Following yet another victory against a top-25 opponent in Mississippi State on Tuesday evening, the Kentucky Wildcats are easily considered one of the top teams in all of college basketball. Sitting at 15-3 on the year (5-1 in SEC play) with five consecutive victories, the Wildcats are ranked No. 8 in the latest AP Poll and KenPom rankings.
As of today, Kentucky has four victories over teams currently ranked in the top 25 in North Carolina (11), Auburn (16), MSU (22) and Louisville (23), with three of those wins coming away from home. They also have matchups with Kansas (9), at Mississippi State (22), LSU (25), Tennessee (1), Auburn (16), at Tennessee (1), and at Ole Miss (20) left on the schedule before we even get to the SEC Tournament.
If the Cats can keep trekking forward and rack up victories against the conference’s best, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better resume in the nation than Kentucky’s when Selection Sunday rolls around.
Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland said it best last night: the Wildcats have the depth, experience, and talent to be a dangerous, dangerous team come March.
He started with the Kentucky frontcourt.
“It really helps to have a fifth year in Reid (Travis),” he said. “There is a lot of experience between him and PJ Washington. For him to be a sophomore and be as good as he is, they have two really experienced guys up there. Nick Richards is back for his sophomore year, it’s just something that hasn’t always happened because these guys sometimes leave early. I think those three guys really anchor their front line.”
And he continued with the Wildcat backcourt, saying Kentucky head coach John Calipari deserves a lot of credit for what he has been able to get out of this group so early in conference play.
“I think their perimeter players, those three freshmen are really good,” Howland said. “They have Ashton (Hagans) who is 19 years old and he’s mature. I think Tyler (Herro) is fantastic, he really hurt us early tonight. … Those guys did a really good job and I think Immanuel (Quickley) give them good depth coming in. He’s a real high level guard. They don’t drop out when he comes in the game. So, they’ve got good depth and they are playing with a lot of poise.
“Part of it is their schedule, they have played a tough schedule early. Think about where they were during the first game of the year versus Duke. It’s credit to John (Calipari) and his staff – Hall of fame coach.”
After the game, Calipari said that while a 21-point victory against a ranked Mississippi State team and a 5-1 start in the SEC certainly feels spectacular, he needs his team to continue to have that same hunger every night for them to reach their goal of contending for a national championship.
“They are getting better,” he said. “Now I’ve just got to keep an eye on being humble and being hungry. Not, you know, getting carried away, because we’re just — we’re just beginning the climb of where we need to go. … They are engaged. We had a coach come in the gym the other day and watch us practice and said, man, are they engaged. They are really locked into what you’re doing and what you’re trying to do as a team.”
When asked about keeping that focus and hunger in such a tough stretch of games, Kentucky point guard Ashton Hagans said that competitive spirit kicks in while playing against tough opponents. He says he’s confident in his team’s mindset moving forward.
“Coming off a tough win at Auburn against a great team, we just came in knowing we had to play another really tough team (in Mississippi State),” he said. “And then we know we have another tough team coming in here on Saturday. We just have to keep listening to what the coaches have going on at practice, keep the gameplan going. We’re looking a lot better on the defensive end, and that’s really all it is.”
For Hagans, he says it’s a fantastic feeling to have a group of teammates that understands their roles and gives it their all from tip-off to final buzzer.
“It feels good going out there knowing I’ve got my guys with me. We always go out there and try to fight the whole 40 minutes. I feel like this entire team is getting better, everybody is playing their role that coach has given us. We’ll see how the season goes from here,” the defensive standout said with a grin.
Calipari says a big part of that fight has to do with Hagans himself leading the way. When he goes about his business and fights the way he does on each possession, his teammates follow his lead. As a result, the wins are coming at a rapid pace and the chemistry is the best it’s been since the season began.
“I thought Ashton (Hagans), when you’re on the ball, playing like he plays, it bleeds into everybody else,” he said. “If your guy at the point is getting beat on a dribble and can’t control the guy a little bit, you’re in jeopardy. That’s why when we recruit point guards, if we have a guy, I tell them: How are we going to start our defense if he can’t stay in front of the ball? The stats don’t matter to me; can he do it. Last year, Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) did it, and now Ashton does it.”
Kentucky guard Tyler Herro says growth and maturity has been a major reason for his team’s consistent success here in the heat of conference play. As the game has slowed down for the newcomers, productivity has picked up.
