2018–19 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
| 2018–19 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| 2018–19 record | 0–0 (0–0 SEC) |
| Head coach | John Calipari (10th season) |
| Assistant coach | Kenny Payne (9th season) |
| Assistant coach | Tony Barbee (5th season) |
| Assistant coach | Joel Justus (3rd season) |
| Home arena | Rupp Arena |
| 2018–19 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2019 SEC Tournament winner As of April 11, 2018; Rankings from AP Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2018–19 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team will represent the University of Kentucky in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team will play its home games in Lexington, Kentucky for the 43rd consecutive season at Rupp Arena, with a capacity of 23,500. The team, led by John Calipari in his tenth season as head coach, will again play in the Southeastern Conference.
Previous season
The Wildcats finished the 2017–18 season 26–11, 10–8 in SEC play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth. In the SEC Tournament, the Wildcats defeated Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to win the tournament championship for the 31st time in school history. As a result, the Wildcats received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As the No. 5 seed in the South region, they defeated No. 12 Davidson[1] and No. 13 Buffalo to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.[2] There, they lost to No. 9-seeded Kansas State.[3]
Offseason
Departures
On April 2, 2018, Tai Wynyard announced that he would be transferring from Kentucky.[4] On April 6, Kevin Knox announced that he would declare for the 2018 NBA draft and would hire an agent, forgoing his remaining eligibility.[5] On April 9, Sacha Killeya-Jones announced he would be transferring as well.[6] Also, on April 9, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander announced that he would declare for the draft and would be hiring an agent, foregoing his remaining NCAA eligibility.[7] On April 16, Hamidou Diallo also announced that he would declare for the draft and hire an agent.[8] Three other players announced their entry in the draft, but did not initially hire agents, giving them the option to return to Kentucky. P. J. Washington declared for the draft on April 3,[9] followed by Wenyen Gabriel on April 18[10] and Jarred Vanderbilt on April 20.[11] On May 30, 2018, the NCAA's final day to announce a return, P.J Washington announced he would return for a sophomore season. Jarred Vanderbilt and Wenyen Gabriel announced on May 30, 2018 that they would remain in the 2018 NBA Draft and forgo their remaining college eligibility.[12][13]
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tai Wynyard | 14 | Forward | 6'10" | 255 | Sophomore | Auckland, New Zealand | Transferred to Santa Clara[14] |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 22 | Guard | 6'6" | 171 | Freshman | Hamilton, Ontario | Declared for the 2018 NBA draft |
| Kevin Knox | 5 | Forward | 6'9" | 215 | Freshman | Tampa, Florida | Declared for the 2018 NBA draft |
| Sacha Killeya-Jones | 1 | Forward | 6'10" | 221 | Sophomore | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Transferred to NC State[15] |
| Dillon Pulliam | 30 | Guard | 6'3" | 195 | Junior | Cynthiana, Kentucky | Graduated; transferring to Carnegie Mellon[16] |
| Hamidou Diallo | 3 | Guard | 6'5" | 200 | Freshman | Queens, New York | Declared for the 2018 NBA draft |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 2 | Forward | 6'9" | 214 | Freshman | Houston, Texas | Declared for the 2018 NBA draft |
| Wenyen Gabriel | 32 | Forward | 6'9" | 205 | Sophomore | Manchester, New Hampshire | Declared for the 2018 NBA draft |
2018 recruiting class
Immanuel Quickley, from Havre de Grace, Maryland, was the first commitment in Kentucky's 2018 class. He committed to Kentucky on September 22, over offers from Kansas and Miami. He was a consensus five-star prospect and was ranked the consensus No. 12 overall player by the four main recruiting services. The Wildcats' second 2018 commitment was Keldon Johnson, a small forward from South Hill, Virginia, who committed on November 11. Kentucky beat out Maryland, NC State, and Texas for Johnson's signature. He was also a consensus five-star prospect, and ranked by ESPN as its #7 overall prospect.[17] Tyler Herro was the third commitment for Kentucky's 2018 class. A former Wisconsin commit, Herro committed to Kentucky the week after his official visit. Herro was a consensus four-star prospect and was ranked the No. 4 shooting guard in the 2018 class by ESPN. E.J. Montgomery was the fourth commitment for Kentucky's 2018 class. A former Auburn commit, he re-opened his recruitment after the Auburn staff was implicated in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal. Montgomery committed to Kentucky on April 9, 2018. Montgomery was a five-star prospect and was ranked #12 in the 2018 class.[18] On April 10, 2018, Ashton Hagans committed to the University of Kentucky over offers from Georgia and North Carolina. Hagans was originally the second commitment in the 2019 recruiting class and the #1 ranked point guard in the class of 2019 by 247 sports. On June 15, 2018, Hagans announced that he would be reclassifying into the 2018 class and play for the Cats in the upcoming season, thus making him the fifth recruit in the class of 2018.[19]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Hagans PG |
