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2023–24 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

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The 2023–24 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, who are founding members of the Southeastern Conference, played their home games at Rupp Arena and were led by John Calipari in his 15th and final season as head coach for the Wildcats. The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team drew an average home attendance of 19,928 in 2023–24, the 3rd highest in college basketball.[1]

CoachesNo. 19
APNo. 20
Record23–10 (13–5 SEC)
Quick facts Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball, NCAA tournament, First Round ...
2023–24 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
NCAA tournament, First Round
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 19
APNo. 20
Record23–10 (13–5 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaRupp Arena
Seasons
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More information Conf., Overall ...
2023–24 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 5 Tennessee144 .778279  .750
No. 20 Kentucky135 .7222310  .697
No.Alabama135 .7222512  .676
No. 18 Auburn135 .722278  .771
No. 25 South Carolina135 .722268  .765
Florida117 .6112412  .667
Texas A&M99 .5002115  .583
LSU99 .5001716  .515
Mississippi State810 .4442114  .600
Ole Miss711 .3892012  .625
Georgia612 .3332017  .541
Arkansas612 .3331617  .485
Vanderbilt414 .222923  .281
Missouri018 .000824  .250
2024 SEC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll
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The Wildcats were ranked as one of the best three-point shooting teams throughout the season. However, they also were ranked as one of the worst defensive teams of the KenPom era, although Alabama had a worse rating in the same season. They reached the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the first round. However, despite the first round exit, this season was notable for the play of Reed Sheppard, who led the SEC in steals.[2]

Previous season

The Wildcats finished the 2022–23 season finished the season with a record of 21–10, 12–6 in SEC play to finish in third place in the SEC. As the number three seed in the SEC tournament, they would be upset in the quarterfinal round by Vanderbilt. They would go on to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they would go on to defeat Providence in the first round before falling to Kansas State in the second round to finish the season with an overall record of 22–12.

Offseason

Departures

More information Name, Number ...
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Jacob Toppin0F6'9"205SeniorBrooklyn, NYDeclared for 2023 NBA draft
CJ Fredrick1F6'3"185RS SeniorCincinnati, OHTransferred to Cincinnati
Sahvir Wheeler2G5'9"180SeniorHouston, TXTransferd to Washington
Daimion Collins4F6'9"210SophomoreAtlanta, TXTransferred to LSU
Cason Wallace22G6'3"193FreshmanDallas, TXDeclared for 2023 NBA draft
Chris Livingston24F6'6"220FreshmanAkron, OHDeclared for 2023 NBA draft
Oscar Tshiebwe34F6'9"260SeniorLubumbashi, DR CongoDeclared for 2023 NBA draft
Lance Ware55F6'9"235JuniorCamden, NJTransferred to Villanova[3]
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Class of 2023 commitments

On November 20, 2021, Reed Sheppard verbally committed to UK over multiple offers, with Louisville and Virginia among the most active in attempting to recruit him. The son of former UK basketball players Jeff Sheppard and the former Stacey Reed, he was the first commitment to the 2023 recruiting class. At the time of his commitment, he was the #3 ranked combo guard in the 2023 class by 247 Sports.[4] On November 14, 2022, D. J. Wagner, ranked as the top point guard in the class by ESPN and Rivals, committed to the University Of Kentucky, deciding over Louisville.[5]

