Regular Season Ends with Senior Day, Florida Rematch
PJ Washington has been enjoying every minute. Working hard along the way, no doubt, but enjoying every minute of his sophomore season.
Then, all of a sudden, he looked up and it was March.
“It’s gone by, like right out the window,” Washington said. “I can remember the Bahamas like it was yesterday. I can remember having so much fun throughout the season and it’s just fun to look back and see how much we’ve grown so far.”
With the end of the regular season coming Saturday when No. 6 Kentucky (25-5, 14-3 SEC) hosts Florida (17-14, 9-8 SEC), it’s natural to reflect. That’s especially true for Reid Travis and Jonny David, two players who will step into Rupp Arena for the final time as college players. The journeys for the pair couldn’t have been more different – Travis a graduate transfer playing a featured role and David a four-year walk-on – but their emotions will be similar as those journeys in Lexington conclude on Senior Day.
“I really didn’t hit me until today,” David said. “A lot of stuff was coming out. Obviously, I’ve thought about, yeah, it’s my last time at Rupp and everything. But it kind of hit me today, it’s the last time, I got a little sad for a second. But it’s more about celebrating it and celebrating the four years and I’m looking forward to it.”
It’s customary for seniors, regardless of their role, to start on Senior Day. David is expected to do just that and his teammates are eager to see him add to his career totals of seven points and one made field goal. In spite of that and the constant pleas from fans for him to shoot, David plans to play within himself.
“I’m not going to unnecessarily force anything up, but I won’t pass up a shot, I’ll tell you that,” David said.
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| Kentucky vs. Florida | ||
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Sat., March 9 – 2 p.m. ET |
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TV: CBS |
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| UK | 2018-19 Stats | UM |
| 25-5 | Record | 17-13 |
| 14-3 | Conference Record | 9-8 |
| 77.2 | PPG | 68.7 |
| 66.5 | Opp PPG | 63.7 |
| .478 | FG% | .423 |
| .403 | Opp FG% | .422 |
| 38.5 | RPG | 33.7 |
| .352 | 3PT FG% | .338 |
| .352 | Opp 3PT FG% | .316 |
| .739 | FT% | .724 |
| 13.9 | APG | 12.2 |
| 6.1 | SPG | 7.4 |
| 5.0 | BPG | 3.5 |
That’s in character for a player who has been the consummate teammate for four years.
“Jonny David is one of the kids that has been here that’s made a major impact through practice, through being a positive influence on his teammates,” associate head coach Kenny Payne said. “He gets along with everybody. He’s supportive of everybody. He doesn’t get the credit which none of these kids do when you’re in a role like he’s in. But, the day-to-day stuff that he brings to the table keeping guys positive on the bench, working out in practices, playing every position on the floor.”
During his lone season at UK, Travis has shown the same willingness to do whatever his team needs from him. At times, he’s been the Wildcats’ go-to scorer. Others, he’s happily filled the role of defensive stopper while the likes of Washington, Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro carry the scoring load.
Kentucky has unfortunately gained new insight into Travis’s importance during a two-week absence due to a sprained knee. UK has won three of four games without Travis, but by no means has it been easy.
“It’s been tough,” Washington said. “Guys have definitely stepped up. It’s just great for EJ (Montgomery) and Nick (Richards), obviously, to get some time and fill out their roles a little bit. There’s definitely some good and bad, but we’re a good team without him and we’re a great team with him. Just to have him back on the court is going to be really good for us.”
Whether that happens Saturday remains to be seen.
“I think he’s day-to-day,” Payne said. “I think he’s going to be able to do a little bit of stuff today in practice. We hope he’s getting better. We know that, and hopefully he’s ready. We’ll see.”
Regardless whether he plays, Travis will step through that hoop bearing his likeness, though the time for sentimentality will end with Senior Day festivities. Florida is a team that UK needed a double-digit comeback to beat in Gainesville, Florida, a little more than a month ago. The Gators will also be seeking a résumé-boosting win as they fight to land on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
“I think (John Calipari) has talked to this team a lot about it’s different when you’re not playing for something when you’re playing Kentucky,” Payne said. “Well, when everybody’s playing for something, it’s a little different. There’s a different pressure to it. That’s why we play all of the nonconference games that we play, so we get used to playing in big games where it means something. So, we’ll see. Hopefully, we come out and play with energy and play with effort and be the aggressor and put them on their heels. That’s our game plan.”
More often than not, UK has executed that game plan of late.
“I think it’s really switched,” Washington said. “It’s switched ever since we started losing early in the season, honestly. Since going on that 10-game streak and then on from there. We’re just trying to win every game and be focused in practice and walkthroughs and stuff like that. Just to focus on every opponent and not take anybody lightly. We’ve been doing that and we know everybody’s going to give us their best game of the season. We’ve just gotta come out and be the aggressor.”
Calipari Notches 300th Win at Kentucky as Wildcats Outlast Rebels
OXFORD, Miss. – PJ Washington is in the discussion for Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, but he was a missing man during the first half Tuesday night, banished to the bench by early foul trouble.
