March 19, 2019

kentuckykernel

Tuesday, March 19, 2019 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel @kentuckykernel

‘I HAVE A NAME.’

Tayvis Akpan is more than ‘the dancing guy’ PAGE 3

MARCH MADNESS IS HERE READ STAFF PREDICTIONS ON PAGE 5 SEE NCAA BRACKET ON PAGE 5 LEARN ABOUT THE MIDWEST REGION ON PAGE 6

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

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Tuesday, March 19, 2019

‘I have a name.’

Tayvis Akpan is more than ‘the dancing guy’ STORY AND PHOTOS BY SARAH LADD

You’ve seen him dancing— or, as he prefers to call it, “vibing”— around campus, but don’t call him “The Dancing Guy.” Tayvis Akpan prefers to be called by his self-appointed nickname “Tayvho,” and he has a message for people around campus: “I have a name.”

In high school, Tayvho felt like he was alone in a lot of ways, mostly because of his kind nature. Because he was willing to help people and be available to people, he said he felt that they took advantage of him, looking past who he was. He said he feels that people are making the same mistake at UK of looking past him and focusing on what he does instead of who he is.

“Basically, I wasn’t really respected in high school. I was basically an outcast.

What that means is where people throw you away, basically isolate you,” he said. “It was never ending…. But it didn’t change who I was.”

Overcoming these feelings of isolation was a journey he worked hard at to remain true to himself, and it’s a journey he feels his “favorite college,” UK, helped him with.

He feels that in a lot of ways, people are making the same mistake in Lexington that people did from his high school.

“The fact that people kept calling me dancing man, I was like ‘Hey, I have a name.’ The same people who call me dancing guy, they don’t try to get to know my background,” he said.

Referring to his popular nickname around campus, he said, “I’m more than just that.”

Akpan is from Owensboro, Kentucky, and is a Bluegrass Community and Technical College sophomore student who is dual-enrolled at the University of Kentucky studying filmmaking and cinematic art. He wants to pursue a career in the arts and do something performance-related.

He lives on campus in Jewell Hall, and he said coming to UK was like a dream come true. He made the decision before coming to let go of all the weight and struggles he’d faced in high school and just focus on “living that dream” and opening a new chapter in his life.

“At that point,” he said, “I didn’t know who I was.”

Coming to UK and being on his own helped him discover his love of music and performing and gain an identity away from his roots at his favorite school.

“It was just an experience for me. Just to be able to stay in the dorm, be independent, and try to figure out who I am,” Akpan said.

His journey to local fame began early in his college career. He described his maiden dance as a time that he was just “drunk in the music” that he was listening to. He found himself dancing down Euclid and Avenue of Champions and losing track of time and distance.

He described himself as “oblivious” sometimes and said that he didn’t realize then, and sometimes still doesn’t, how many people are drawn to his moves and cheer him on. He attracted a following during that first dance and hasn’t been at a loss for audience or even engagement requests since then.

Since that first dance, Akpan has been dubbed “the dancing guy” on campus and has been on the receiving end of publicity

SARAH LADD I STAFF Tayvis Akpan, whom many on UK’s campus have nicknamed ‘the dancing guy,’ takes a rest from ‘vibing’ at the Gatton Student Center on Monday, Feb. 25, 2019.

calls, autograph requests and newspaper clippings that he sends back home. He’s never short of fans. His Instagram account (@liltayvho) has more than 13,000 followers, and he hosts visual updates for his fans on his dancing.

He got to dance at halftime in Rupp Arena when the Kentucky men’s basketball team played South Carolina in January.

He described that “special” experience as “the best moment in my entire college experience.”

Akpan chose “Billy Jean” by Michael Jackson for his song to get the UK fans hype that night. He said he draws a lot of the inspiration for his own music from the musical icon.

After the game, he said he gave out a lot of autographs and was overwhelmed by how many people wanted to meet him.

“I gave them my autograph and gave them a hug, and a handshake,” he said.

He said it was inspiring, and everybody else said they felt inspired, too.