More information Name, Hometown ...
College recruiting
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Reed Sheppard
SG
London, KY North Laurel (KY) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Nov 20, 2021 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 5/5 stars   247Sports: 5/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (89)
Rob Dillingham
PG
Simi Valley, CA Donda Academy (CA) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Jun 24, 2022 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 5/5 stars   247Sports: 5/5 stars   ESPN: 5/5 stars   (95)
Justin Edwards
SF
Philadelphia, PA Imhotep Institute (PA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul 25, 2022 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 5/5 stars   247Sports: 5/5 stars   ESPN: 5/5 stars   (91)
Jordan Burks
SF
Decatur, AL Hillcrest Prep (AZ) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jun 12, 2023 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 3/5 stars   ESPN: 3/5 stars   (82)
Joey Hart
SG
Linton, IN Linton-Stockton (IN) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jun 17, 2023 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 3/5 stars   ESPN: 3/5 stars   (79)
Aaron Bradshaw
C
Roselle, NJ Camden (NJ) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Oct 14, 2022 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 5/5 stars   247Sports: 5/5 stars   ESPN: 5/5 stars   (94)
Zvonimir Ivišić
C
Vodice, Croatia SC Derby 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Aug 14, 2023 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
D. J. Wagner
PG
Camden, NJ Camden (NJ) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Nov 14, 2022 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 5/5 stars   247Sports: 5/5 stars   ESPN: 5/5 stars   (96)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Kentucky 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  • "2023 Kentucky Basketball Commits". ESPN. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  • "Kentucky 2023 Basketball Commits". 247Sports. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
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Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2023–24 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 Rob Dillingham 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)176 lb (80 kg) FrOvertime Elite Hickory, NC
G 1 Justin Edwards 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)203 lb (92 kg) FrImhotep Institute Philadelphia, PA
F 2 Aaron Bradshaw 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)226 lb (103 kg) FrCamden Roselle, NJ
G 3 Adou Thiero 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)222 lb (101 kg) SoQuaker Valley Leetsdale, PA
F 4 Tre Mitchell 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)231 lb (105 kg) GSWest Virginia Pittsburgh, PA
G 12 Antonio Reeves 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)195 lb (88 kg) GSIllinois State Chicago, IL
G 13 Grant Darbyshire (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SoSycamore Cincinnati, OH
F 14 Brennan Canada 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)200 lb (91 kg) GSGeorge Rogers Clark Mount Sterling, KY
G 15 Reed Sheppard 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)187 lb (85 kg) FrNorth Laurel London, KY
G 20 Joey Hart 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)203 lb (92 kg) FrLinton-Stockton Linton, IN
G 21 D. J. Wagner 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)192 lb (87 kg) FrCamden Camden, NJ
G 22 Walker Horn (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SoWestlake Austin, TX
G 23 Jordan Burks 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)202 lb (92 kg) FrHillcrest Prep Decatur, AL
G 25 Kareem Watkins (W) 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)175 lb (79 kg) SrKingsway Regional Camden, NJ
F 33 Ugonna Onyenso 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)247 lb (112 kg) SoPutnam Science Academy Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
F 44 Zvonimir Ivišić 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)234 lb (106 kg) FrSC Derby Vodice, Croatia
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on
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Schedule and results

November

The season began on November 6, where Kentucky opened with New Mexico State. After having an 8-point lead at halftime, Kentucky cruised to an 86–46 win. On November 10, Kentucky defeated Texas A&M-Commerce (now East Texas A&M) 81–61, despite trailing 21–8 early in that game. Afterwards, Kentucky took on Kansas in the Champions Classic. After Kentucky led for most of the game, the Jayhawks came back late and ended up winning a close one, 89–84. The Wildcats returned home to take on Stonehill, and came away with a 101–67 victory. The Wildcats escaped a near-upset against St. Joseph’s, winning 96–88 in overtime. Kentucky faced Marshall in their next matchup, winning 118–82. Afterwards, the Wildcats faced Miami in the first-ever ACC-SEC Challenge. Kentucky won convincingly, defeating the Hurricanes 95–73. The Wildcats had a 6–1 record following the month of November.

December

The Wildcats opened the month of December against UNC Wilmington. Kentucky was upset by the Seahawks at home, by a score of 80–73. Afterwards, Kentucky traveled to Philadelphia to take on Penn. The Wildcats bounced back in an 81–66 win. The team traveled to Atlanta for the CBS Sports Classic to face off against North Carolina. In a back-and-forth game, the Wildcats defeated the Tar Heels 87–83. Kentucky ended the month of December with victories over rival Louisville, as well as Illinois State, in which Kentucky won convincingly in both games. The Cats finished the month of December with a record of 4–1, and their overall record stood at 10–2.