“I think the game is slowing down for everybody,” he said. “At the beginning of the season, I think we were all really young, but we’re starting to mature a lot more. We’re really getting better game to game.”
They can prove it on Saturday by knocking off No. 9 Kansas at Rupp Arena when College GameDay comes to town.
Kentucky is currently 15-3 overall, 5-1 in conference play. What will that record look like at the end of the regular season?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a time machine, but I do have access to the Sagarin and KenPom ratings, both which include predictions for the rest of the season. Obviously, the chances these numbers turn out to be right isn’t great, but it’s a rainy day, so let’s have some fun and look ahead.
Sagarin Predictor: 27-4, 16-2 in conference play
Kentucky’s current Sagarin Predictor rating is 89.14, ninth best in the country. The home advantage is 3.1. Using those numbers and the numbers of Kentucky’s opponents, the Sagarin Predictor has the Cats finishing the regular season 27-4, the only loss being at Tennessee.
| Sat, Jan 26 | HOME | Kentucky 92.24 | Kansas 89.61 |
| Tue, Jan 29 | AWAY | Kentucky 89.14 | Vanderbilt 82.31 |
| Sat, Feb 2 | AWAY | Kentucky 89.14 | Florida 88.82 |
| Tue, Feb 5 | HOME | Kentucky 92.24 | South Carolina 78.24 |
| Sat, Feb 9 | AWAY | Kentucky 89.14 | Mississippi State 88.25 |
| Tue, Feb 12 | HOME | Kentucky 92.24 | LSU 85.66 |
| Sat, Feb 16 | HOME | Kentucky 92.24 | Tennessee 91.03 |
| Tue, Feb 19 | AWAY | Kentucky 89.14 | Missouri 82.18 |
| Sat, Feb 23 | HOME | Kentucky 92.24 | Auburn 88.38 |
| Tue, Feb 26 | HOME | Kentucky 92.24 | Arkansas 81.24 |
| Sat, Mar 2 | AWAY | Kentucky 89.14 | Tennessee 94.13 |
| Tue, Mar 5 | AWAY | Kentucky 89.14 | Ole Miss 86.33 |
| Sat, Mar 9 | HOME | Kentucky 92.24 | Florida 85.72 |
That’s pretty much a dream scenario and one I’d pay good money to see happen. Unfortunately, there is no way to put a point value on “Everybody’s Super Bowl,” so you have to think the Cats have more slip ups than on the road vs. the current No. 1 team in the country.
KenPom: 23-8, 13-5 in conference play
The Cats are currently No. 8 in the KenPom ratings. KenPom also predicts future games and team’s final records, but the formula for the final records is based off cumulative probabilities, so in some cases — like this one — the numbers don’t match. I’ll be honest, I don’t really understand that, but KenPom’s projected record for Kentucky is 23-8, 13-5 in conference play. That would have them finishing third in the SEC, which could mean the late game Friday night at the SEC Tournament, depending on tiebreakers (gag):
| Team | Overall | Conference | Projected |
| Tennessee | 16-1 | 5-0 | 15-3 |
| LSU | 14-3 | 4-0 | 13-5 |
| Kentucky | 15-3 | 5-1 | 13-5 |
| South Carolina | 10-8 | 5-1 | 9-9 |
| Mississippi | 14-4 | 4-2 | 11-7 |
| Florida | 11-7 | 3-3 | 10-8 |
| Alabama | 12-6 | 3-3 | 9-9 |
| Auburn | 13-5 | 2-3 | 10-8 |
| Mississippi St. | 14-4 | 2-3 | 9-9 |
| Missouri | 10-6 | 1-3 | 6-12 |
| Arkansas | 10-7 | 1-4 | 7-11 |
| Georgia | 9-8 | 1-4 | 5-13 |
| Texas A&M | 7-10 | 1-5 | 5-13 |
| Vanderbilt | 9-8 | 0-5 | 3-15 |
KenPom’s individual game projections are much rosier, showing Kentucky only losing two more times, at Florida and at Tennessee (the far right column is percentage chance to win):
| Sat, Jan 26 | HOME | Kentucky 74 | Kansas 69 | 65% |
| Tue, Jan 29 | AWAY | Kentucky 75 | Vanderbilt 66 | 78% |
| Sat, Feb 2 | AWAY | Kentucky 64 | Florida 65 | 50% |
| Tue, Feb 5 | HOME | Kentucky 82 | South Carolina 66 | 92% |
| Sat, Feb 9 | AWAY | Kentucky 72 | Mississippi St. 71 | 51% |
| Tue, Feb 12 | HOME | Kentucky 78 | LSU 71 | 74% |
| Sat, Feb 16 | HOME | Kentucky 75 | Tennessee 74 | 51% |
| Tue, Feb 19 | AWAY | Kentucky 69 | Missouri 63 | 71% |
| Sat, Feb 23 | HOME | Kentucky 76 | Auburn 71 | 68% |
| Tue, Feb 26 | HOME | Kentucky 79 | Arkansas 66 | 88% |
| Sat, Mar 2 | AWAY | Kentucky 78 | Tennessee 71 | 27% |
| Tue, Mar 5 | AWAY | Kentucky 73 | Ole Miss 71 | 57% |
| Sat, Mar 9 | HOME | Kentucky 68 | Florida 61 | 73% |
Personally, I see two or three more losses for the Cats. One will undoubtedly come vs. Tennessee, probably at Thompson-Boling, and another at Mississippi State or Ole Miss. Add in a loss to Kansas on Saturday night or a random off night somewhere along the way and that feels about right; however, with the way this team’s building momentum right now, you never know.
