KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY STATE at KENTUCKY
RUPP ARENA | LEXINGTON, KY.
NOV. 1, 2019
ATTENDANCE: 19,588
 
Final Score: No. 2/2 Kentucky 83, Kentucky State 51
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• UK improved to 138-12 all-time in exhibition games, including 2-0 vs. Kentucky State.
  • In official games, UK leads the Kentucky State series 1-0.
• Kentucky has won its last 17 exhibition games dating back to Nov. 2, 2014, vs. Pikeville. The last loss was Aug. 17, 2014, vs. the Dominican Republic in the final game of the 2014 Big Blue Bahamas exhibition tour.
  • UK is 35-1 in exhibition play under Coach John Calipari.
• The Wildcats begin the 2019-20 regular season vs. No. 1/1 Michigan State on Nov. 5 at Madison Square Garden in New York as a part of the State Farm Champions Classic. It will mark the Wildcats’ ninth all-time 1-2 matchup. UK is 5-3 in such games.
  • It will also mark just the second time in NCAA Division I history the top two teams in the Associated Press Top 25 begin their respective seasons against one another. According to STATS, the only other time the AP No. 1 and No. 2 teams played in their respective season openers was when No. 1 Indiana faced No. 2 UCLA in November 1975 (Indiana won, 84-64).

 
In the First Half

• Continuing to tinker with different lineup combinations in the exhibition season, John Calipari went with Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey, Kahili Whitney, Nate Sestina and EJ Montgomery to start Friday.

  • Nick Richards did not play Friday night after spraining his left ankle in the first exhibition game vs. Georgetown College. He remains day-to-day.
• After going scoreless in the first exhibition game, Whitney got the game’s first bucket and drew the foul for an old-fashioned 3-point play.
• An early 9-0 run gave the Wildcats a 12-3 lead. Whitney and Sestina scored 10 of the 12, each knocking down a 3-pointer.
• Kentucky stretch its lead to 38-16 with a 19-3 burst. Whitney continued his great first-half play with six of the points.
• Sestina and Whitney had big first halves. Both scored 11 points with identical 5-for-6 shooting performances. Whitney pulled down four rebounds and Sestina grabbed three.
• Immanuel Quickley came off the bench to score 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting and 2 of 4 from behind the arc.
• After a slow start, UK shot 54.8% from the floor and 4 of 10 from 3-point range.
• The Wildcats limited Kentucky State to 22.2% shooting.
  • Grant Good scored 10 of the Thorobreds 20 first-half points

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky started the second half with Hagans, Quickley, Whitney, Sestina and Montgomery.
• Kentucky State outscored UK 21-14 in the first 13 minutes of the second half to cut the Wildcats’ lead to 58-41. Johnny Juzang made a 3 from the top of the key to ignite a 10-0 run and squash any further Kentucky State rally.
  • Juzang made two 3-pointers during the run.
• uk had its largest lead at 33 points before finishing with the 83-51 victory.

Team Notes

• Kentucky limited Kentucky State to 14 of 54 from the floor, 25.9%.
  • The Wildcats held Georgetown College to just 25% on Sunday.
  • UK forced 22 turnovers and converted that into a 30-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
• After getting outrebounded in the first exhibition game, the Wildcats won the battle of the glass on Friday 43-33.
• UK dished out 25 assists on its 34 made baskets.

 
Player Notes  

• Khalil Whitney bounced back from a scoreless exhibition opener with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting and five rebounds.
• Immanuel Quickley scored 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
• Nate Sestina provided a steady presence in the paint in Nick Richards’ absence (sprained left ankle) with 13 points and eight rebounds.
• Johnny Juzang came off the bench to swish three 3-pointers for nine points. 
• Keion Brooks Jr. posted nine points and collected a game-high rebounds.
• Walk-ons Brennan Canada and Riley Welch checked in late in the game for their first exhibition action.

 
Calipari

• Calipari will start the regular season with a 305-71 record at UK. 
• Calipari has a 750-211 all-time on-court record.
• UK improved to 35-1 in exhibitions under Calipari.