January

Kentucky opened up SEC play on January 6, against the Florida Gators. In a tight game, in which Florida had the lead for most of the game, Kentucky came back, and got a close 87–85 victory. Afterwards, Kentucky defeated Missouri by a score of 90–77. The Wildcats took their first loss in conference play when they lost to Texas A&M by a score of 97–92 in overtime. The Wildcats bounced back to defeat Mississippi State by a score of 90–77. Kentucky also went on to defeat Georgia 105–96, in the debut of Kentucky center Zvonimir Ivišić. However, Kentucky would lose two of their final three games of the month. The Wildcats would get blown out on the road at South Carolina by a score of 79–62. The Wildcats would also lose to Florida at home 94–91 in overtime. However, the Wildcats would beat Arkansas by a score of 63–57 in between those two games. The Wildcats finished the month of January with a record of 5–3, which brought their record to 15–5 overall.

February

The Wildcats opened the month of February at home against rival Tennessee. Kentucky would lose to the Volunteers by a score of 103–92. Kentucky bounced back on the road against Vanderbilt, winning convincingly, 109–77. Afterwards, Kentucky returned home for a non-conference game against Gonzaga. In a back-and-forth game, the Wildcats fell short 89–85. This was their 3rd straight loss at home, which was the first time this had occurred for Kentucky in the history of Rupp Arena. Kentucky broke the home losing streak the next game, however, as the Wildcats defeated Ole Miss, by a score of 75–63. Afterwards, Kentucky got a huge road win at Auburn, winning 70–59. The Wildcats would drop the next game, however, on the road to LSU. In a back-and-forth game, the Wildcats lost 75–74 on a buzzer beater by Tyrell Ward. The Wildcats rolled against Alabama, winning convincingly 117–95. The Wildcats ended the month with a 91–89 win over Mississippi State, off of a buzzer beater by Reed Sheppard. The Wildcats finished the month with a record of 5–3. The Wildcats had a conference record of 10–5 and an overall record of 20–8.

March

Kentucky opened up the month of March with a 111–102 home win over Arkansas in a back-and-forth game. The Wildcats closed out their home slate with a senior night win over Vanderbilt, 93–77. The Wildcats ended the regular season with an 85–81 win on the road at rival Tennessee. The Wildcats finished the regular season with an overall record of 23–8, and a conference record of 13–5.

Postseason

Kentucky entered the SEC Tournament as the #2 seed. They faced #7 Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals. The Aggies once again defeated Kentucky, this time by a score of 97–87. On Selection Sunday, Kentucky got the #3 seed in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament. The region had Houston as the #1 seed and Marquette as the #2 seed. Kentucky’s first round matchup was against #14 Oakland in the first round. Kentucky was upset by Oakland, 80–76. This was Kentucky’s second loss to a double digit seed in a span of 3 years.

Calipari's departure

Immediately following the season, there were questions as to whether or not John Calipari would remain Kentucky’s head coach. Calipari had been criticized in recent years for his losses in the NCAA Tournament, specifically to St. Peter’s and Oakland. In early April, rumors spread that Calipari was going to leave Kentucky to take the job at Arkansas, which was open since Eric Musselman left Arkansas to take the job at USC. On April 8, it was announced that John Calipari would be leaving Kentucky after 15 years to become the new head coach of Arkansas. After about a week of a coaching search, Kentucky hired Mark Pope to become their next head coach.

