Special Section: March Madness

MARCH MADNESS SPECIAL SECTION

Kentucky women fall in second round, concluding season and Kyra Elzy’s tenure as head coach

By Colton Johnson sports@kykernel.com

Heading into the 2024 SEC Tournament, Kentucky women’s basketball would look to replicate the postseason success it had in the past two years as it traveled down to Greenville, South Carolina.

Ultimately, however, the Cats’ time in the Bon Secours Wellness Arena would be brief as, despite advancing in the contest for the fifth year in a row, they came up short in the second round of the tournament against No. 5 Tennessee.

Coming into the contest, a Kentucky roster that has been plagued by dismissals and injuries all year would be subject to another absence as it was announced that senior guard Maddie Scherr would miss the entire event due to a concussion.

Scherr would instead cheer the Cats on from the sideline as they suited up for a rematch with a Georgia Bulldog squad that got the better of Kentucky in a 72-65 victory back in January.

“It’s basically a new season right here,” senior Eniya Russell said about the Cats’ approach to the tournament. “We just need to have a mindset of stepping up on both ends of the floor and forgetting about the mistakes.”

Russell would take that mindset into Kentucky’s first-round matchup with Georgia, scoring 10 points in the first quarter to command a 21-17 lead over the Bulldogs.

Kentucky would keep its foot on the gas in the second quarter, holding Georgia to just eight points in the second period to double its lead heading into halftime.

The Bulldogs would shorten Kentucky’s lead to five halfway through the third quarter with Georgia forward Javyn Nicholson scoring 10 of her 23 points in the third period.

“She’s one of those players that keeps you up at night,” former Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy said regarding Nicholson. “She’s had big games all year long, she's an unbelievable player.”

The Wildcats would extend their lead back out to 13 heading into the fourth quarter and would ride that lead out for the rest of the game to take an eventual 64-50 first-round victory over Georgia.

Russell led the Cats with 19 points

with junior Brooklynn Miles tagging on 11 points and senior Ajae Petty recording yet another double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

With the victory, the Cats earned themselves a date with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, with the first go around with Tennessee resulting in an 87-69 loss for Kentucky back in January.

The first five minutes would be all Kentucky, with graduate student Emma King and sophomore Cassidy Rowe combining for 10 of the Cats’ 12 opening points as they commanded a fivepoint lead.

Both teams would proceed to exchange buckets, with the Volunteers closing the gap with a bucket from junior Sara Puckett, and not even a subsequent Russell layup could stop the Lady Vols from taking a one-point lead after a Puckett triple.

Puckett would open the scoring in the second quarter to extend the Tennessee lead to three, with the rest of the quarter being a back-and-forth battle that saw the Lady Volunteers maintain a one-possession lead that they would take into the break.

An opening bucket from sophomore Amiya Jenkins would tie the score at 28 out of the break, but Puckett answered with five straight points.

A series of buckets would be topped off by an and-one play from Jenkins that would tie the score at 35, but the Lady Vols would proceed to score 10 unanswered points to open a double-digit lead.

A jumper from Russell combined with free throws from Petty would see the Wildcats take a nine-point deficit into the fourth quarter, with that hole being deepened to double digits shortly after the start of the final period.

Kentucky wouldn’t be able to get the Lady Volunteer lead below 10, with a 3-pointer proving to be the last of Puckett’s 22 points.

Kentucky was led in defeat by sophomore Saniah Tyler, who netted 17 points.

By a final score of 76-62, Kentucky’s SEC Tournament run — and ultimately season as a whole — came to an end, with the failure to advance also concluding coach Elzy’s run as the leader of the program.

Tennessee would go on to advance

further before falling to No. 1 South Carolina in the semi-finals. The Game -

cocks won the tournament over LSU to remain undefeated.

SYDNEY YONKER | STAFF

Kentucky forward Ajae Petty goes up with the ball during the Kentucky vs. Tennessee women’s basketball game on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Kentucky men bow out in first SEC Tournament game for second consecutive season

By Samantha Money sports@kykernel.com

The 2024 SEC Tournament proved to be a historic one for Kentucky men’s basketball, marking the first time the team has lost three consecutive conference tournament games in program history.

The Wildcats entered the 2024 contest seeded No. 2 after obtaining a double-bye to begin the tournament in the quarterfinals.

On Friday, March 15, Kentucky took the court inside Bridgestone Arena to take on No. 7 Texas A&M. The two previously met earlier this season on Jan. 13 in College Station, Texas, where the Wildcats suffered their first league play loss at the hands of the Aggies in overtime 97-92.

