< PreviousKENTUCKY 50 @KentuckyMBB 2021-22 Saw action in 29 games and made four starts in his second season with the Wildcats … Averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 17.7 minutes … Missed five games due to injury … Scored in double figures in seven games … Had career highs in scor- ing, blocks, assists, field-goal percentage and 3-point field-goal percentage … Averaged 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game over his final seven games of the regular season … Tal- lied nine points with a trio of dunks and three points from the charity stripe against Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament … Logged 10 points and three blocks in the SEC Tourna- ment quarterfinals against Vanderbilt … Con- tributed eight points and six rebounds in 39 minutes of the win over LSU at home … Had 13 points, six boards and three assists in a ca- reer-high 40 minutes in the home victory over Alabama … Tallied 11 points and contributed six rebounds at Tennessee … Scored 10 points and had three rebounds in just six minutes at South Carolina before injuring an ankle … Logged 11 points and three rebounds in the win at Kansas … Contributed nine points, six boards, two assists, a block and a steal in the come-from-behind win at Texas A&M … Had season highs with 14 points and eight rebounds at LSU … Notched 12 points and a career-high six assists in the win over Western Kentucky … Had seven points, five rebounds and three assists in a win against North Car- olina … Had seven points in the win over Central Michigan … Made his season debut after missing much of the preseason with a shoulder injury against Duke in the Champi- ons Classic with four points and six rebounds. 2020-21 Southeastern Conference First-Year Academ- ic Honor Roll member … Appeared in 24 of 25 games with two starts … Originally slated to redshirt in 2020-21, became a key player off the bench for the Wildcats, impacting the game in key spurts in the scoring column and on the boards … Averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds on the season … Four games in double-figure scoring … Made a greater impact as the season progressed, averaging 7.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 23.0 minutes over the final seven regular-season games … Came up with a career-high three steals in ad- dition to five boards at Ole Miss … Scored 11 points in 21 minutes in the home loss to Florida … Recorded a career-high 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 23 minutes at Vanderbilt … Totaled five points and a season-high seven rebounds in the home victory vs. Auburn … Solid game vs. Arkansas with nine points and six rebounds … Provided a spark in the loss at Auburn with 10 points and six rebounds … JACOB TOPPIN 6-9 n 205 n Sr. n Brooklyn, N.Y. #0 n F Follow JACOB on Social Media n @jtoppin0 on Twitter n @jtoppin_0 on Instagram n @jtopppin_21 on TikTok n @jtopppin_21 on SnapChat n jtoppin9 on Twitch Click Here for More Information on Jacob464 Chenault Road | Frankfort, KY 40601 | 502-695-4700 membership@kychamber.com| www.kychamber.com MEMBERSHIP MATTERS. JOIN TODAY!KENTUCKY 52 @KentuckyMBB 2021-22 Unanimous National Player of the Year (Sporting News, Associated Press, United States Basketball Writer’s Association, Na- tional Association of Basketball Coaches, Na- ismith Trophy, Wooden Award) … First player in program history to win all six NCAA-rec- ognized awards … First player in SEC history to win all six in the same season … Unani- mous All-America First-Team honoree by the AP, Sporting News, USBWA and NABC … Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award winner for the nation’s best center … NABC’s Pete Newell Big Man of the Year … SEC Player of the Year … First-Team All-SEC by both the league’s coaches and media … Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist … All-SEC Defen- sive Team as selected by the league’s coach- es … Led the country in rebounding (15.1), offensive rebounds per game (5.3) and de- fensive rebounding percentage (34.6%), also ranked second in offensive rebounding percentage (19.4%) … Snared 515 rebounds on the season, topping any other Division I collegiate player … The mark ranks as the third-most in program history and is one of just three players to tally 500 or more … Be- came a 1,000-point collegiate scorer in the final game of the season … Set a UK sin- gle-season record with 28 double-doubles … Was the first player to average at least 15 points and at least 15 rebounds per game since Drake’s Lewis Lloyd and Alcorn State’s Larry Smith did so in 1979-80 … First ma- jor-conference player to average 15-15 since UCLA’s Bill Walton in 1972-73 … First UK player to tally those numbers since