PJ Washington were tabbed as members of the preseason watch lists for their positional player of the year awards presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Diallo is on the list for the Jerry West Award for the nation’s best shooting guard. Malik Monk was the winner of the award a season ago, a first in program history. Knox was tabbed to the Julius Erving list for the best small forward. Richards is among the candidates for the Kareen Abdul-Jabbar list for the best center, and Washington is on the Karl Malone list for the best power forward.
By mid-February, each watch list of 20 players will be narrowed down to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to the various awards’ committees and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2017 positional awards will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles on April 7. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Two Wildcats Selected to Preseason All-SEC Teams
Two players were selected to the preseason All-SEC squads. Freshman Hamidou Diallo was picked to the first team, while classmate Kevin Knox was tabbed to the second team.
Diallo is joined by Florida’s junior guard KeVaughn Allen, Georgia’s senior forward Yante Maten, Missouri’s freshman forward Michael Porter, Jr. and Texas A&M’s sophomore forward Robert Williams. Maten, Porter and Williams were voted in a three-way tie for the pick for SEC Player of the Year.
Knox was selected to the second team along with freshman guard Collin Sexton from Alabama, junior guard Terence Davis and senior guard Deandre Burnett from Ole Miss, junior guard Quinndary Weatherspoon from Mississippi State, junior center Tyler Davis from Texas A&M and senior guard Matthew Fisher-Davis from Vanderbilt.