For this go around in Nashville, Kentucky looked to achieve a different feat, but instead it left with another loss to Texas A&M with another losing score of 97-87.

Both games marked the highest scores the Aggies have put up all season.

“Whether they (Texas A&M) did things to make us play that way, they deserved that game the way they played,” head coach John Calipari said. “Again, I mean, we give up 97. How many games (are) you going to win giving up 97 points? Two guards got 72 points. You're not going to win.”

Heading into the night, Kentucky closed out its season on a five-game win streak including notable wins over No. 13 Alabama at home and No. 4 Tennessee on the road.

The streak was one of the longest for the Cats all season, with the only one longer being a six-game streak, which also met its demise after the loss to Texas A&M.

The Aggies did not end their season on a winning streak, but they possessed one thing Kentucky did not.

After finishing the season 19-13, a spot in the NCAA Tournament was not something that the team had yet secured, but a win over the Cats would do the trick, making the Aggies desperate.

The Wildcats started the quarterfinals game slow on their feet, finding themselves in an 8-1 deficit within the first two minutes of the half that would eventually set the tone for how the rest of the game would play out.

Despite a high offensive performance from Rob Dillingham, who finished with 27 points, the freshman could not make up

for Kentucky’s lack of success on defense.

The Wildcats bore 14 turnovers that the Aggies were able to profit 18 points from, while Texas A&M also won the rebound game and put up 26 second-chance points.

“A lot of that was on us, as well,” Reed Sheppard said. “We didn’t play like we've normally been playing. We didn't share the ball. We got selfish and tried to make home-run plays, just try and take over the game by ourselves.”

It was a performance that Texas A&M controlled from the first whistle, with Kentucky trailing the entire time except for the mere 41 seconds it led in the first half.

If the disappointment wasn’t palpable enough, the loss didn’t only mark the third consecutive SEC tournament loss for the team, it also marked the first time UK has gone 0-1 in back-to-back years.

“Sometimes your teams don't play well,” Calipari said. “Sometimes they do and you advance, and you win. Sometimes they don’t. Especially young teams. We didn't do it today.”

Under the Calipari era, Kentucky has made it to the SEC Tournament finals eight times — winning six of those finals — and, during those years, it went on to win W28 NCAA Tournament games.

In the five seasons the team did not make it to the championship game, the Wildcats went on to win a total of four NCAA Tournament games.

With the figures not painting a pretty picture for the Cats’ NCAA Tournament chances, fans won’t be able to rest easy with the knowledge that the next time the Cats “don’t play well,” they won’t have another chance to make up for it.

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SAMUEL COLMAR | STAFF

Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham (0) drives with the ball during the No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Texas A&M men's basketball game in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, March 15, 2024, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

COLUMN: Kyra Elzy broke Kentucky, but it’s not irreversible

By Colton Johnson sports@kykernel.com

The need for change is evident with Kentucky women’s basketball as, in the past two years, the Cats have swapped raising trophies for raising concerns about the validity of their program.

Recently, that much-needed change ensued with the termination of head coach Kyra Elzy, but what followed might prove to be detrimental for the Cats as senior forward Ajae Petty opted to put her name in the transfer portal to find a new home for her final year of eligibility.

The Baltimore native led the Wildcats in almost every statistical category, and her eventual departure leaves a gaping hole in Kentucky’s biggest positional need.

When looking back at the past two campaigns, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong, what the source of the problem was and how it could be fixed for the better.

Lest anyone forget, this is a program that made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances under its previous head coach, Matthew Mitchell, and is a team that has proven it can compete with high level teams, but the consistent inconsistency brings to question where it goes from here.

Perhaps it first starts with the solution that any underperforming team initially goes to: recruiting positions of need out of both high school and the transfer portal.

Almost all of Kentucky’s standout players this season came from the portal, with the likes of Maddie Scherr, Petty, Eniya Russell and Brooklynn Miles all coming from other universities where they would go from seeing limited minutes to becoming signifi-

cant producers at Kentucky.

Despite that, aside from Petty, almost all of Kentucky’s success in the transfer portal has been in the back court, and as important as good guard play is, size can’t be taught and having a lot of it is pivotal to success.

Kentucky’s size has been an ongoing issue this season and has been exploited on multiple occasions, leaving little doubt that whoever takes the helm of Kentucky women’s basketball will make adding forwards a top priority.