Bob Bur- row in 1954-55 … Finished the season as the only major-conference player averaging at least 1.6 blocks and 1.6 steals per game … Corralled 10 or more rebounds in all but two games … Finished the season with program records of 21 straight double-figure rebound- ing efforts and 16 straight double-doubles … One of only two players (Anthony Davis) in program history since 1978-79 to lead the team in points per game (17.4), rebounds per game (15.1), steals per game (1.8), blocks per game (1.6) and field-goal percentage (60.6%) with a minimum of 130 attempts … Set a Rupp Arena record with 28 rebounds against Western Kentucky … Had more rebounds than the Hilltoppers entire team … It tied for the sixth-most rebounds in UK history and the most for a Wildcat in a regulation-length game in more than 52 years … It was the most in Division I basketball since Kendall Gray from Delaware State had 30 in 2015 … Finished the season responsible for 37.8% of the team’s total rebounds, taking away team rebounds that number jumped to 41.2% … Had 80 rebounds through the first five games OSCAR TSHIEBWE 6-9 n 260 n Sr. n Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic #34 n F Follow OSCAR on Social Media n @Oscartshiebwe34 on Twitter n @oscar_tshiebwe on Instagram of the Congo Click Here for More Information on OscarKENTUCKY 54 @KentuckyMBB High School A consensus five-star prospect … Ranked as the No. 7 overall player by Rivals … Ranked No. 8 overall by 247Sports and 20th by ESPN … Averaged 19.9 points, 7.4 boards and 6.1 assists per game as a senior at Richardson … 2022 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and The Dallas Morning News’ Player of the Year … Repeated as the District’s MVP … Was a McDonald’s All American and a selection to the Jordan Brand Classic … Averaged 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals in the 2021 Nike EYBL … Shot 51.2% from the field and 37% from 3-point range and was tabbed the Circuit’s Most Valuable Player of Nike EYBL Session I … Also earned All-Peach Jam honors … Led the NBPA Top 100 Camp in assists (5.0) and steals (3.0) per game while posting 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds … Topped 1,000 career points during his junior season … Earned District Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore … Tabbed the Newcomer of the Year as a freshman … Graduated with honors … Was a member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Team … Volunteered locally as a youth tutor and basketball coach … Also competed in football, soccer, basketball and track. Personal Born Nov. 7 … Parents are Kimberly and Mike Wallace … Has a brother, Keaton who played college basketball at UT Arlington … He lists his brother as his life’s greatest influence … Major is communication/exploratory studies ... Away from the court he likes to watch Net- flix … SpongeBob SquarePants is his favorite TV show … Dunked for the first time in eighth grade … Lists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his favorite former Wildcat and LeBron James as his all-time favorite player … Superpower he would most like to have is teleportation … Likes chicken and shrimp alfredo … Can play the saxophone and piano … Picked Kentucky over Tennessee, Texas and UT Arlington. 6-4 n 193 n Fr. n Dallas #22 n G CASON WALLACE Follow CASON on Social Media n @wallace_cason on Twitter n @cason.wallace on Instagram Click Here for More Information on CasonKENTUCKY 2021-22 Named to the 2021-22 SEC Community Ser- vice Team … Appeared in 28 games in his second season with the Wildcats … Missed three due to injury … Registered career highs in points (42), blocks (11) and field- goal percentage (66.7%) … Led the team in blocks in four games … Played a season-high 16 minutes and snared six rebounds in the SEC Tournament semifinals vs. Tennessee … Tied his career high with a pair of steals, while also adding three rebounds in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals against Vanderbilt … Had four points and a season-high seven rebounds in the home win over Florida … Tallied four points and four rebounds in 10 highly effective minutes at Kansas … Had two points and four boards in the overtime win over Mississippi State … Scored two points and snatched five boards in the win over High Point … Had five points and three boards in the SEC opener against Missouri … Scored four points against North Florida. 