How do you think Kentucky will finish the season? Pick their final record below:
After a slow start to the season with numerous lackluster performances, the Kentucky Wildcats have turned things around in a major way. They’ve rattled off victories against four teams ranked in the top 25, and following a 21-point beatdown at home against No. 22 Mississippi State, they’re finding their groove at the perfect time.
So what’s working for the 15-3 (5-1 in the SEC) Wildcats?
From the top of the roster to the bottom, we’re starting to see consistency and balance shine through. Five different players have led the team in scoring throughout the season, with each of them accomplishing that feat at least twice. Six different players have led the team in rebounds, while four have led the team in assists. They’re attacking opponentson both ends of the floor in different ways with various weapons, and teams just don’t know how to stop it.
Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland said the pressure got to his team and they just weren’t able to handle it. The Wildcats overwhelmed them.
“I thought they really pressured us and we didn’t handle that pressure very well,” he said after the game. “We should be able to handle that better than we did. I thought in the first half we were penetrating, which was what we needed to do. They were so spaced out. We have to attack the basket. We were getting in there and not jump stopping. We were getting sped up. You have to stop and slow down.”
As far as specific players go, Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro have obviously been major scoring threats throughout the year, Ashton Hagans is a terror on defense, PJ Washington and Reid Travis have each been forces on the inside, and Immanuel Quickley’s shot is coming on. Heck, even Jemarl Baker has his 3-and-D role carved out for him in limited minutes. The roles are there.
With Kentucky centers Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery, however, it’s been more of a struggle in terms of consistency and finding their respective grooves. They’ve each had flashes of brilliance, but never enough to truly dominate on either end of the floor.
Against the Bulldogs last night, though, they both had small breakthroughs that the team believes could absolutely change the entire landscape of the season moving forward. They just need to be able to replicate that on a game-to-game basis.
Richards finished with eight points, six rebounds, and a block off the bench, while Montgomery added five points, two rebounds, one steal, and one block. Neither had earth-shattering numbers, but their big moments came in crucial times of the game.
After a few missed gimmes and an ugly turnover early, Montgomery had a momentum-shifting block on one end, which led to a massive dunk on the other for Richards with 12:51 remaining. Kentucky’s three point lead turned to five, which then turned to 14 at the 7:32 mark. It was the turning point of the game.
“I mean, did you see him block that shot?” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said after the victory. “It changed the game. If we had another big guy in, and he just acted like, well, it’s not my man and didn’t block that shot and that ball goes in, we could have lost the game.
“That changed the game. Those kind of plays, one, they make it so guards won’t drive in there, but two, they changed the game because you get breakouts down the other end. And he and Nick are able to do that for us.”
First career 3-pointer for @E_Montomery also earns shot of the game status. pic.twitter.com/s2TedyQTdc
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 23, 2019
And then for good measure, Montgomery sank a three-pointer from the left elbow with just 2:50 remaining in the second half, his first make from deep of the season. He has fallen in love with taking long twos, and though they look solid coming off his hands, the 6-foot-11 freshman is never able to make them fall. With his first made three in the books, Calipari wonders if this is what he needed to finally break through.