“They felt so happy because they never saw anything like that before,” he said.

“They never saw somebody just come out and just do their own thing, not caring about what people say.”

He said that the compliments that night humbled him and made him speechless,

but the whole experience gave him a lot of joy because there on the court, he felt freedom from judgment.

“That’s a day I’m never gonna forget,” he said. “And it’s on my birthday!”

It’s not about the following for him, though. He said he enjoys inspiring people, but wants people to get serious about interpersonal friendships. He enjoys talking with people and engaging with people at events. He especially enjoys his trips to visit schools and speak with preschoolers all the way to sixth graders.

Akpan said he gets drunk on music and feels that it “tells a story” that can sometimes place you in “outer space.”

He doesn’t put his focus on what people think of him, but he wishes that people would get to know who he is, his background and what he’s really like instead of calling him the dancing guy.

He’d prefer to be called Tayvho, and for people to get to know the real him: a guy who makes his own music, ran cross country and track in high school and plays several instruments, including the violin, the guitar, the keyboard, the piano and the harp. He’s the guy who likes gaming and loves Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario Kart.

“I’m also human, too,” Akpan said. “I’m not just this guy that’s nonexistent.”

spring 2019 | 3

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

sports

Kentucky 73, Alabama 55

SEC PHOTOS BY JORDAN PRATHER I STAFF LEFT: Kentucky graduate student forward Reid Travis plays defense during the SEC tournament quarterfinals game against Alabama on March 15, 2019.

ABOVE: Kentucky sophomore forward P.J. Washington reaches for a basket during the SEC tournament quarterfinals game against Alabama on Friday, March 15, 2019, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kentucky 78, Tennessee 82

Selection Show

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF LEFT: Kentucky freshman guards Keldon Johnson and Ashton Hagans chest bump in celebration during the SEC tournament semifinals game against Tennessee on Saturday, March 16, 2019.

ABOVE: The UK men’s basketball team watched the NCAA Selection Show at John Calipari’s house on Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Kernel staff predictions for NCAA tournament ERIKA BONNER

CHASE CAMPBELL

Sports Editor

Asst. Sports Editor

have what it takes to get to the ‘ship this year.

Chase: At least to the Elite Eight, and I like their chances to win the whole thing, so let’s meet in the middle and say they get knocked out in the Final Four.

Which UK player will be the ‘X’ factor for them in the tournament?

Erika: Reid Travis. He played great in both of UK’s games in the SEC tournament, minus when he fouled out against UT (and UK fell apart). Which is why I say he’ll be extremely important for the Cats— his presence in the post is a must.

Chase: Ashton Hagans. A lot of the teams they’ll face have dominant guards (Powell for Seton Hall, Magee for Wofford, White for UNC) and Hagans can singlehandedly dismantle a team by shutting option No. 1 down. That’s his job.

2019 NCAA BRACKET

1 Duke 16 NCC/ NDAKST 8 VCU 9 UCF 5 Miss. State 12 Liberty 4 Va. Tech 13 Saint Louis 6 Maryland 11 BELM/TEMP 3 LSU 14 Yale 7 Louisville 10 Minnesota 2 Michigan St. 15 Bradley

1 Virginia 16 G-Webb 8 Ole Miss 9 Oklahoma 5 Wisconsin 12 Oregon 4 Kansas St. 13 UC Irvine 6 Villanova 11 Saint Mary’s 3 Purdue 14 Old Dominion 7 Cincinnati 10 Iowa 2 Tennessee 15 Colgate

SOUTH

EAST

What matchup does Kentucky want in the Midwest region?

Erika: I think an ideal situation for UK would be a matchup with Kansas. The Cats have already beaten Kansas this season and know what to expect, and the Cats have improved a lot since then.

Chase: They want to see, in order, Seton Hall, Iowa State, Auburn. Seton Hall is a revenge game, Iowa State can get run over physically and Auburn has a shallow ro-

tation. They’d be tired by that point.