2020-21 Key reserve for the Wildcats who added physicality and quality rebounding … Ap- peared in 21 games and made three starts … Scored 41 points, hauled in 63 rebounds, totaled 11 blocks, corralled six steals and dished out eight assists … Led the team in rebounds in two games and in blocks twice … Also paced the team in steals once … Produced a pair of double-figure rebound- ing efforts … Grabbed four rebounds in the Southeastern Conference Tournament game against Mississippi State … Played 29 minutes and recorded a career-high eight points, 10 rebounds and a career-high three blocks at No. 18/17 Missouri … To- taled seven points and a pair of rebounds in the win over LSU … Scored four points, had four rebounds and logged a block, a steal and an assist in the loss at Auburn … Notched four points, a career-high 13 re- bounds and a career-best four assists in the double-overtime win at Mississippi State … Posted four points, four rebounds and a blocked shot at Louisville … Breakout game came against No. 22/21 North Carolina with four points, seven rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes of action … Scored his first career point with a free throw against Georgia Tech … Had five rebounds, two blocks and a steal in his collegiate debut against Morehead State. High School Led high school team to a 29-1 record his se- nior season … Averaged 11.8 points, 7.9 re- bounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks for a team that won its final 25 games … LANCE WARE 6-9 n 235 n Jr. n Camden, N.J. #55 n F Follow LANCE on Social Media n @lanceware12 on Twitter n @lance.ware on Instagram Click Here for More Information on Lance @UKSportsNetwork 55KENTUCKY 56 @KentuckyMBB 2021-22 Appeared in nine games in 2021-22 … Had three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals … Picked up a steal against High Point … Had an assist vs. Western Kentucky … Snared a rebound vs. Central Michigan … Had a rebound and a steal against North Flor- ida … Registered a rebound against Mount St. Mary’s. 2020-21 Joined the team as a walk-on … Made one appearance, logging two minutes in Ken- tucky’s dominating regular-season finale vic- tory over South Carolina. High School Appeared in all 26 games for Kingsway Re- gional during his senior season … Averaged 8.7 points per game … Notched 11 dou- ble-figure scoring efforts and knocked down multiple 3-pointers in 12 games … Scored a season-high 19 points on six made 3s with four assists against Woodstown … Also post- ed 16 points, five rebounds and four assists at Clearview and recorded 15 points, six boards and five dimes vs. Cumberland … Dished out four or more assists in 14 games … Produced three or more steals in 10 games … Helped advance Kingsway to the 2020 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 4 Championship field of 64. Personal Born Feb. 3 in Camden, New Jersey … Mother is Syreeta Brittingham … Stepfather is Dajuan Wagner, former Memphis star who played for John Calipari … Has two siblings, Dayonni and Dajuan Jr. … Major is communication … Off the court talent includes juggling … Lists his parents as the two people who have influ- enced him the most … When he’s not playing basketball he’s watching it … Listens to NBA YoungBoy, Polo G and Lil Durk pregame … Chicken is his favorite food … Lists Kemba Walker as his favorite NBA player and Tyler Ulis as his favorite former UK player. KAREEM WATKINS 5-8 n 175 n Jr. n Camden, N.J. #25 n G Follow KAREEM on Social Media n @reemwat on Instagram Click Here for More Information on KareemKENTUCKY 2021-22 Bob Cousy Award finalist for the nation’s best point guard … All-SEC Second Team by both the league’s coaches and the media … Third in the nation and first in the SEC for the sec- ond straight season with an average of 6.9 assists per game … Finished with 207 assists on the season which is the fourth most in a single season in UK history … That mark was also a career high … Was second in the SEC with a 2.27 assist-to-turnover ratio … Totaled 12 games with at least eight assists and had five or more in 12 of the final 13 games of the season … Scored in double figures in 16 outings … Totaled a pair of double-doubles in the points-assists variety … Had a career low in turnovers … Shot 78% from the free- throw line, the best mark of his career … Produced 28 games with at least three assists and led the team in that category 25 times … Started 29 of the 30 games he played … Missed four games due to injury … Averaged 10.1 points, 6.