Covington, GA | Newton High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Apr 10, 2018 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Tyler Herro SG |
Milwaukee, WI | Whitnall High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Nov 14, 2017 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Keldon Johnson SF |
South Hill, VA | Oak Hill Academy | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Nov 11, 2017 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| E.J. Montgomery PF |
Marietta, GA | Joseph Wheeler High School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Apr 9, 2018 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Immanuel Quickley PG |
Havre de Grace, MD | John Carroll School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sep 22, 2017 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #2 Rivals: #2 247Sports: #2 ESPN: #2 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Incoming transfers
On June 20, 2018, Reid Travis announced that he would transfer to Kentucky.[20] Travis was a two-time first team All-Pac 12 for Stanford and averaged 19.5 PPG and 8.7 RPG in his final year with the Cardinals. As a grad transfer, he is eligible to play immediately.[21]
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reid Travis | 22 | F | 6'8" | 245 | RS Junior | Minneapolis, MN | Graduate transferred from Stanford. |
2019 recruiting class
On May 9, 2018, Tyrese Maxey committed to play basketball for the University of Kentucky over offers from Michigan State and Texas. Maxey is the first commitment to the 2019 recruiting class and the #2 ranked point guard in the 2019 class by 247 sports. Maxey had the option to reclassify into the 2018 class, but chose to stay in the 2019 class.
On August 2, 2018, Dontaie Allen, from Pendleton County, KY, committed to play basketball for the University of Kentucky over offers from Louisville and Florida. Allen is the second commitment to the 2019 class and is ranked #47 overall in the 2019 class by Rivals150. Allen is the second in-state commitment to be ranked in the top-50 by Rivals in the John Calipari era.
On August 8, 2018, Kahlil Whitney committed to play basketball for UK over offers from Illinois and Georgetown. Whitney is the third commitment to commit in the 2019 class and is ranked #19 overall in the 2019 class by 247 sports.
| US college sports recruiting information for 2019 recruits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
| Tyrese Maxey PG |
Garland, TX | South Garland High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | May 9, 2018 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Dontaie Allen SF |
Falmouth, KY | Pendleton County High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Aug 2, 2018 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Kahlil Whitney SF |
Roselle, NJ | Roselle Catholic High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Aug 8, 2018 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
Sources:
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Roster
| 2018–19 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.
Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Blue Bahamas exhibition trip | |||||||||||
| August 8, 2018* 7:00 PM, SECN |
vs. Bahamas National Team | W 85–61 | – |
19 – Richards | 14 – Travis | 5 – Green | Imperial Arena Nassau, BAH | ||||
| August 9, 2018* 7:00 PM, SECN |
vs. San Lorenzo de Almagro | W 91–68 | – |
22 – Herro | 7 – Quickley | 5 – Quickley | Imperial Arena Nassau, BAH | ||||
| August 11, 2018* 7:00 PM, SECN |
vs. Mega Bemax | W 100–64 | – |
20 – Washington | 12 – Washington | 5 – Tied | Imperial Arena Nassau, BAH | ||||
| August 12, 2018* 4:00 PM, SECN |
vs. Team Toronto | W 93–60 | – |
19 – Travis | 15 – Travis | 4 – Quickley | Imperial Arena Nassau, BAH | ||||
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 26, 2018* 7:00 PM, SECN |
Transylvania | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| November 2, 2018* 7:00 PM, SECN |
IUP | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| November 6, 2018* 9:30 PM, ESPN |
vs. Duke Champions Classic |
– | – | – | Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN | ||||||
| November 9, 2018* 7:00 PM, SECN |
Southern Illinois | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| November 14, 2018* 9:00 PM, SECN |
North Dakota | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| November 18, 2018* 6:00 PM, SECN |
VMI | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| November 21, 2018* 1:00 PM, SECN |
Winthrop | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| November 23, 2018* 7:00 PM, SECN |
Tennessee State | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| November 28, 2018* 8:30 PM, SECN |
Monmouth | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| December 1, 2018* 4:00 PM, SECN |
UNC Greensboro | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| December 8, 2018* 12:00 PM, FOX |
vs. Seton Hall Citi Hoops Classic |
– | – | – | Madison Square Garden New York, NY | ||||||
| December 15, 2018* 5:00 PM, ESPN2 |
Utah | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| December 22, 2018* 5:15 PM, CBS |
vs. North Carolina CBS Sports Classic/Rivalry |
– | – | – | United Center Chicago, IL | ||||||
| December 29, 2018* 2:00 PM, ESPN2 |
at Louisville Battle for the Bluegrass |