Which team has the best chance of beating UK? Erika: There are several great teams in the Midwest that would give UK trouble (cough cough, Houston, cough cough, Iowa State), but at the end of the day, I think UNC has a good chance of beating the Cats, given they both make it to the Elite Eight.

Chase: Wofford. Remember earlier in the year, when some players would just have magical games against the Cats? Fletcher Magee seems ripe for one of those, and what better team to do it against? Cats will have to be seriously on their toes if they play against Wofford.

Where will the Cats finish?

Erika: I’m going all the way and predicting they’ll go to the championship. I’m not so sure they’ll claim the title, but this Kentucky team is good and I think they certainly

WEST

5 Marquette 12 Murray St. 4 Florida St. 13 Vermont 6 Buffalo 11 AZST/STJOHN 3 Texas Tech 14 N. Kentucky 7 Nevada 10 Florida 2 Michigan 15 Montana First Round

Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight

Final Four

Championship

Final Four

Elite Eight Sweet Sixteen Second Round

MIDWEST

1 N. Carolina 16 Iona 8 Utah St. 9 Washington 5 Auburn 12 N. Mex. St. 4 Kansas 13 Northeastern 6 Iowa St. 11 Ohio St. 3 Houston 14 Georgia St. 7 Wofford 10 Seton Hall 2 Kentucky 15 Abilene Chr.

1 Gonzaga 16 FDU/PVIEW 8 Syracuse 9 Baylor

First Round

spring 2019 | 5

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

A Beginner’s Guide to the Midwest Region CHASE CAMPBELL Asst. Sports Editor

March Madness is officially upon us and, like for so many others, it is one of my favorite times of year.

I’m here to give you the who’s who and the what’s what of the Midwest region, so that you can destroy every coworker and classmate who dares to join you in a bracket group that, oddly, only bases their results on a quarter of the bracket.

The Midwest region is full of familiar opponents for the Cats. That’s a major plus to Kentucky, because having film on how your players handled theirs is always positive.

So, without any more stalling from me because commitment to brackets make me nervous, here’s your guide to the Midwest region: No. 1: North Carolina The Tar Heels are so, so much better than when they played Kentucky. I’d contend that after turning it over more times than a pastry fanatic in Chicago, Coby White has played like an All-ACC point guard. The Heels are far more confident and poised than in the Champions Classic, and they almost had a Duke win to show for it. Nobody wants to play these guys right now.

No. 16: Iona Iona entered the tournament by beating Monmouth by 21 in the MAAC Championship. Yeah, I’m not too high on them either. The school’s got some tournament experience, but not nearly enough talent to handle the Tar Heels. I don’t think we’ll be seeing a repeat of last year’s UMBC victory.

No. 8: Utah State If you like teams that score a lot of points, you like the Aggies. The regular season champions of the Mountain West boast junior guard Sam Merrill, who scores more than 21 points a game. He wears No. 5, if you turn the game on. He’ll also be the one scoring, you know, all the points. They’ve won their games by

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an average of just under 13 points by putting up nearly 80 a game, so they haven’t really run into a real defense yet.

No. 9: Washington The regular season victors of the Pac-12 are in a really weird spot.

They have a loss to the abysmal Cal Bears, but also won their conference’s regular season. They’re unpredictable, and they haven’t really played quality opponents. Bet on them at your own risk.

No. 5: Auburn The Auburn Tigers might be the hottest team in the country, but I’d like to exercise a word of caution to anyone having them go too far. The Tigers do not have a deep rotation at any position, and will play a maximum of seven players in significant minutes. They shoot a ton of threes and make almost as many. If they go cold or run out of gas, they’ll probably be done. Jared Harper and Bryce Brown, their two lead guards, have some serious takeover ability.

They make for good heroes.

No. 12: New Mexico State The second set of Aggies comes from the WAC, where New Mexico State ripped their opponents by an average of 14 points. They’ll play right at the rim, because their 33.8 percent three-point shooting is good for 228th in the nation. Auburn’s Austin Wiley and Horace Spencer must be licking their chops to push down a team like this. New Mexico State is really good at rebounding, so that’s going to be the primary way they beat a more talented team.

