UK MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY vs. DUKE
CHAMPIONS CLASSIC
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN | NEW YORK
NOV. 9, 2021
ATTENDANCE: 18,132

Final Score: No. 9/9 Duke 79, No. 10/11 Kentucky 71
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• This was the season opener for both teams.
• Now in its 120th season of men’s basketball, Kentucky fell to 98-21 in season openers (no season in 1952-53).

• Despite the loss, Kentucky still leads the series 12-11.
  • Duke has won nine of the last 11 games in the series.
  • The Wildcats are 6-9 vs. the Blue Devils in neutral-site games.
• Next up: Kentucky hosts Robert Morris on Friday at 7 p.m. in the regular-season home opener in Rupp Arena for the first of three games in the Kentucky Classic. The game will be televised on SEC Network.

 
Champions Classic

• The Wildcats are now 5-6 in the Champions Classic while Duke goes to 7-4.
  • Kansas is now 6-5 after its victory over Michigan State in the first game of the night. Michigan State fell to 4-7.
• UK fell to 1-3 vs. Duke in the Champions Classic.
• The Wildcats suffered their first loss in this arena in the Champions Classic and are 3-1 in Madison Square Garden in the annual series.

 
Kentucky in New York

• Kentucky is 38-15 all-time in games in the New York City area, including wins in 10 of the last 13 games.
• In the modern-day version of Madison Square Garden, UK is 14-5.
• The Wildcats are 0-3 vs. Duke in all-time matchups in New York.

 
Team Notes

• Led by Oscar Tshiebwe, who set a Champions Classic record with 20 rebounds, UK won the board battle 44-36.
• The Wildcats showed a good eye at the free-throw line, making 6 of 7 for 85.7%.
  • Duke had 23 attempts, making 16.
• UK only shot 37.7% for the game (29 of 77) and 38.9% from 3 (7 of 18)

 
Player Notes  

• In his first official game at Kentucky, Oscar Tshiebwe led the Wildcats with 17 points and 20 rebounds, the 13th double-double of his career. He added two blocked shots, an assist and a steal.

  • In addition to setting the Champions Classic record for rebounds, he also set the UK record for most boards in a Wildcat debut. The previous inaugural mark was 17 rebounds by Roger Newman vs. VMI on Dec. 1, 1960; Cotton Nash vs. Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 2, 1961; and Sam Bowie vs. Duke on Nov. 17, 1979.
  • His 20 boards are the most of the John Calipari era and the most since Jared Prickett had 20 vs. Arkansas on Feb. 9, 1994
  • He is the first UK player with at least 17 points and at least 20 rebounds in a season opener since Dan Issel posted 29 points and 24 boards vs. Xavier on Nov. 30, 1968
• In his first official game as a Wildcat, Sahvir Wheeler notched the ninth double-double of his career with 16 points and 10 assists.
  • He tied for the second-most assists in a UK debut. The record is 12 by De’Aaron Fox vs. Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 11, 2016; Wheeler tied Kyle Macy, who had 10 vs. SMU on Nov. 26, 1977.
• Kellen Grady had nine points in his Wildcat debut, including 3 of 7 on 3-point shots.

 
Coach Calipari

• Calipari fell to 339-94 at UK.
• Calipari has a 784-234 all-time on-court record. 
• UK is 64-39 under Calipari against teams in the Associated Press Top 25.
  • Calipari is 27-20 in his career when both teams are ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, including 16-13 at UK.
• Calipari is 1-4 in his career vs. Duke.
• Calipari is 11-2 in regular-season openers at Kentucky.
  • Both losses are to Duke in the Champions Classic.

 
In the First Half

• Kentucky started Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington Jr., Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe to start the regular season.
• Washington scored the first point of the 2021-22 year at the free-throw line at the 18:24 mark.
• Tshiebwe got the first field goal with a layup at the 17:53 mark off a pretty feed from Wheeler.
• Wheeler made the first 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 6-6 at 17:04.
• Jacob Toppin was the first sub of the game, checking in for Brooks at 16:05.
• The Wildcats came out cold from the field, making just two of their first 10 shots and three of their first 15.
• Duke took a 13-8 lead with 13:41 in the first half but UK answered with a 5-0 spurt to tie it at 13 with a Davion Mintz 3-pointer.
• Kentucky got into foul trouble in the first half. Tshiebwe was the first to pick up his second with 7:49 until halftime, quickly followed by Toppin and Brooks.
• The Wildcats hung tough despite falling behind by seven twice, at 34-27 and 39-32. With both deficits, Grady immediately answered with a 3-pointer and sparked 5-0 bursts.
• Kentucky stayed in it despite shooting just 31.7% (13 of 41) in the first half. However, the Wildcats were sharp from deep, making 6 of 11 from long range (54.5%).
• Wheeler was solid in the first half with 12 points, two 3-pointers and five assists.
• Grady made 3 of 4 from long range for nine points.
• Tshiebwe helped Kentucky to 11 second-chance points with seven offensive rebounds (and eight total boards for the half).
• Duke led 39-35 at the half.

 
In the Second Half

• Kentucky started the second half with the same starting five.
• UK opened the second half with a spark. The Wildcats outscored Duke 6-2 out of the break and took their first lead of the game 42-41 on a 3 from Brooks.
  • It was Wheeler’s third straight assist.
• After Kentucky pulled ahead 48-47 with 16:33 left, Duke answered with an 8-0 run to take a 55-48 lead. Washington snapped the run and ended nearly a three-minute scoring drought with a pair of free throws.
  • Duke quickly answered with four more to take a 59-50 lead with 13:04 left after a Theo John two-hand slam, forcing Calipari to call a timeout.
• Lance Ware snapped a field-goal drought that last 4:18 of game time with a layup to slow a 14-2 Duke run after the Blue Devils had taken a 61-50 lead.
• UK would not go away. After Duke took a 69-54 lead – the largest of the game – the Wildcats stormed back with an 11-0 run, headlined by seven straight points and an “and one” from Tshiebwe. That cut the deficit to 69-65 with 6:07 left.
  • Duke ended the streak with a second-chance layup from Trevor Keels and followed with an “and one” from Paolo Banchero to extend its lead to 74-65 with 4:26 left.
  • The Cats got within six at 77-71 with a minute to go but got no closer.