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
July 12, 2023*
1:30 p.m., CBSSN
vs. Germany W 81–73 
 24  Reeves  9  Edwards  6  Tied  Mattamy Athletic Centre 
Toronto, Ontario
July 13, 2023*
8:00 p.m., CBSSN
vs. Canada W 93–69 
 23  Reeves  6  Tied  9  Dillingham  Mattamy Athletic Centre 
Toronto, Ontario
July 15, 2023*
1:30 p.m., CBSSN
vs. Africa W 104–92 
 27  Reeves  8  Mitchell  8  Sheppard  Mattamy Athletic Centre 
Toronto, Ontario
July 16, 2023*
8:00 p.m., CBSSN
vs. Canada
Gold Medal game
W 89–72 
 23  Edwards  11  Mitchell  6  Wagner  Mattamy Athletic Centre 
Toronto, Ontario
October 27, 2023*
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 16 Georgetown (KY) W 92–69 
 22  Mitchell  9  Mitchell  5  Dillingham  Rupp Arena (18,454)
Lexington, KY
November 2, 2023*
7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+
No. 16 Kentucky State W 99–53 
 20  Reeves  10  Mitchell  7  Wagner  Rupp Arena (18,739)
Lexington, KY
Regular season
November 6, 2023*
8:00 p.m., SECN
No. 16 New Mexico State W 86–46  1–0
 17  Dillingham  9  Mitchell  5  Mitchell  Rupp Arena (18,438)
Lexington, KY
November 10, 2023*
7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+
No. 16 Texas A&M–Commerce
Wildcat Challenge
W 81–61  2–0
 21  Reeves  8  Mitchell  4  Dillingham  Rupp Arena (19,646)
Lexington, KY
November 14, 2023*
9:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 17 vs. No. 1 Kansas
Champions Classic
L 84–89  2–1
 24  Reeves  12  Thiero  3  Tied  United Center (18,780)
Chicago, IL
November 17, 2023*
7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+
No. 17 Stonehill
Wildcat Challenge
W 101–67  3–1
 25  Sheppard  5  Tied  7  Tied  Rupp Arena (18,960)
Lexington, KY
November 20, 2023*
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 16 Saint Joseph's
Wildcat Challenge
W 96–88 OT 4–1
 22  Tied  6  Mitchell  6  Tied  Rupp Arena (18,680)
Lexington, KY
November 24, 2023*
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 16 Marshall W 118–82  5–1
 28  Wagner  7  Tied  8  Dillingham  Rupp Arena (20,246)
Lexington, KY
November 28, 2023*
7:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 12 No. 8 Miami (FL)
ACC–SEC Challenge
W 95–73  6–1
 21  Sheppard  6  Thiero  9  Dillingham  Rupp Arena (20,119)
Lexington, KY
December 2, 2023*
4:00 p.m., SECN
No. 12 UNC Wilmington L 73–80  6–2
 25  Sheppard  9  Sheppard  6  Sheppard  Rupp Arena (19,990)
Lexington, KY
December 9, 2023*
12:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 16 vs. Penn
Malone's Classic
W 81–66  7–2
 17  Tied  11  Bradshaw  7  Wagner  Wells Fargo Center (9,007)
Philadelphia, PA
December 16, 2023*
5:30 p.m., CBS
No. 14 vs. No. 9 North Carolina
CBS Sports Classic/Rivalry
W 87–83  8–2
 17  Dillingham  6  Tied  5  Wagner  State Farm Arena (17,058)
Atlanta, GA
December 21, 2023*
6:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 9 at Louisville
Rivalry
W 95–76  9–2
 30  Reeves  12  Mitchell  11  Sheppard  KFC Yum! Center (17,293)
Louisville, KY
December 29, 2023*
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 8 Illinois State W 96–70  10–2
 27  Reeves  11  Mitchell  7  Dillingham  Rupp Arena (20,659)
Lexington, KY
January 6, 2024
12:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 6 at Florida
Rivalry
W 87–85  11–2
(1–0)
 19  Reeves  10  Mitchell  3  Wagner  O'Connell Center (10,106)
Gainesville, FL
January 9, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 6 Missouri W 90–77  12–2
(2–0)
 23  Dillingham  14  Mitchell  4  Sheppard  Rupp Arena (20,086)
Lexington, KY
January 13, 2024
2:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 6 at Texas A&M L 92–97 OT 12–3