With senior Nyah Leveretter still having eligibility after missing the entire 2023-24 season recovering from an ACL tear she sustained the season before, she’ll look to be a big part of any success Kentucky has this coming season if she elects to stay one more year.

Regardless, size is an issue that should have a simple solution and, as crazy as it may sound, the other issues

within Kentucky women’s basketball may not run as deep as some may think they do, either.

With a season like the Cats just had, it’s easy to amplify the bad, but going into this coming season there are plenty of positives to build on.

After UK’s loss to Tennessee in the second round of the SEC Tournament, Elzy highlighted the strides that many players who had seen limited minutes in the past had taken and, barring any more outgoing transfers, those same players will play huge roles in future seasons.

Russell in particular has exceeded expectations this season and, going forward, she should get the starting role many believe she deserved on her way to being who Kentucky runs its offense through.

On multiple occasions, Russell’s number was called in situations where

Kentucky needed a bucket and with multiple opposing head coaches, including her former coach Dawn Staley, labeling her as a “matchup nightmare,” her use in the clutch is unlikely to change.

To put it simply, there are plenty of useful pieces on this team and, when completely healthy, there is not a truckload of touching up needed for it to put itself back in the column of competitors in the SEC.

Unfortunately, until there is a hire at head coach it will be hard to gauge the direction the team will be heading in, and fans are left to hope that whoever takes over for the Cats will solve the supposed culture issue that many have speculated to have haunted this program over the past several years.

Whether its players being dismissed for “not meeting program expectations” or key pieces being benched as a result of a “coach’s decision,” there have been many internal issues within Kentucky women’s basketball that have had large implications on the court.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that a competitive team on the court must be functional off the court, and whoever coaches Kentucky next will have to undergo a full culture reset.

Regardless, until an official hiring is made, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding whether players will decide to stay or transfer, which will drastically affect Kentucky’s outlook for next season. This program is likely entering a completely new era, and the pieces for success are there. It’s simply up to the next head coach to put the puzzle together in ways Elzy never could.

SYDNEY YONKER | STAFF

Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy talks to Kentucky guard Saniah Tyler during the Kentucky vs. Georgia women’s basketball game on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

COLUMN: 2024 NCAA Tournament success will make or break Calipari’s legacy

By Ali Cetinok sports@kykernel.com

After Kentucky lost 97-87 to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Friday night, John Calipari reminded Wildcat fans of one thing: the SEC Tournament is not the tournament that Calipari cares about, it is the NCAA Tournament that dwarfs the conference’s end of season knockout competition in levels of importance.

While there is no Kentucky fan that will take a SEC Tournament championship over success in the “Big Dance,” many Kentucky fans do care about the SEC Tournament no matter how much Calipari might try and convince national media otherwise.

Kentucky fans especially care that the Wildcats have won just one game in the last five SEC Tournaments and are coming off their third straight loss in SEC Tournament games for the first time ever, dating back to 1933. Even more worrisome for Kentucky fans is that no team has won the NCAA Tournament without reaching at least its conference tournament semifinal since 1983.

Now, it’s one thing for Calipari to come out and admit he might not care about the SEC Tournament when he goes on to win it anyways — something he has done six times in his tenure at Kentucky — but it is a whole different thing when Kentucky has lost five of its last six games in the event, especially with a fanbase that is begging and pleading for any kind of postseason glory.

Luckily for Calipari, he has the chance to redeem himself in the eyes of that fanbase. On the other hand, he has every chance to potentially ruin his legacy at

Kentucky in the minds of many if he is unable to finally bring home some sense of pride and actual success to the program in this second half of March and early April.

Simply put, Kentucky is Kentucky. Eight national titles and 17 Final Four appearances speak for themselves and, in the Commonwealth, losing is not tolerated, and with good reason.

Kentucky didn’t just become known as the “gold standard” in college basketball for no reason, but under Calipari, Kentucky hasn’t been to the Final Four since 2015 and it hasn’t hung a national championship banner since 2012.

But, 2012 is not yesterday.

Kentucky did, however, reach the National Championship as an eight seed in 2014, falling to UConn, while also reaching another Final Four in 2015 with the coveted “unbeatable” team ultimately being beaten by Wisconsin in Indianapolis.

Since that loss to the Badgers in the Circle City years ago, Kentucky has gone 22090, winning 71% of its games to reach just three Sweet 16’s, win just three SEC Tournament titles and three regular season titles and have only reached the Elite Eight twice. Even more worrying is that Kentucky has not reached the Final Four at all in that timeframe.

