Kentucky has also conducted all news conferences via Zoom since the omicron variant led COVID-19 cases to soar in late December. While it might be fair to wonder if the handshake line brings much added risk of spreading COVID after 40 minutes of the type of close-quarters contact required by playing basketball, it does at least limit additional contact points between coaches and players.
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SPORTS NEWSLETTER: Sign up now for daily updates sent to your inboxīUBBLE WATCH WINNERS, LOSERS: North Carolina surges as Virginia, Big 12 fringe teams falter Calipari has also pulled as many of his players from the court as possible before a road loss ended in the past to avoid them being caught up in fans storming the court. As Kentucky assistants scrambled to pull the five players still in the game toward the locker room as soon as the final buzzer had sounded in the 75-73 loss, CBS broadcasters wondered aloud if Kentucky was avoiding the handshake line in reaction to the much-talked-about postgame fight between Michigan and Wisconsin earlier this month.īut Kentucky has been skipping the handshake line for weeks now, a move made before Michigan coach Juwan Howard was suspended five games for hitting a Wisconsin assistant. The sight of John Calipari instructing the Kentucky basketball players on the bench to leave the Bud Walton Arena court to go to the locker room before Saturday’s game was finished was certainly unusual. – The speculation is understandable, if misplaced. 15 upset is one that will be remembered in Lexington for some time to come.LEXINGTON, Ky. The Wildcats hadn’t suffered an NCAA Tournament loss to a double-digit seed since 1982, when they lost to No. Those who contend that college basketball passed John Calipari by on the night that Wisconsin upset an unbeaten Kentucky team in the 2015 Final Four have another point to add to their argument. Instead, Kentucky ended the season still trying to fill needs on the team, lacking any offensive focus on late possessions, and seemingly unable to shadow mid-major players on defense. The approach was supposed to yield a more experienced and defined team that would compete with veteran squads in March. Somewhat thwarted by poor returns in the traditional one-and-done market, Kentucky recruited one one-and-done player (Washington), then supplemented him with transfers Grady, Tshiebwe and Wheeler and returning veterans like Keion Brooks and Davion Mintz (who was himself a transfer). Grady shot 2-for-17 in the season’s final 2 games.įor Kentucky, this season was a testing ground on a new type of team building. Washington never topped 50% shooting in a game after his late January injury. On the other hand, Grady was one of the SEC’s top shooters and Washington was an all-SEC level player, but both finished the season ice-cold.
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Frustratingly, top recruit Shaedon Sharpe was enrolled and sitting out … and his skills might have been the difference. Kentucky felt like a team that was one player away for much of the season.
#KENTUCKY BASKETBALL FREE#
Kentucky only outrebounded Saint Peter’s 36-35 and shot 1-for-6 on free throws in overtime. Saint Peter’s became just the 4th team to shoot 50% in a game against the Wildcats, and the first to top 50% from 3-point territory.
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The Wildcats reached the top 10 in late January, worked through injuries to Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington, but then finished the season disconnected on defense and unable to make jump shots. The Peacocks hovered nearly 50% shooting both overall and from 3-point territory throughout the game - ultimately finishing above the marks in both categories.įor Kentucky, the Wildcats never quite hit their stride. Reserve guard Doug Edert reached double figures in scoring with 18 points. Guard Daryl Banks drilled 5 3-point shots to tally 27 total points. Worse than Kentucky’s offense, defensively the Wildcats gave up way too many good looks to a Peacocks squad that averaged just 67 points per game for the season. Kentucky’s second scorer on Thursday was point guard Sahvir Wheeler, who used his speed to create several key baskets down the stretch and added 11 points. Freshman TyTy Washington was exceedingly flat - scoring 5 points on 2-for-10 shooting, fouling a 3-point shooter to give up the lead inside the final 8 minutes, losing the ball on an overtime drive to the basket. Graduate shooter Kellan Grady had his second straight miserable shooting game, shooting 1-for-9. His 28th double-double, 30 points and 16 rebounds, was the only dependable facet of Kentucky’s game against the Peacocks.