Pick the Tigers, though.

No. 4: Kansas The Streak may be over, but Kansas isn’t a team to scoff at. Though they didn’t grab a share of the conference title for the first time in over a decade, the Jayhawks play a balanced brand of basketball, when everyone’s on. Dedric Lawson is a double-double machine, and I personally love watching freshman guard Devon Dotson play defense.

Their style can mold to opponents, and that matters in the tournament.

They have the same depth problem that Auburn has.

No. 13: Northeastern Northeastern is one of the most balanced teams in the tournament.

They’re a tough team to game plan against, because seven of their players average at least eight points a game, and four of them average in double figures. They’ll spread it around (76th nationally in total assists) and create turnovers (6.5 steals per game in conference play).

It’ll be annoying for a little bit, but pick the Jayhawks here. Northeastern’s best win is Alabama.

No. 6: Iowa State Man, the Cyclones are fun. They score a lot of points (73.3 per game in conference play, best in the Big 12) but their defense leaves much to be desired (71.1 points allowed per game in conference play, seventh in the Big 12). If they don’t get hot during the game, they’re going to lose. They also don’t foul, like, ever, at 35th in the nation and best in the Big 12 in fewest fouls per game. You’re gonna have to beat these guys straight up, but attack and they’ll back off.

No. 11: Ohio State I saw this group in person earlier this season. I wasn’t impressed.

They’re 8-12 in a somewhat crippled Big Ten, score less than 70 points a game and don’t crack the top 100 in any kind of basic efficiency or production stat. If I were going to pick one team to just claw-machine out of this bracket and grab another one, it’d be the Buckeyes. Pick the Cyclones.

No. 3: Houston The Cougars are solid. A great defensive team that was one Jordan Poole shot away from breaking through last year. They’ll give any team that tries to score on them fits, but their lack of a real challenge this season due to a weakened conference amplifies their losses to Temple and UCF. They’re not fakers, but they’re not dominators either.

No. 14: Georgia State The best team in Georgia! With the Bulldogs out, and neither Georgia Tech nor Georgia Southern making the field, the Panthers can claim that title. This is another team

that’ll bury you from deep; they’re 14th in the nation in three-point percentage. Unfortunately for them, Houston is second in the nation in allowed three-point percentage at just 27 percent. Panthers will get destroyed here.

No. 7: Wofford Wofford’s become something of a national darling this season, breaking into the AP Top 25 consistently during the year. The Terriers from Spartanburg, South Carolina (hometown of Zion Williamson), do what most mid-major powers do: Destroy you from behind the arc. Fletcher Magee and co. shoot over 41 percent from deep, which is borderline insane. They don’t go cold and they don’t go away.

No. 10: Seton Hall This team beat Kentucky in overtime after some late-game heroics from P.J. Washington and Keldon Johnson even got the Cats in position for it. Myles Powell is a legit takeover guy, and they have a chameleon style of play that I really like. They don’t get the ball stolen a ton, and they can create a whole lot of turnovers (No. 68 in the nation in that department). I picked the Pirates. It should be a good one.

No. 2: Kentucky Please read any Kernel sports article, thanks. I do want to mention that the Cats have an adaptable game, and that the heavy reliance on Washington is beginning to fade.

Herro, Johnson, Immanuel Quickley and Ashton Hagans are stepping up as legitimate scoring options, and the Cats need that.

No. 15: Abilene Christian They steal the ball a lot: 8.7 times a game. Do they do anything with it once they’ve stolen it? Not really; they score a modest 74.5 for playing in the Southland conference.

Their defense is top-notch because of those turnovers they create, and opponents score 63.1 points a game.

When opponents actually get shots off, they’ll drop them at a perfectly fine clip. Avoid an embarrassing amount of turnovers, and the Cats blow the OTHER Wildcats back to Abilene, Texas.

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Tuesday, March 19, 2019

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spring 2019 | 7

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

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