To put that in perspective, programs with far less prestige and expectations — such as future SEC member Oklahoma, Oregon, current SEC foe South Carolina, miniscule Loyola-Chicago, modern SEC rival Auburn, Texas Tech, Houston, little known San Diego State and last year’s Cinderella team Florida Atlantic — have.

To drive this point home

even further, since Kentucky last raised a banner in Rupp Arena back in 2012, programs who, again, are dwarfed by the Wildcats when it comes to success and tradition have won it all including Villanova, who won the event both in 2016 and 2018, Virginia in 2019 and Baylor in 2021.

Kentucky is also the only “Blue Blood” program to not win a title in that timeframe as Duke, North Carolina and Kansas all won a championship.

UConn, who beat Kentucky in the championship game in 2014, have also won the tournament twice since Kentucky did in New Orleans in March 2012.

If all of that isn’t bad enough, to be technical, Louisville has won a title more recently as well, much to the annoyance of Kentucky fans as the Cardinals and former Kentucky head coach Rick Pitino found glory in 2013, even though this victory was vacated by the NCAA.

So, what does that mean

for Calipari?

It means the past 12 years of his reign double as the second longest championship drought in program history.

Again, Kentucky is Kentucky, but unfortunately this current roster will have to carry the weight of the Calipari Era on their shoulders in the tournament. Simply put, how Calipari will be remembered for generations to come will be established in the next three weeks … for better or for worse.

SAMUEL COLMAR | STAFF

Kentucky head coach John Calipari speaks with his team during a timeout during the Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt mens basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Editors’ picks: How far does Kentucky men’s basketball make it in March?

By Samantha Money, Ali Cetinok and Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

AC:

As said so many times this season from John Calipari, Kentucky fans and the Wildcats themselves, this team has all the potential to go on and win a national championship.

Well, the journey to bring the ever elusive ninth title to Lexington starts in Pittsburgh as the Wildcats, placed in the South Region, will square off with No. 14 Oakland in the first round at PPG Paints Arena.

Now, if the Wildcats survive the first weekend, they will head to Dallas, where the South Region's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matchups will be held at the American Airlines Center, but the question is will Kentucky even make it that far?

After yet another disappointing exit from the SEC Tournament with the Cats allowing Texas A&M to score 97, Kentucky fans were quickly brought back down to earth after a very solid end to the regular season.

With the loss to the Aggies, Kentucky fans were also reminded of an ugly truth: while this team possesses some generational talent on the offensive side of the floor, the team simply can’t play any defense.

While having a team that is so electric on offense, the Cats don’t need to play spectacular defense all 40 minutes, just enough to get by, but unfortunately this team struggles to do even the bare minimum on the defensive side of the floor.

Simply put, you don’t win in March by entering games expecting, and even game planning for a shootout.

Despite that, there are some things

that lean in Kentucky’s favor for a deep run. One of these is that the bracket ultimately shapes up to be very favorable for the Cats and another being that, if any team in the country can score 100-plus points for four or five games straight, it’s Kentucky.

Now, the Wildcats might have to face a team that it matches up poorly against in the Sweet Sixteen, likely meeting Florida if both teams win their two opening games, and that’s where I believe Kentucky’s journey to the Final Four will end, bringing in yet another year of unmet expectations for the program.

SM:

Thousands of Kentucky fans traveled to Nashville last weekend and suffered from feelings that are becoming all too familiar with BBN fans during March: disappointment and frustration.

It has been a handful of years since Kentucky performed to a respectable

level in March, and going 0-1 for the first time in consecutive years in the SEC Tournament did not leave fans necessarily feeling excited, either.

But when Kentucky’s seed and opponent was announced on selection Sunday, Calipari said people should be ecstatic about this team. The hall of famer’s roster is packed with talented freshmen — a recruiting approach that often proved successful for Calipari at the beginning of his tenure at Kentucky.

With that being said, the Wildcats are long overdue to make it past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, and there’s no doubt that all of the talent and all of the potential exists.

Unfortunately, that talent tends to be overshadowed by Kentucky’s weakness on defense and, as fans saw in Nashville against Texas A&M, even a strong offense is not enough to make up for it.

I have faith that the Wildcats will

make it to Dallas, even if that means defeating a hot and intimidating NC State (I believe the Wolfpack will claim the victory over Texas Tech) team, as long as Kentucky gets its defense in shape.

Within the first five minutes of the second round, we will be able to tell whether or not the team is heading to Dallas and, if they do, I see the Wildcats going far.