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game … Had 11 points and a team-high six assists in the NCAA Tourna- ment … Logged 10 points and six rebounds against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament semifinals … Produced eight points and 11 assists in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals win against Vanderbilt … Scored 13 points, had five assists and two steals in the win at Florida … Logged 16 points and seven assists in the win over Ole Miss … Had 14 points and five assists at Arkansas after missing two games with an injury … Had 11 assists and four rebounds in the win at South Carolina … Totaled seven points, eight assists and three rebounds in the win at Kansas … Scored 15 points and chipped in with six assists in the overtime win over Mississippi State … Was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points at Auburn … Had 21 points, eight assists and two steals following a two-game absence due to injury in the historic win over Tennes- see at home … Logged 11 points and nine assists in the SEC regular-season opener vs. Missouri … Scored a season-high 26 points to couple with eight assists and a season-best four steals in the win over North Carolina … Was named the SEC Player of the Week and the NCAA March Madness National Player of the Week following the performance … Tallied 12 points and a career-high 14 assists in the win over North Florida for his second double-double … Logged 16 points and 10 assists in his season debut against Duke in the Champions Classic. 2020-21 (at Georgia) An All-Southeastern Conference Second Team selection by both the coaches and the Associated Press … Started all 26 games … SAHVIR WHEELER 5-9 n 180 n Sr. n Houston #2 n G Follow SAHVIR on Social Media n @sahvir on Twitter n @sahvir on Instagram Click Here for More Information on Sahvir @UKSportsNetwork 5758 @KentuckyMBB K entucky opens its baseball season on Friday afternoon in North Carolina with eyes on building upon the momen- tum it ended the 2022 campaign, with a rousing run to the conference tournament semifinals and narrow miss of a NCAA bid. The Cats take on Elon in a three-game series before returning to Kentucky Proud Park for the home opener on February 21. UK swept last season’s opening weekend on the way to a 7-0 start. “We believe we’ve got the right peo- ple,” coach Nick Mingione, who is enter- ing his seventh season, said. “Now it’s a matter of us going out and proving it. “The last two years we’ve been one or two wins away (from a regional) and, quite frankly, I’m tired of that.” The Kentucky baseball team finished 33-26 last season, including an impres- sive run in the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama. There, the Cats beat NCAA Tour- nament teams Auburn, LSU and Vanderbilt before falling to top- ranked Tennessee. UK fans will see a number of returnees on the mound this season. Among those are lefty Tyler Bosma along with right-handers Darren Williams and Ryan Hagenow. “Darren Williams is back. He had a season ending injury last year and, at the time, he was throwing the ball as well as anybody,” said UK head coach Nick Mingione. “He’s working his way back. He is one of our lead- ers.” Mingione is also pleased to have Travis Smith back from injury. “Travis Smith was our highest-rated pitch- er two classes ago, he was injured out of high school,” Mingione said. “He’s back, throwing the ball well. He’s back into the mid-90’s. We’re counting on him to fill one of those starter roles, whether it’s mid-week or the weekend, time will tell.” The Cats will have plenty of new faces in the field. In fact, the only returnee who saw significant action for UK last season is catcher Devin Burkes. The sophomore broke out in the SEC Tournament last sea- son and figures to be one of the leaders on this year’s team. The Cats also struck gold in the transfer portal in the offsea- son. “We had the sixth-ranked transfer class in the country, which we are excit- ed about,” Mingione said. Kentucky’s optimism and roster re- model will finally be unveiled this week- end. The Kentucky baseball team will be featured on traditional television broad- casts at least 10 times during the 2023 season, the Southeastern Conference announced Wednesday. Eight confer- ence games will air on the SEC Network, as well as both midweek games versus Louisville. UK’s remaining home and conference games will be streamed live on SECN+. The Cats are entering their seventh season under head coach Nick Mingione and have won 176 games during his ten- ure, including a 33-win season in 2022. Mingione now is third on Kentucky’s all- time coaching victories list and owns the second-highest winning percentage among coaches who were at the helm for 100 or more games. The current TV schedule is as follows: Date Opponent TV Time March 19 MISSISSIPPI ST. SECN Noon March 26 at Alabama SECN 3 p.m. April 2 MISSOURI SECN Noon April 9 at Georgia SECN Noon April 11 At Louisville ACCN 6 p.m. April 13 at LSU SECN 7 p.m. April 25 LOUISVILLE SECN 7 p.m. April 30 at Vanderbilt SECN 3 p.m. May 7 SECN 2 p.m. May 13 at Tennessee SECN Noon Kentucky Baseball Set To Open 2023 Campaign By Matt May UK Athletics Communications and Public RelationsNext >