(2–1)
 22  Reeves  13  Mitchell  6  Mitchell  Reed Arena (9,540)
College Station, TX
January 17, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 8 Mississippi State W 90–77  13–3
(3–1)
 27  Reeves  6  Tied  6  Sheppard  Rupp Arena (20,016)
Lexington, KY
January 20, 2024
6:00 p.m., SECN
No. 8 Georgia W 105–96  14–3
(4–1)
 23  Mitchell  5  Tied  10  Wagner  Rupp Arena (20,283)
Lexington, KY
January 23, 2024
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 6 at South Carolina L 62–79  14–4
(4–2)
 16  Dillingham  8  Bradshaw  3  Wagner  Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Columbia, SC
January 27, 2024
6:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 6 at Arkansas
College GameDay
W 63–57  15–4
(5–2)
 24  Reeves  11  Mitchell  5  Sheppard  Bud Walton Arena (19,200)
Fayetteville, AR
January 31, 2024
8:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 10 Florida
Rivalry
L 91–94 OT 15–5
(5–3)
 24  Sheppard  16  Onyenso  6  Sheppard  Rupp Arena (20,068)
Lexington, KY
February 3, 2024
8:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 10 No. 5 Tennessee
Rivalry
L 92–103  15–6
(5–4)
 35  Dillingham  6  Tied  6  Sheppard  Rupp Arena (20,265)
Lexington, KY
February 6, 2024
8:30 p.m., SECN
No. 17 at Vanderbilt W 109–77  16–6
(6–4)
 24  Reeves  7  Tied  9  Dillingham  Memorial Gymnasium (11,678)
Nashville, TN
February 10, 2024*
4:00 p.m., CBS
No. 17 Gonzaga L 85–89  16–7
 21  Sheppard  5  Tied  3  Tied  Rupp Arena (20,186)
Lexington, KY
February 13, 2024
9:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 22 Ole Miss W 75–63  17–7
(7–4)
 15  Reeves  7  Reeves  5  Sheppard  Rupp Arena (20,064)
Lexington, KY
February 17, 2024
6:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 22 at No. 13 Auburn
College GameDay
W 70–59  18–7
(8–4)
 22  Reeves  11  Onyenso  3  Tied  Neville Arena (9,121)
Auburn, AL
February 21, 2024
9:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 17 at LSU L 74–75  18–8
(8–5)
 25  Reeves  9  Thiero  2  Tied  Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,493)
Baton Rouge, LA
February 24, 2024
4:00 p.m., CBS
No. 17 No. 13 Alabama W 117–95  19–8
(9–5)
 28  Edwards  6  Sheppard  6  Sheppard  Rupp Arena (20,342)
Lexington, KY
February 27, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 16 at Mississippi State W 91–89  20–8
(10–5)
 32  Sheppard  5  Sheppard  7  Sheppard  Humphrey Coliseum (9,266)
Starkville, MS
March 2, 2024
1:30 p.m., CBS
No. 16 Arkansas W 111–102  21–8
(11–5)
 22  Reeves  9  Ivisic  5  Tied  Rupp Arena (20,322)
Lexington, KY
March 6, 2024
9:00 p.m., SECN
No. 15 Vanderbilt W 93–77  22–8
(12–5)
 23  Dillingham  6  Tied  11  Sheppard  Rupp Arena (20,332)
Lexington, KY
March 9, 2024
4:00 p.m., CBS
No. 15 at No. 4 Tennessee
Rivalry
W 85–81  23–8
(13–5)
 27  Tied  7  Reeves  5  Sheppard  Thompson–Boling Arena (22,206)
Knoxville, TN
SEC tournament
March 15, 2024
7:00 p.m., SECN
(2) No. 9 vs. (7) Texas A&M
Quarterfinals
L 87–97  23–9
 27  Dillingham  9  Mitchell  7  Dillingham  Bridgestone Arena 
Nashville, TN
NCAA tournament
March 21, 2024*
7:10 pm, CBS
(3 S) No. 12 vs. (14 S) Oakland
First Round
L 76–80  23–10
 27  Reeves  13  Mitchell  4  Sheppard  PPG Paints Arena 
Pittsburgh, PA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
S=South region.
All times are in Eastern Time.
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Sources:[6][7]

Rankings

More information Week, Poll ...
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516171819Final
AP16171612161498668610172217161591220
Coaches16161612171591066108152017151391219
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