“I told him, “It’s the first one he made all year. It’s good that you made one finally.” I keep telling him, he’s going to break through and everybody is going to say, oh, my gosh, who is this guy,” Calipari said.
Kentucky guard Tyler Herro said Montgomery’s improved play isn’t a surprise, as the entire team has seen it in practice. But when it finally happened out on the floor on Tuesday evening, it was a game-changer.
“EJ has been making great shots throughout the season, he works hard every day at practice,” Herro said. “EJ’s play today changed the game today, he sparked us a little bit. (Once he finds his rhythm) he’s going to be another great contribution for us, but he’s already playing really well. For him to come in and make plays like that, it’s big.”
When asked if Montgomery was the difference-maker in taking this team to the next level, Kentucky point guard Hagans said it isn’t just him with that potential impact. He said they’re going to need Richards’ continued development, as well.
Once that happens, Hagans believes things are going to get scary.
“Not just EJ, we’re going to need Nick too,” he said. “When Nick get in, it’s great, he’s just great on the court. EJ also. EJ is going to get it going when the season goes along, and once he gets it going, we’re going to be one hell of a team.”
When the average person is on a treadmill, they’re moving around three to five miles per hour while watching re-runs of mindless network television shows or listening to a murder podcast or a playlist they created with songs ranging from early 2000s rap to Mumford and Sons.
But when Josh Allen is on a treadmill, he is sprinting at a pace that would pass most cars in the far right lane on Nicholasville Road. It’s speed that is very uncommon to someone his size, but Josh Allen is a freak of nature and he runs faster than a human being should run.
Check out this clip from his latest workout, posted to his Instagram account:
Allen still isn’t receiving any first-pick love from NFL draft prognosticators. Hopefully that will change after the combine in a little over one month.
(Photo: Twitter/@VandyMBB)
Tennessee is the No. 1 team in college basketball for only the second time in the program’s history. The last time Tennessee held the top spot in the polls, almost 11 years ago, it lost at Vanderbilt in its very next game.
Tennessee will play at Vanderbilt tonight. Will history repeat itself?
This year’s Vanderbilt isn’t nearly as strong as the Vanderbilt that spoiled Tennessee’s top-ranked fun back in February of 2008, less than 48 hours into the new poll. That Vanderbilt had only four losses, was ranked 14th in the country, and included a senior Shan Foster averaging over 20 points per game, plus seniors Ross Neltner and Alex Gordon, and a young AJ Ogilvy and Jermaine Beal. Foster dropped a game-high 32 points on the Vols that night, finishing 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-9 from outside. It was considered an upset, but not a big one by any means.
Tonight, however, Vanderbilt is a double-digit underdog on its home floor with its star player out for the whole season. It’s unlikely Tennessee will fall to 0-2 all-time as No. 1 overall, but wouldn’t it be nice for Kentucky’s SEC hopes (and maybe its tournament seeding) if it happened?
If Tennessee does get its first ever win as the top team, the Vols will need to hold off West Virginia at home on Saturday to keep the spot for another week. Then with a very manageable five-game SEC slate after that, maybe we see a No. 1 Tennessee in Rupp Arena on Saturday, February 16.
You can watch Tennessee-Vandy tonight at 7 pm on ESPN2.
Go ‘Dores.
Mike Edwards, Darius West and Lonnie Johnson began practice Tuesday in preparation for the Senior Bowl. The latter is already earning more money in Mobile.
Representing the South team, the three UK defensive backs started their week on the scale before hitting the practice field.
|
Mike Edwards |
Lonnie Johnson |
Darius West |
|
|
Height |
5-10 |
6-2 |
5-11 |
|
Weight |
204 |
210 |
207 |
|
Arms |
31” |
32 1/4” |
31 3/8” |
|
Hands |
8 3/4” |
9” |
9” |
|
Jersey Number |
32 |
1 |
25 |
As soon as Lonnie Johnson walked into Mobile, he was a star. Scouts were impressed with his combination of agility and size. NFL.com reporter Lance Zierlein said Johnson was one of the biggest winners at Day One of the Senior Bowl.
“Now that the chief evaluators are here — the guys who make the draft picks — they’re going to be impressed by Johnson. He’s 6-2, 210 pounds with long arms (32 1/4 inches). He looks the part. He made money just by showing up, getting measured this morning and then walking out here in his uniform. That might sound silly, but that’s how it works in the NFL. Guys want players with certain traits and he’s got them. On top of that, he played fairly well today. A lack of ball production in college (one interception) is the knock on him, but NFL teams always think they can coach that up.
