< PreviousWEEKNIGHTS 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY 9:00 a.m.KENTUCKY BASKETBALL 14 @KentuckyMBB From Press Row Last Time Out: Illinois State Recap No. 8 Kentucky has been very good at sharing the ball this season, especially in the Wildcats’ nine victories. That trend contin- ued as the Cats recorded 23 assists in a 96- 70 win over Illinois State. In Kentucky’s victories this season, the Cats have averaged 20.2 assists per game. In UK’s two losses, the Cats have assisted on an average of 14 baskets. Several Cats got in on the action. In fact, six Kentucky players recorded an assist in the game. Four UK players had at least four assists, led by Rob Dillingham, who had seven. Antonio Reeves led Kentucky in scoring with 27 points against his former team. That followed Reeves’ 30-point effort against Louisville. Dillingham had 16 points, Reed Sheppard had 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. D.J. Wagner was the fourth UK player in double figures, scoring 14 points and hand- ing out three assists. Kentucky head coach John Calipari likes how his team is playing through 12 games. “We’ve got a good team,” Calipari said. “We pass the ball, we shoot the ball.” One area of concern from Friday’s game was rebounding. Calipari knows that his team needs to continue to improve in that particular area. “They blocked us out. We didn’t go get any balls,” Calipari said. “We got a few, but not like they did. That will concern me but we’ve got time.” Final Tidbits from the Illinois State game: • UK scored 96 points. The Wildcats en- tered the game fourth in the nation at 90.6 per game. • UK has scored at least 80 points in all but one game this season. • Kentucky made 11 of 25 3-point shots. The Wildcats entered the game 11th in the nation with 10.5 long balls made per game. • UK shot 44% on 3-pointers, entered the contest third nationally at 41.4%. • UK dished out 23 assists, entered the game 11th in the country with 19.1 per game. • Kentucky blocked nine shots, tying the season high set vs. North Carolina. • Kentucky led by as many as 28 points. UK is 338-15 (95.7%) in the Calipari era when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest. • Antonio Reeves scored a game-high 27 points after scoring 30 last time out at Louisville. Reeves now has six games scoring 20-plus points this season and 37 for his career. He extended his streak of 23 consecutive games with a 3-pointer, longest since Jamal Murray’s school-re- cord 36-game streak in the 2015- 16 season. • Tre Mitchell had eight points, 11 boards and four assists. He has had at least four boards in every game this season. He led the team in plus/minus at plus-30. Mitchell has back-to-back games with dou- ble-digit rebounds after not accom- plishing the feat in the first 10 games of the season. D.J. Wagner poured in 14 points to go along with three assists. It marked his sixth double-figure scoring game of the sea- son. Reed Sheppard totaled 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals. Sheppard has scored in double figures in nine games. He extended his streak of at least two steals in every game this season. Rob Dillingham went for 16 points, sev- en assists, three boards and a career-high three steals. It marked his 11th double-figure scoring game in 12 contests. Cats Give Back As part of the University of Kentucky's commitment to the people of the Com- monwealth and Big Blue Nation around the globe, the Wildcats continue to give back to those in need. • Dating back to his time at Memphis, John Calipari has worked with local busi- nesses to partner and help families (usually around 10-12 families) in need for the holi- days. Families are identified by local leaders and are uplifted with gifts, gift cards, food for the holidays and even rent checks. UK players helped host a reception with a holi- day meal and Christmas carols sung on Dec. 17 to continue Calipari's tradition • Kentucky spent Thanksgiving serving lunch to