– | – | – | KFC Yum! Center Louisville, KY | ||||||
| January 5, 2019 12/1 PM, ESPN |
at Alabama | – | – | – | Coleman Coliseum Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||||
| January 8, 2019 7:00 PM, ESPN/2/SECN |
Texas A&M | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| January 12, 2019 8:30 PM, SECN |
Vanderbilt | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| January 15, 2019 7:00 PM, ESPN/2/U/SECN |
at Georgia | – | – | – | Stegeman Coliseum Athens, GA | ||||||
| January 19, 2019 4/6 PM, ESPN/2 |
at Auburn | – | – | – | Auburn Arena Auburn, AL | ||||||
| January 22, 2019 7:00 PM, ESPN/2 |
Mississippi State | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| January 26, 2019* 6:00 PM, ESPN/2 |
Kansas Big 12/SEC Challenge |
– | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| January 29, 2019 9:00 PM, ESPN/2 |
at Vanderbilt | – | – | – | Memorial Gymnasium Nashville, TN | ||||||
| February 2, 2019 4/6 PM, ESPN/2 |
at Florida Rivalry |
– | – | – | O'Connell Center Gainesville, FL | ||||||
| February 5, 2019 7:00 PM, SECN |
South Carolina | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| February 9, 2019 1:00 PM, CBS |
at Mississippi State | – | – | – | Humphrey Coliseum Starkville, MS | ||||||
| February 12, 2019 7:00 PM, ESPN/2 |
LSU | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| February 16, 2019 8:00 PM, ESPN/2 |
Tennessee Rivalry |
– | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| February 19, 2019 9:00 PM, ESPN/2 |
at Missouri | – | – | – | Mizzou Arena Columbia, MO | ||||||
| February 23, 2019 1:30 PM, CBS |
Auburn | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| February 26, 2019 9:00 PM, ESPN/2/SECN |
Arkansas | – | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| March 2, 2019 2:00 PM, CBS |
at Tennessee Rivalry |
– | – | – | Thompson–Boling Arena Knoxville, TN | ||||||
| March 5, 2019 9:00 PM, ESPN/2/U/SECN |
at Ole Miss | – | – | – | The Pavilion Oxford, MS | ||||||
| March 9, 2019 2:00 PM, CBS |
Florida Rivalry |
– | – | – | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||
| SEC Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 13–17, 2019 TBD, SECN/ESPN |
vs. TBD | – | – | – | Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN | ||||||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. | |||||||||||
Rankings
| Week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
| AP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings
References
- ↑ "Kentucky basketball moves past Davidson into NCAA Tournament second round". courier-journal.com. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
- ↑ ESPN.com http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=401025858. Retrieved 2018-03-26. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ "Kansas St vs. Kentucky - Game Recap - March 22, 2018 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ "BREAKING: Suspended Kentucky forward to transfer". SEC Country. 2018-04-02. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ "UK frosh Knox to 'follow my dreams,' go pro". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ "Former 5-star prospect Sacha Killeya-Jones transferring from Kentucky". Sporting News. 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ "UK basketball freshman Shai Gilgeous-Alexander declares for NBA draft, will hire an agent". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ "NBA Draft 2018: Hamidou Diallo becomes fourth Kentucky player to declare for draft". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ "Kentucky's PJ Washington to enter draft but not hire an agent". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
- ↑ Goodman, Jeff (April 18, 2018). "Kentucky's Wenyen Gabriel enters NBA draft, won't hire agent". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
- ↑ Hale, Jon (April 20, 2018). "UK basketball's Jarred Vanderbilt entering NBA draft, not signing with an agent as of now". Courier Journal. Louisville, KY. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
- ↑ Staff, Kernel Sports. "Jarred Vanderbilt to remain in NBA Draft". The Kentucky Kernel. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ "Wenyen Gabriel keeps his name in NBA draft, ending his Kentucky career". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ Pilgam, Jack (May 18, 2018). "Tai Wynyard will transfer to Santa Clara". KentuckySportsRadio.com. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ↑ Borzello, Jeff (May 15, 2018). "Sacha Killeya-Jones transferring to NC State from Kentucky". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- ↑ Franklin, Drew (April 10, 2018). "Dillon Pulliam leaving Kentucky for Carnegie Mellon". Kentucky Sports Radio. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- ↑ Borzello, Jeff (November 11, 2017). "Keldon Johnson, No. 7 recruit in ESPN 100, joins Kentucky's 2018 class". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ↑ Borzello, Jeff (April 9, 2018). "E.J. Montgomery latest 5-star recruit to commit to Kentucky". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ↑ Pilgram, Jack (June 15, 2018). "Ashton Hagans graduates, will officially reclassify to class of 2018". KentuckySportsRadio.com. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ↑ "What Reid Travis transferring to Kentucky means". SI.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ↑ "Stanford's Travis transferring to Kentucky". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.