Based on his tape, I thought he was a Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) player. But based on the traits, it wouldn’t shock me to start to hear people talking about him as a top-50 player.”
On the other hand, Darius West struggled a bit. One New York Jets reporter put West in his “Day One Losers” category. Just like in Lonnie’s case, it’s always wise to pump the brakes after only one day.
Meanwhile, Mike Edwards was the first Wildcat to make highlight-worthy play. The Badger denied Clemson wide receiver Hunter Renfrow during 7-on-7 work.
Kentucky's Mike Edwards breaks up this pass intended for Hunter Renfrow here at the Senior Bowl. pic.twitter.com/Hakqqshl5H
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) January 22, 2019
Today’s practice schedule has been slightly altered due to severe weather, but the UK trio should still have plenty of time to put together quality tape at South Alabama’s indoor practice facility.
The Senior Bowl is this Saturday at 2:30 ET on the NFL Network.
On Saturday, College GameDay will return to Rupp Arena for the eighth time. Recent history suggests that’s a bad sign for Kentucky vs. Kansas. The Cats have lost their last three GameDay games at Rupp Arena:
|
Kentucky in College GameDay games at Rupp Arena |
|||
| Date | Game | Site | Result |
| 2/19/2005 | Mississippi State at No. 5 Kentucky | Rupp Arena | W, 94-78 |
| 2/10/2007 | No. 1 Florida at No. 18 Kentucky | Rupp Arena | L, 64-61 |
| 2/13/2010 | No. 12 Tennessee at No. 2 Kentucky | Rupp Arena | W, 73-62 |
| 2/23/2013 | Missouri at Kentucky | Rupp Arena | W, 90-83 |
| 2/15/2014 | No. 3 Florida at No. 14 Kentucky | Rupp Arena | L, 69-59 |
| 1/28/2017 | No. 2 Kansas at No. 4 Kentucky | Rupp Arena | L, 79-73 |
| 1/20/2018 | Florida at No. 18 Kentucky | Rupp Arena | L, 66-64 |
Kentucky has also lost its last three games vs. the Jayhawks: the Champions Classic last season and the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in 2016 and 2017. On the flip side, Kentucky did win its last GameDay game at West Virginia last season. Let’s hope that’s the only streak that continues on Saturday.
If you’re interested in going to GameDay, the show starts at 11 a.m. Admission is free and doors open at 9 a.m. After watching last night’s game, I just hope they don’t talk about Duke the whole time.
(Photo via Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images North America)
After it was previously announced that New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis would miss 1-2 weeks with a sprained finger, there is now fear surrounding the former No. 1 overall pick that the injury might be worse than initially thought.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Davis’ new agent, Rich Paul, said that his client is set to a hand specialist and there is a growing suspicion that the injury could actually be a fracture to his left index finger, which could keep him on the shelf for up to four weeks.
New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis will see a hand specialist with fear of a volar plate avulsion fracture in his left index finger, agent Rich Paul tells @TheAthleticNBA. If confirmed, Davis will likely miss 2-to-4 weeks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 23, 2019
Davis has been battling a multitude of minor injuries throughout the season but has yet to miss more than two games in a row until now. The MVP candidate is averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, and assists while recording 32 double-doubles out of a possible 41 games.
Unfortunately, the Pelicans sit near the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a record of 22-25. After starting the season 4-0, they have not had another four-game winning streak since and several injuries to key role players have decimated any potential chemistry. The injury to Davis is sure to be the most dramatic yet.
The Pelicans have a heap of games coming against quality Western Conference opponents as we inch closer to the trade deadline and All-Star break. The trade deadline is already less than two weeks away and – if Davis isn’t traded and I wouldn’t expect him to be – we could expect him to return after the All-Star weekend in mid-February. I think the Pelicans will definitely be listening to trade offers, though, especially if the Pelicans really start to crumble in the next two weeks without Davis, but they’d need a massive return to be willing to let him go.
Get well soon, AD.
Follow me on Twitter: @ZackGeoghegan
Jonathon Givony (formerly of Draft Express fame) has a new 2020 NBA mock draft up over on ESPN.com and it includes two current Wildcats and two future Wildcats.