people in need alongside the Sal- vation Army • The Wildcats spent time at Philadel- phia's Philabundance packing boxes of food prior to their game vs. Penn • All ticket revenue from the Cats' an- nual Blue-White Game, went to Team Kentucky benefiting people in the state of Kentucky who have been impacted by de- vistating flooding and tornadoes during the past two years. • Kentucky's men's and women's bas- ketball team partnered with the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation to host a youth skills academy for underprivileged local boys and girls for the second straight season.Thank You to Our CORNERSTONE PARTNERS OFFICIAL BANK OF UK ATHLETICSNEKENTUCKY BASKETBALL 18 @KentuckyMBB Around the SEC Around the Country 2023-24 SEC Standings and Statistics Team SEC Overall Home Road Ole Miss 0-0 13-0 9-0 2-0 South Carolina 0-0 12-1 8-0 1-1 Auburn 0-0 11-2 7-0 0-1 Mississippi State 0-0 11-2 5-1 0-1 Kentucky 0-0 10-2 7-1 1-0 Florida 0-0 10-3 6-0 0-1 Georgia 0-0 10-3 9-0 1-0 Tennessee 0-0 10-3 7-0 1-1 Arkansas 0-0 9-4 7-1 0-0 Texas A&M 0-0 9-4 5-1 2-1 Alabama 0-0 8-5 6-1 0-1 LSU 0-0 8-5 6-2 0-1 Missouri 0-0 8-5 6-2 2-1 Vanderbilt 0-0 5-8 5-4 0-1 Scoring Player-Team ...................................................................PPG Mark Sears, ALA ............................................................19.3 Antonio Reeves, UK ......................................................19.0 Meechie Johnson, SC .....................................................17.7 Wade Taylor IV, TAMU ...................................................17.6 Sean East II, MIZZOU ....................................................17.1 Rebounding Player-Team ...................................................................RPG Jimmy Bell Jr., MISS ST ....................................................9.2 Henry Coleman III, TAMU ...............................................9.1 Tyrese Samuel, UF ...........................................................8.8 Johni Broome, AUB .........................................................8.7 Andersson Garcia, TAMU ................................................8.6 Assists Player-Team ...................................................................APG Zyon Pullin, UF ...............................................................5.0 Wade Taylor IV, TAMU .....................................................4.5 Zakai Zeigler, UT .............................................................4.5 Rob Dillingham, UK ........................................................4.5 Ta'Lon Cooper, SC ...........................................................4.5 Steals Player-Team ...................................................................SPG Reed Sheppard, UK .........................................................2.8 Cameron Matthews, MISS ST ...........................................2.5 Matthew Murrell, MISS ....................................................2.3 Jordan Wright, LSU ..........................................................2.3 Wade Taylor IV, TAMU .....................................................2.1 Blocks Player-Team ...................................................................BPG Jamarion Sharp, MISS ......................................................2.5 Johni Broome, AUB .........................................................2.0 Aidan Shaw, MIZZOU .....................................................1.8 Jonas Aidoo, UT ..............................................................1.5 Chandler Lawson, ARK ....................................................1.5 2023-24 Associated Press Rankings As of January 1, 2024 (week 9) Team Record Points 1 Purdue (49) 12-1 1561 2 Kansas (5) 12-1 1497 3 Houston (9) 13-0 1477 4 UConn 11-2 1302 5 Tennessee 9-3 1234 6 Kentucky 10-2 1196 7 Marquette 11-3 1137 8 North Carolina 9-3 1088 9 Illinois 10-2 980 10 Arizona 10-3 975 11 Oklahoma 12-1 898 12 BYU 12-1 723 13 Colorado State 12-1 694 14 Duke 9-3 662 15 Memphis 11-2 