At halftime, Kentucky coach John Calipari had a message for him: Get ready, because the ball’s coming to you.
Washington responded with all 13 of his points in the second half to help No. 6/6 Kentucky earn a hard-fought 80-76 victory over Mississippi. The 6-foot-8 sophomore shot 6 of 10 from the field after the break, converting several big buckets to hold off the Rebels.
“I told him at halftime we’re throwing to you every time,” Calipari said. “So you be who you’re supposed to be. And he was.”
Kentucky (25-5, 14-3 Southeastern Conference) bounced back from its 71-52 loss at Tennessee on Saturday. Keldon Johnson led the Wildcats with 22 points and Tyler Herro scored 20 on 8-of-12 shooting. EJ Montgomery blocked a career-high four shots.
Kentucky shot 55.4 percent from the floor and dominated in the paint with 34 points. The efficient performance was a welcome change after the Wildcats made just 14 field goals and shot 32 percent in the loss to Tennessee.
“We just came in focused and did what we usually do,” Johnson said. “We put the last game behind us and didn’t really think about it. We came into this game ready to attack and be aggressive.”
Ole Miss (19-11, 9-8) has lost three straight and four of five. The Rebels trimmed their deficit to 78-76 with six seconds left, but Immanuel Quickley made two free throws to put the game out of reach. Kentucky made five of its last six free throws in the closing minutes, including the two by Quickley and two by Herro in the final 17 seconds.
Terence Davis led the Rebels with 25 points and 12 rebounds on his Senior Night. Breein Tyree scored 21.
“We had great energy,” coach Kermit Davis said. “I thought our team played the entire game. Kentucky’s just good. They’re maybe a No. 1 seed (in the NCAA Tournament). That’s just who they are. They’re a tough cover for a lot of different teams.”
• UK finished the season 8-2 in true road games this season
• Kentucky’s seven turnovers were its second fewest in a game this year
• UK made just four 3-pointers, tying its season low, which it has equaled on seven occasions
• The Wildcats made 55.4 percent of their shots. They’re 13-0 when shooting 50 percent or better
• UK outscored Ole Miss 34-24 in the paint and is now 22-3 when winning the battle in the lane
• Calipari reached win No. 300 in the fourth-fastest time span in NCAA Division I history
• Calipari is 243-40 all-time against AP unranked competition at UK
• He improved to 15-4 vs. Ole Miss in his career
• Kentucky is 16-0 this season when Herro scores at least 15 points
• Johnson’s nine made field goals was a career high, and his 20-point game was his first since Jan. 18
• Herro’s 20-point game was his fifth of the season, and he now leads the team with 24 games in double figures
• UK’s 55.4-percent day from the field was it second best on the road in the SEC under Calipari
UK Still in Hunt for SEC Title
Although the odds are stacked against Kentucky, the Wildcats are still technically in the hunt for their 49th Southeastern Conference regular-season championship. A game back in the standings with one game to play, UK would need to win Saturday vs. Florida and for both LSU and Tennessee to lose.
If that were to happen, all three teams would finish 15-3 in the standings and share the conference crown. Although Kentucky would fall to No. 3 in the SEC Tournament seedings, all three teams would be co-champions.
In that case, it would be UK’s sixth SEC regular-season crown under Calipari and fourth in the last five seasons.
Cats Land Either No. 2 or No. 3 Seed in SEC Tournament
With LSU’s win over Florida on Wednesday, the Tigers eliminated Kentucky from the No. 1 seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. With LSU owning all possible tiebreakers over Kentucky, the Cats, already owning one of the four coveted double byes, will now either land the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament depending on Saturday’s results.
How will Kentucky be the No. 2 seed? Kentucky needs to win against Florida and needs Auburn to beat Tennessee. In that scenario, the Wildcats would win the tiebreaker vs. Tennessee because the two schools split their regular-season matchups, both lost to LSU (0-1 vs. 0-1), both went undefeated (2-0 vs. 1-0) vs. South Carolina (in the case South Carolina is the No. 4 seed), but Kentucky would have a better record vs. Auburn (2-0 vs. 0-1), which would be the next tiebreaker at that point.
Kentucky has never played earlier than the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in all 10 seasons under Calipari. UK has appeared in eight of the last nine championship games, winning seven of them including each of the last four.
Kentucky to Honor Jonny David and Reid Travis on Senior Day
Kentucky will celebrate senior Jonny David and graduate transfer Reid Travis on Saturday for Senior Day. The Wildcats are 94-19 all-time on Senior Day, including a perfect 8-0 mark under John Calipari. The Wildcats did not have a senior on its roster a season ago.
The ceremony will include a video tribute, more than 23,000 fans singing “My Old Kentucky Home” and the presentation of a framed jersey for each player. The ceremony, which the late Al McGuire once called “the most touching moment in all of sports” will begin at approximately 1:45 p.m