But then again, that’s how it usually goes with this team nowadays. It’s either all or nothing.

CP:

It’s officially that time again, and I hope everyone has their dancing shoes ready because, in years prior, Kentucky sure hasn’t.

The Cats are looking to escape the first weekend for the first time since 2019 — half a decade — and, while they were admittedly screwed by the 2020 tournament’s cancellation, a lot of that is because of poor form by Calipari when it mattered most.

After Saint Peter’s, nobody is truly an opponent to overlook, but call me naive, I’ll fall into the same trap. Oakland is a capable mid-major program, and an upset would be less stunning than the Peacocks, but Kentucky is winning this game.

The real trouble is in the second round. While NC State will be difficult in its red-hot form, the bigger hurdle is Texas Tech. Coming out of the Big 12, the Red Raiders are a solid defensive team and have a strong offense as well to back it up.

Personally, I can’t picture Kentucky making it to Dallas. If it does, however, I have to agree with Ali that the Florida Gators may have its number in the Sweet Sixteen. Another year, another let down.

SAMUEL COLMAR | STAFF

Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard (15) runs down the court with the ball during the Kentucky vs Vanderbilt mens basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee.

SAMUEL COLMAR | STAFF

Fans from the Kentucky student section react to the loss after the No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Texas A&M men's basketball game in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

SAMUEL COLMAR | STAFF

Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham (0) shoots a contested jump shot during the No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Texas A&M men's basketball game in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

SAMUEL COLMAR | STAFF

Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard (15) goes for a rebound during the No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Texas A&M men’s basketball game in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, March 15, 2024, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Kentucky lost 97-87.

SAMUEL COLMAR | STAFF

Kentucky head coach John Calipari calls a timeout during the No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Texas A&M men's basketball game in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

The kentuckykernel

Welcome to the Kentucky Kernel Bracket Challenge!

The goal is simple: channel your inner visionary and predict who’s winning it all and how they’ll do it!

Fill out this bracket with your picks round-by-round and pick a final score for your championship game.

Email your completed bracket

kernel bracket challenge

to sports@kykernel.com along with your name and a good email or phone number contact.

The winner will be decided based on results with the score being a potential tie breaker! The winner will earn a gift card and be contacted shortly after the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament.

SYDNEY YONKER | STAFF

Kentucky forward Ajae Petty goes up with the ball during the Kentucky vs Georgia women’s basketball game on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

SYDNEY YONKER | STAFF

Kentucky guard Brooklynn Miles celebrates a three point shot during the Kentucky vs. Georgia women’s basketball game on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

SYDNEY YONKER | STAFF

Kentucky guard Eniya Russell goes up with the ball during the Kentucky vs. Tennessee women’s basketball game on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

SYDNEY YONKER | STAFF

Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy coaches her team during the Kentucky vs Georgia women’s basketball game on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Editors’ picks: Where does Kentucky women’s basketball go from here?

By Samantha Money, Ali Cetinok and Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

AC:

After winning the event in 2021, Kentucky’s women’s basketball’s season also ended with a SEC Tournament elimination as the Wildcats lost to No. 5 Tennessee in the second-round last week.

Following the loss, head coach Kyra Elzy said she thinks the future is bright for the program, but that future will be without her as she was relieved of her duties as head coach following the loss, as UK failed to record 10 conference wins in Elzy’s four seasons of leadership.

Even worse than that, Kentucky failed to win half that number in each of the past two seasons.

The future, no matter what Elzy might have tried to convince Wildcat fans of, is far from bright as, prior to the announcement on Monday that Elzy was relieved of her duties as head coach, UK women's basketball had two highschool seniors committed to its 2024 class. That number has not changed.

The question now is what does this program do?

If I was Mitch Barnhart, the first person I would be calling is former Kentucky head coach Matthew Mitch-

ell just to test the waters.

While Mitchell was consistently leading this program to Elite Eight appearances, Elzy could barely muster eight wins a season and, if Kentucky doesn’t make the right hire, it might be eight years before the Wildcats even make another NCAA Tournament.

SM:

Unfortunately for Kentucky, there are no NCAA Tournament predictions to be made on the women’s side of things.

After former head coach Kyra Elzy was dismissed from the program following the SEC Tournament,

the Wildcats are in search of a new leader.

Ali and Cole have given the breakdown on some potential options for this deflated team, but what it all boils down to is the simple fact that the Wildcats need someone to make these women remember they are not defined by their disappointing record over the past handful of seasons.