Updating his mock draft after this past weekend’s Hoophall Classic, Givony has Jaden McDaniels, ESPN’s No. 1 overall player in the 2019 recruiting class, as the top overall pick in 2020. Right behind him is another familiar name, Anthony Edwards, at No. 2 overall to the Chicago Bulls. Edwards, a five-star guard, was in Lexington this week for his official visit to UK.
Missed target James Wiseman is third overall. The next name of note is current UK commit Khalil Whitney at No. 11 to play with De’Aaron Fox and Willie Cauley-Stein in Sacramento. Whitney’s UK classmate, Tyrese Maxey, is at No. 21 to Portland.
The most interesting takeaway from Givony’s mock draft is he has two current Wildcats, Tyler Herro and Ashton Hagans, in the 2020 draft, which means he expects them to return to school. He has Herro at No. 18 to the Clippers, where he would join Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Hagans at No. 20 to Houston (one spot ahead of would-be backcourt-mate Maxey).
1. Jaden McDaniels (current UK target)
2. Anthony Edwards (current UK target)
3. James Wiseman, Fr., Memphis
…
11. Kahlil Whitney, Fr., Kentucky
..
16. Matthew Hurt (current UK target)
…
18. Tyler Herro, So., Kentucky
..
20. Ashton Hagans, So., Kentucky
21. Tyrese Maxey, Fr., Kentucky
…
33. LaMelo Ball
To see the entire ESPN.com mock draft, click here.
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Good morning, folks. Devin Booker and former Lousiville Cardinal Gorgui Dieng refuse to let the in-state rivalry stay in Kentucky. Let’s talk NBA.
RECAP
[23-24] Timberwolves – 118 @ [11-38] Suns – 91
- During Tuesday night’s obliteration of the Phoenix Suns courtesy of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Devin Booker and Gorgui Dieng got into a bit of a scuffle in the middle of the third quarter with Phoenix down 20. Things quickly escalated and then took a weird turn.
Dieng and Booker are planning to resolve things in the back ???pic.twitter.com/vjRljiniqX
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) January 23, 2019
Devin Booker wants all the smoke with Gorgui Dieng ? pic.twitter.com/ihNcsL1pdv
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) January 23, 2019
- It will never not be funny to watch giant grown men desperately try to escape the clutches of another man who just wants to go home and spend time with his wife. After the game, Dieng said he was only trying to exchange jerseys with Booker. Dieng must have really wanted that jersey, too, because his run to the locker room was the hardest I’ve seen him work all season.
- The Suns lost – again – and both players were promptly ejected following the scuffle. Booker managed 14 points in 24 minutes before being tossed. For Minnesota, Karl-Anthony Towns led both his team and the BBNBA in scoring with 25 points on 10-15 shooting in addition to 18 rebounds and seven assists. It was Towns’ 30th double-double of the season as the Wolves won handily.
Other notes
- The Sacramento Kings rested three of their starters against the Toronto Raptors (who were also resting Kawhi Leonard) as De’Aaron Fox, Nemanja Bjelica, and Iman Shumpert all sat out the Kings’ second game of a back-to-back. Sacramento would lose on the road, 120-105, as Willie Cauley-Stein added 10 points and six rebounds. Fox was listed out with a sore right toe, but his absence was due more to the coaching staff wanting to keep him in shape as they take on the second half of the schedule.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed eight points on 4-14 shooting for the Los Angeles Clippers in a 98-106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
- Check out the full stat sheet below.