631 16 Clemson 11-1 630 17 Florida Atlantic 10-3 603 18 Baylor 10-2 589 19 James Madison 13-0 469 20 Texas 10-2 374 21 Wisconsin 9-3 355 22 Ole Miss 13-0 329 23 Providence 11-2 198 24 Gonzaga 9-4 173 25 Auburn 10-2 168We’re your Shield. We’re your Shelter. ShelterInsurance.com • 1-800-SHELTER WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE KENTUCKY WILDCATS! KENTUCKY WILDCATS! ® ANDERSON, IN Jordan Harper BARDSTOWN Tyler Bruington BEAVER DAM Robbie Parham BOWLING GREEN Nancy Hickey Drew Hayes BUTLER Jason Laytart CAMPBELLSVILLE Taylor Burress CARLISLE Bill Clark CYNTHIANA Lee Adkins DANVILLE Troy Wheeler ELIZABETHTOWN Jamie Martin Alice Slaubaugh EMINENCE Fred Downey EVANSVILLE, IN Rick Koberstein FAIRDALE Jamie Norsworthy FLEMINGSBURG Cole Clark FLORENCE Rocky Bryan Brandi Monday FRANKLIN Lauren Roberts FRANKFORT BJ Hurst Audrey Marshall GEORGETOWN Steve Black Spencer Kilpatrick HARDINSBURG Sandra Bruington HARRODSBURG Jamie Dunn HENDERSON Megan Brown HODGENVILLE Teddy Sandford HOPKINSVILLE Alexander Capps Scott Leuckel LAGRANGE Paula Kaeser LANCASTER Cindy Lanham LAWRENCEBURG Ashley Bailey LEITCHFIELD Donna Vanmeter LEXINGTON Tony Arnold Ed Carr Linda Fugate Dawan Hart Heather Lewis Josh Miniard Willie Morrison Gene Young LIBERTY Kevin Atwood LIVERMORE Katie Gunterman LONDON Jeffery Anderson LOUISVILLE Amy Brown Corinne Ramsier Larissa Spears MADISONVILLE Brandi Hughes MAYFIELD Steve Jones MOREHEAD Caleb Staggs MOUNT STERLING Elizabeth Shelley MURRAY Doug Henry NICHOLASVILLE Marc Miller Russ Owens OWENSBORO Karen Keller PADUCAH Toby Boone RICHMOND Ashley Kovaleski Evan Worrell SHELBYVILLE Scott Martin SLAUGHTERS Sam Westfall SOMERSET Jason Weatherford SPRINGFIELD Sue Blair STANFORD Sean Slusher UNION Joey Bailey VERSAILLES Janice Frasier WINCHESTER Kay Brandenburg Olin WoolumKENTUCKY BASKETBALL 20 @KentuckyMBB Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 6 p.m. Saturday January Tennessee Lexington, Ky. 8:30 p.m. Saturday February Gonzaga Lexington, Ky. 4 p.m. Saturday February Ole Miss Lexington, Ky. 9 p.m. Tuesday February Auburn Auburn, Ala. 6 p.m. Saturday February Vanderbilt Lexington, Ky. 9 p.m. Wednesday March Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn. 4 p.m. Saturday March SEC Tournament Nashville, Tenn. TBA Wed.-Sun. March 13-17 NCAA Tournament Final Four® Phoenix | TBA March- April TBA LSU Baton Rouge, La. 9 p.m. February Alabama Lexington, Ky. 4 p.m. Saturday February Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 7 p.m. Tuesday February Arkansas Lexington, Ky. 1:30 p.m. Saturday March Florida Lexington, Ky. 8 p.m. January Mississippi State Lexington, Ky. 7 p.m. January Georgia Lexington, Ky. 6 p.m. Saturday January South Carolina Columbia, S.C. 7 p.m. Tuesday January Kansas Chicago L, 84-89 Tuesday November New Mexico State Lexington, Ky. W, 86-46 Monday November Texas A&M- Lexington, Ky. W, 81-61 Friday November Miami Lexington, Ky. W, 95-73 Tuesday November UNC-Wilmington Lexington, Ky. L, 73-80 Saturday December Penn Philadelphia W, 81-66 Saturday December Stonehill Lexington, Ky. W, 101-67 Friday November Saint Joseph's Lexington, Ky. W, 96-88 (OT) Monday November Marshall Lexington, Ky. W, 118-82 Friday November Louisville Louisville, Ky. W, 95-76 Thursday December Illinois State Lexington, Ky. W, 96-70 Friday December Missouri Lexington, Ky. 7 p.m. Tuesday January Florida Gainesville, Fla. 12:30 p.m. Saturday January Texas A&M 2 p.m. Saturday January North Carolina Atlanta Saturday December Home Neutral Away 2023-24 Basketball Schedule Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. 8:30 p.m. Tuesday February Wildcat Challenge presented by Kentucky Tourism Wildcat Challenge presented by Kentucky Tourism Wildcat Challenge presented by Kentucky Tourism ACC/SEC Challenge CBS Sports Classic State Farm Champions ClassicSUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTS TODAY! SPORTS NETWORKSPORTS NETWORK The John Calipari Show Behind Kentucky BasketballNext >