The talent has been there and the potential has been there, but, frankly, a disconnect between coaching and the players has just held back the success of the team.

As of right now, Mad -

die Scherr and Eniya Russell are staying in Lexington, and their leadership with a new coaching direction will drastically shift the ambiance of this team. Kentucky just needs to make sure it keeps them.

CP:

Kentucky’s women have a much different situation than the men. Whereas the men would leave fans let down with a Sweet Sixteen exit, even making the tournament would be a godsend for the women.

Now, with Elzy fired, the next hire for this program could be make or break. It could return Kentucky to the form that Mitchell had brought it to — a competent SEC program — or it could

solidify the Wildcats as a bottom feeder in perhaps the hardest conference.

Personally, I am on board with Florida Gulf Coast head coach Karl Smesko in terms of realistic expectations, but the rumor that Louisville head coach Jeff Walz may have interest makes it hard not to get very very excited for what the future holds.

In men’s basketball, Kentucky, even with its recent failures, is a beacon of success in the sport and the dream destination of kids across the country. With similar investment, women’s basketball has the chance to reach similar highs competing in the SEC … it will all just comes down to the person in charge.

SYDNEY YONKER | STAFF

Kentucky guard Emma King shoots the ball during the Kentucky vs. Ole Miss women’s basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

Kentucky men’s basketball begins path to Phoenix in Pittsburgh as No. 3 seed

By Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky men’s basketball received a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament on selection Sunday, officially beginning the quest for “number nine.”

The Cats’ seedline was in question after a disappointing SEC Tournament exit that had fans questioning if UK would be a No. 3 or No. 4, but the selection committee proved merciful.

Being sent to Pittsburgh in the South Region, Kentucky will face off with the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, the automatic bid winner out of the Horizon League, before facing either ACC Tournament Champion NC State or Texas Tech in the second round.

The South Region is headlined by its one seed — the Houston Cougars — who are unlikely to become the third No. 1 seed to fall victim to a No. 16 seed and should handily beat Longwood.

Closer to home, Kentucky will hope to escape its half of the region that is also bolstered by No. 2 Marquette, which finished runner-up to the Big East title after losing to reigning national champions and No. 1 overall seeded UConn, and the red-hot Florida Gators, who also finished runner-up to the SEC title.

If those schools aren’t threatening enough, teams such as Colorado and Boise State — along with the winners of Conference USA Western Kentucky — will hope to stop the Cats from reaching the Elite Eight.

On the other half of the region, with Houston, several top contenders will seek to earn their way to the

Final Four, including Texas A&M, which is 2-0 against the Wildcats this season and ended their SEC Tournament run, Big Ten runner-up Wisconsin, the Duke Blue Devils and a wildcard Nebraska team.

It’s unlikely Kentucky runs the risk of facing American East winners Vermont or Sun Belt champion James Madison, but the two schools round out the 16-team region that features 17 schools due to the Buffaloes of Colorado and the Broncos of Boise State being sent to Dayton for the First Four.

All in all, Kentucky has faced two of its region mates — Texas A&M and Florida — and has gone a combined 1-3, with the lone win coming in Gainesville on January 6.

In terms of common opponents, Houston and Texas Tech both come from the Big 12, which is also the home of Kansas, which beat the Cats in Chicago early in the season. Houston finished 1-1 against the Jayhawks — who themselves earned a No. 4 seed in the Midwest — while the Red Raiders finished 1-0.

Duke and NC State hail from the ACC, a conference that Kentucky is 3-0 against this season with a blowout win over Miami, a close battle over North Carolina — which earned a No. 1 seed — and a win over Louisville. The Blue Devils finished 3-0 over Miami and Louisville, but were swept by North Carolina. NC State also finished 3-0 over Louisville and Miami but finished 1-2 against UNC.

Against the conferences of all other opponents, Kentucky is 2-0, beating Marshall out of the Sun Belt — the home conference of James Madison — and New Mex -

ico State out of Conference USA

— the home conference of Western Kentucky.

Looking at the tournament more broadly, Kentucky is 7-7 against 10 NCAA Tournament teams, standing undefeated against Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi State and North Carolina, but standing winless against Texas A&M, Gonzaga, Kansas and South Carolina.

The action is set to begin in the

First Four in Dayton on Tuesday, March 19 — and the first round beginning on Thursday — and Kentucky has high stakes this dance with fans frustrated at head coach John Calipari and the failures of the squad to advance.

With such a young team, March will be full of question marks, but one simple fact remains: now, more than ever, it’s survive and advance or lose and go home.