STATISTICS
| Player | Result | Points | FG (3FG) | Reb. | Ast. | Steals | Blocks | TOs | +/- | Mins. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 118-91 W @ PHX | 25 | 10-15 (2-4) | 18 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +20 | 31 |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 91-118 L vs. MIN | 14 | 6-11 (0-1) | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -20 | 24 |
| Willie Cauley-Stein (SAC) | 105-120 L @ TOR | 10 | 4-5 (0-0) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -6 | 24 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (LAC) | 98-106 L @ DAL | 8 | 4-14 (0-2) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +5 | 20 |
| Patrick Patterson (OKC) | 123-114 W vs. POR | 6 | 2-2 (2-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +8 | 14 |
| Nerlens Noel (OKC) | 123-114 W vs. POR | 0 | 0-1 (0-0) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +13 | 11 |
| De'Aaron Fox (SAC) | 105-120 L @ TOR | DNP-Rest | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Skal Labissiere (SAC) | 105-120 L @ TOR | DNP-CD | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Hamidou Diallo (OKC) | 123-114 W vs. POR | DNP-CD | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
TONIGHT IN THE NBA
7:00: Raptors @ Pacers
7:30: Cavaliers @ Celtics
7:30: Magic (Briscoe) @ Nets
7:30: Clippers (Gilgeous-Alexander) @ Heat (Adebayo)
7:30: Rockets (Knight-out) @ Knicks (Kanter, Knox)
8:00 (ESPN): Spurs @ 76ers
8:00: Hawks (Poythress) @ Bulls
8:00: Hornets (Kidd-Gilchrist, Monk) @ Grizzlies
8:00: Pistons @ Pelicans (Davis-out, Miller, Randle)
10:30 (ESPN): Nuggets (Lyles, Murray, Vanderbilt) @ Jazz
Follow me on Twitter: @ZackGeoghegan
Penn State’s pity party is over.
The Nittany Lions’ star quarterback did not start the second half against Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl. Penn State officials revealed Trace McSorley would miss the rest of the game with a broken foot. As you might recall, McSorley did not miss the rest of the Citrus Bowl.
One series after Penn State issued the statement, McSorley re-entered the game and almost led the Nittany Lions to a comeback victory. Fourteen fourth quarter points in 4:30 quickly erased a 20-point Penn State deficit, until Josh Allen and Benny Snell refused to let McSorley be the hero.
After the game, James Franklin did not provide any specific details about the injury.
Was Trace McSorley playing with a broken foot? pic.twitter.com/rjNqH3k9bf
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) January 1, 2019
With little clarity, praised was heaped upon McSorley for playing through the painful injury. He was Penn State’s knight in shining armor that almost saved the season from a sour finish. McSorley ran with it, until today.
“I don’t even know how that started,” he told Ian Rapoport at the Senior Bowl. Obviously, McSorley wanted to reassure NFL scouts that his health is just fine moving forward.
“It was announced that he had a broken foot. By the way, he did NOT have a broken foot,” Rapoport reported. “He actually went into the locker room. He kind of dealt with his foot a little bit. He continued running and testing it, actually found out he was able to come out in the second half, didn’t miss a beat, he played and nearly led Penn State to a comeback.”
Remember when #PennSt QB Trace McSorley broke his foot in the bowl game? He actually didn’t. pic.twitter.com/1bUsxQ6GZR
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2019
Penn State’s star quarterback did not play in the Citrus Bowl with a broken foot and he did not lead them to a miraculous comeback victory. Facts.
The Kentucky-Louisville basketball rivalry boiled over into the NBA last night when Devin Booker and Gorgui Dieng were separated and then ejected from the Suns-Timberwolves game. It all began when the former Cardinal caught the former Wildcat with an elbow, then ended with both players rushing out separate tunnels to meet in a back hallway for more.
Devin Booker and Gorgui Dieng are both ejected after a fight and then rush into the tunnel ? pic.twitter.com/jR8LuhlneU
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 23, 2019
Devin Booker and Gorgui Dieng ejected for altercation, run to meet each other in tunnel. Developing. pic.twitter.com/bA0ROMHvgY
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 23, 2019
Devin Booker was on a mission to meet Gorgui Dieng in the tunnel after both were ejected ?
(via @sheltonsolum) pic.twitter.com/mJVHr1mVZv
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 23, 2019
Obviously we side with Booker here, but I’ll admit that I love Dieng telling reporters he simply wanted to swap jerseys with his rival.
Gorgui Dieng on his confrontation with Devin Booker: "I just wanted to swap jerseys with him" ? pic.twitter.com/YxUNeIqCSD
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) January 23, 2019
I wish we could see more UK-Louisville beef in the NBA but Louisville is incapable of getting its players to the NBA.
Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond and Shannon The Dude are on for the next two hours to recap Kentucky’s big win over Mississippi State. Tune in to hear what they have to say about the game and what’s ahead for the team. And more.
Join in on the fun by calling (502) 571-1080 or send a text to the KSR Texting Machine at (859) 300-3264.
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With UK’s win against Mississippi State, the KSR Shop and Kentucky Branded are here with their Big Blue Buckets sale! Head to ShopKSR.com to receive 20% off your purchase. Stock up on some new KSR gear, UK tees, hats, and more!
Sale ends at midnight. Go Cats!