SAMUEL COLMAR | STAFF

Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves (12) prepares to shoot the ball during the Kentucky vs. Pennsylvania mens basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Scouting report: A look into Kentucky’s first weekend of the NCAA Tournament

By Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

Despite a disappointing end to the SEC Tournament, Ketucky fans were able to take solace in the fact that, without a doubt, the Wildcats were IN the NCAA Tournament.

With annoyance aimed toward head coach John Calipari following years of failure in March, expectations are high that Kentucky needs to get out of the first weekend for the first time since 2019.

In order to escape the first weekend, Kentucky will have to win two games in Pittsburgh against a possible three opponents. With that in mind, how does Kentucky stack up against its foes?

Kentucky Wildcats

The Cats earned a No. 3 seed in the “Big Dance,” something that saw many fans breathe a sigh of relief after some bracketologists had the Cats on the four line following their disappointing loss to Texas A&M — which did, in fact, also get into the field.

With the second best offense in all of college basketball, averaging 89.4 points per game, the Cats match up well offensively with anybody in the dance. The only team higher than Kentucky, Alabama, is across the bracket and the Cats already blew out the Crimson Tide this season.

The problem arises on the other

side of the ball, with Kentucky clocking in at 108 in defensive efficiency per KenPom, an advanced statistics website. Against a team that can suppress the Cats on offense, Kentucky may run into trouble.

Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Kentucky’s first round opponent is the No. 14 seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies from Michigan.

The Golden Grizzlies finished the 2023-24 season 23-11 on the year and won an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by way of winning the Horizon League Tournament.

Oakland has notable wins on its resume, including over Xavier and Marshall, but also has some rough losses as well including Green Bay. To its credit, it also played close in losses against Ohio State, No. 3 Illinois and No. 10 Drake.

The Golden Grizzlies are led in scoring by junior Trey Townsend, who averages 16.9 points per game after spending his whole career in Oakland.

Per KenPom, the Golden Grizzlies rank No. 137 overall and are No.135 on offense and No.165 on defense.

Barring a Saint Peter’s situation, Kentucky has all the tools to beat the Golden Grizzlies, but Oakland could also be deceptively tough as a first round opponent.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Assuming the Cats beat Oakland, they’ll face one of two opponents in the second round.

The first candidate is probably the tougher of the two: No. 6 Texas Tech.

KenPom has the Red Raiders No. 24 overall, just five spots behind Kenucky, with the No. 23 offense in the country and the No. 45 defense, a tough opponent for Kentucky in the first weekend.

The Red Raiders received an at-large bid out of the Big 12 after falling to No. 1 Houston. Throughout the season TTU has beaten No. 7 Texas, No. 6 BYU twice, No. 4 Kansas, No. 9 TCU and No. 3 Baylor, proving it's more than capable of winning big games.

Losses outside of the NCAA Tournament include Villanova, Butler, Cincinnati and UCF, none of which could truly be described as bad losses as all four were in or around the tournament conversation at one point this season.

The Red Raiders are led in scoring by sophomore Pop Isaacs and senior Joe Toussaint — an Iowa transfer — who combine for 28 points per game.

If Kentucky is going to escape the first weekend, the Red Raiders are certainly the biggest hurdle standing in its way.

NC State Wolfpack

The final candidate for the first weekend, and Texas Tech’s first round opponent, is No. 11 NC State.

The Wolfpack qualified for the dance as a “bid thief,” having been firmly out of the NCAA Tournament conversation before erupting to win five games in five days and clinch the ACC Tournament Championship.

The Wolfpack certainly had notable wins, including over No. 10 Virginia, No. 6 Clemson, but found its groove in the ACC Tournament, knocking out Louisville, Syracuse, No. 4 Duke, Virginia again and No. 1 North Carolina en route to the dance.

Outside of conference play, NC State didn’t take true bad losses, but it struggled in the ACC, going 9-11 with losses to multiple non-tournament teams.

Per KenPom, NC State is No. 58 with the No. 47 offense and No. 89 defense. It is led in scoring by senior DJ Horne — a former teammate of Antonio Reeves at Illinois State — and DJ Burns Jr. with the pair combining for 29.3 points per game.

Kentucky matches up better with NC State than Texas Tech, but the Wolfpack will enter the dance red hot and could prove to be a tough opponent nonetheless.

UK versus Oakland is scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 21, at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.

Kentucky men’s basketball coming up on full decade outside NCAA Final Four

By Jonathon Bruner sports@kykernel.com

On April 4, 2015, Kentucky men’s basketball entered Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for its Final Four matchup against Wisconsin, just two games away from perfection.

Unfortunately for the Cats, when the final buzzer sounded, it was the Wildcats that were left shocked, heartbroken and 38-1.

Following the near perfect season, the Wildcats reset with another loaded roster that included freshmen Jamal Murray and Isaiah Briscoe to pair with sophomore returnee Tyler Ulis.

Ultimately, Kentucky finished with a 30-9 record and won the SEC Tournament, which earned the team a No. 4 seed and, in round one, the Cats easily blew out No. 15 Stoney Brook 85-67, setting up a clash with No. 5 Indiana, where a 17-4 run in the second half propelled the Hoosiers to the 73-67 upset.

While the seed-lines were close, very few watching Kentucky saw the early exit coming and were unaware of the disappointment that was to come.

Kentucky reloaded the roster the next season with a star-studded freshman class with De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Bam Adebayo, with the team once again winning the SEC Tournament and receiving a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats defeated Northern Kentucky 79-70 in round one, Wichita State 65-62 in the second round and, in the Sweet 16, Kentucky defeated UCLA 85-67.

With fans excited for the run and the possibility that “number nine” was on its way, Kentucky met No. 1 North Carolina in the Elite Eight. Then, with 0.3 seconds to go in the game, Luke Maye broke the hearts of

canceled, robbing Kentucky fans of what could have been the last NCAA Tournament run in recent history.

The very next season, the Cats finished 9-16 overall with a first round exit in the SEC Tournament, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 season, but this time they weren’t even good enough for an NIT bid.

Looking to reload in 2021, transfer Oscar Tshiebwe and freshman TyTy Washington Jr. led Kentucky to an overall record of 28-8 to return to the No. 2 line for the NCAA Tournament.

With Tshiebwe being named consensus National Player of the Year, expectations were high as Kentucky entered the first round against No. 15 Saint Peter’s.

Big Blue Nation by sinking a jumper to seal a 75-73 Tar Heel victory.

The next year, freshmen Kevin Knox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and P.J. Washington arrived in Lexington and led the Wildcats to an overall record of 29-11, earning them a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky advanced with a 7873 win over Davidson in the first round and defeated Buffalo 95-75 in the second.

With the bracket wide open after some upsets, Kentucky was set up for another favorable matchup against No. 9 Kansas State.

With Kentucky trailing, Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to force overtime and avoid the upset, but his shot missed and the Wildcats' season was snatched from them yet again as they lost 61-58.

In 2018, sophomores P.J. Washington and Nick Richards paired with freshmen Tyler Herro and Keldon

Johnson to lead the team to an overall record of 37-7 to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

It blew out Abilene Christian 79-44 before getting past Wofford in round two by a score of 62-56. Houston was next and Kentucky continued its run, winning 62-58.

Going into the Elite Eight, the matchup was a familiar foe as the Cats were to take on the No. 5 Auburn Tigers.

During the regular season, Kentucky had swept the Tigers by scores of 82-80 and 80-53, but finding themselves in overtime in the big dance, the Wildcats could not come back and ultimately fell 77-71. Another season, another heartbreak for Kentucky.

The next season, sophomore Immanuel Quickley, junior Nick Richards and freshman Tyrese Maxey led the Wildcats to a 28-6 overall record, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both the SEC and NCAA Tournaments were

Shockingly, despite 30 points from Tshiebwe, the Wildcats were stunned in overtime 85-79.

In 2022, Tshiebwe, transfer Antonio Reeves and Jacob Toppin led Kentucky to a 22-12 overall record, a disappointing one for the expectations, and the team entered the NCAA Tournament a No. 6 seed.

Kentucky defeated Providence 6153 in the first round, but in the second round Markquis Nowell and his 27-point performance ended the Wildcats’ season as they were defeated once again by a score of 75-69 against No. 3 Kansas State.

With the Cats failing to reach the Final Four since the heartbreaking 2014-15 campaign, the 2024 NCAA Tournament looms as freshmen phenoms Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, along with superstar fifthyear senior Reeves, will look to right the wrongs of the teams that have come before them in hopes of capturing Kentucky basketball’s ninth National Championship.

JONATHAN KRUEGER | FILE

Center Karl-Anthony Towns, center Willie Cauley-Stein and guard Andrew Harrison accompanied by Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats talk during their post game press conference during the Final Four of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, April 4, 2015 in Indianapolis, In.

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