SEC Basketball

The NCAA has announced the punishment for Auburn's basketball program stemming from former assistant coach Chuck Person's involvement in a bribery scandal. 

Per Meghan Durham of NCAA.org, the NCAA infractions committee announced it accepted Auburn's self-imposed postseason ban from last season and head coach Bruce Pearl will be suspended for two games. 

The university and Pearl, who will begin serving his suspension on Saturday against Nebraska, issued statements about the NCAA's decision:

In addition to those measures, Auburn has also been put on probation for four years and must vacate all team records from when ineligible student-athletes played in games. 

The Tigers were one of seven programs implicated in the college-basketball corruption scandal in 2017 when the FBI arrested 10 individuals, including four assistant coaches, three athlete advisors and three Adidas employees. 

In February 2018, Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports obtained federal documents that also tied programs like Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC and  Alabama to potentially giving "impermissible benefits and preferential treatment for players and families of players."

Auburn announced in November 2020 a self-imposed one-year postseason ban for the 2020-21 season as a result of Person's role in the scandal and arrest. 

Person was hired as an associated head coach by Pearl in April 2014. He was going into this third season with the program at the time of his arrest and subsequent firing. 

The 57-year-old was sentenced to 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a charge of bribery conspiracy.    

The No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide upset the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs 91-82 on Saturday night in the "Battle in Seattle" to move to 7-1 on the season. It was the first time the two schools met and the first half of a home-and-home series, as Gonzaga will play Alabama again next year.

It was an incredible evening for the Crimson Tide, who took a dominant 51-35 lead into halftime. The 16-point halftime deficit was Gonzaga's largest since a 2009 game against Memphis, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Junior guard Jaden Shackelford was the most impressive player on the court in Seattle, notching 28 points (which led all players), nine rebounds and two assists in the win. He scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half alone.

Gonzaga was able to keep things close through 10 minutes, but a Jahvon Quinerly layup at 10:31 and a Shackelford jumper at 9:37 gave Alabama a 25-20 lead, and they never looked back after that.

While the Bulldogs began cutting into the Crimson Tide's lead in the second half and were able to get within four points at 6:32 of the second half, Alabama scored 10 unanswered points late to take back control of the game.

In addition to Shackelford, freshman guard JD Davison had an incredible performance off the bench for Alabama, notching 20 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal. Quinerly, meanwhile, finished with 17 points, two rebounds, six assists and a steal.

As for Gonzaga, they were paced by junior forward Drew Timme, who finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Freshman center Chet Holmgren finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and four blocks.

While the Zags made 44.8 percent of their shots from the floor and 39.1 percent from deep, the team was awful at the free-throw line, making just 13 of 25 shots (52.0 percent).

Alabama, meanwhile, shot 43.1 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from deep but made 16 of 22 free throws (72.7 percent).

Gonzaga dropped to 7-2 with the loss. The team's only other loss this season came against Duke on Nov. 26.

What's Next?

Gonzaga will host unranked Merrimack on Thursday, while Alabama will host No. 15 Houston on Saturday.

Reed Sheppard, a 5-star combo guard out of North Laurel High School in London, Kentucky, announced that he will stay home to play for the Kentucky Wildcats:

Sheppard revealed the decision Saturday morning in the North Laurel gym.

"Well, I'm a little boy from Kentucky," Sheppard said when asked why he chose UK.

"... It's a dream of a lot of little boys that live in Kentucky to play basketball at the University of Kentucky."

Sheppard, whom the 247Sports composite rankings have as the No. 22 overall prospect and fifth-best combo guard in the class of 2023, is following in the footsteps of his parents, Jeff and Stacey.

Jeff Sheppard was a two-time national champion for Kentucky men's hoops in 1996 and 1998, winning Most Outstanding Player of the 1998 Final Four.

His mother, Stacey Reed Sheppard, led UK in assists and steals during all four of her seasons and in scoring twice.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari offered Sheppard a scholarship this summer, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi.

"I did not know what to think," Sheppard told ESPN regarding the offer.

"I was with both parents in the hotel room. It was hard to believe. Getting the offer meant so much. Coach Cal said he enjoyed watching me play. He said a lot of guys don't get the opportunity to play at Kentucky. But he believed in me. It was special."

Jerry Meyer, 247Sports' director of basketball scouting, compared Sheppard to Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Harris and offered this report Friday:

Has solid size as a combo guard. Likely has a couple more inches in him. Has a strong lower body and plays with strength. Is a good athlete who can makes plays in traffic. Plays with a low center of gravity and controls space. Is a lights out shooter with perfect technique and a quick release. Can score at all three levels.

Capable of attacking left or right and finishing with strength. Doesn't have overwhelming speed but is strong with the basketball, crafty, and gets separation. Has a dangerous runner when going left. Handles with strength and sees the floor. Competes and doesn't complicate the game. Rebounds his position and competes and plays with intelligence as a defender.

Meyer also predicted that Sheppard would be a first-round NBA draft pick.

He's ranked No. 37 on ESPN's list. Borzello and Biancardi gave a rundown of his game:

Sheppard is a high-end facilitator who can also make shots. He is fundamentally sound with no wasted motion on his jump shot, both off the catch or on a pull-up jumper in rhythm. He is dangerous in ball screens and understands how to create separation, whether he attacks the hedging defender, shoots behind the screen or finds the open man. Off the ball, Sheppard moves well to get open to find space for his jumper.

Sheppard had 15 offers, per 247Sports, including ones from Louisville, Iowa and Virginia.

The Boston Celtics and the NBA are honoring the life of Terrence Clarke by unveiling a new court at the Vine St. Community Center in Boston, which is where the former Kentucky guard grew up playing basketball. 

The court features Clarke's initials and No. 5 in a blue heart at center court. It also has a quote from the Boston native on the sideline which reads, "I want to be that guy for everyone in the city."

Clarke was killed in a car crash in Los Angeles on April 22, just a few months before the 2021 NBA draft. The 19-year-old averaged 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game during his first season at Kentucky and was projected to be a second-round pick. 

The NBA made Clarke an honorary pick in the 2021 draft. 

Kentucky commit Shaedon Sharpe is getting an early start on his college career. 

The No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class announced on Twitter he will enroll at Kentucky in January:

Sharpe told Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated that the plan is to redshirt this season before playing for the Wildcats next year.

"I'm going to report down there after Christmas," he said. "I'm going to redshirt. I just want to get a head start on college basketball and train with older, bigger, stronger and better players."

Sharpe didn't shut the door on playing during the 2021-22 campaign. 

"I'll do whatever the team needs," he said, "but 100 percent I will be at Kentucky to play next season."

Eric Bossi, 247Sports' national basketball director, compared the 5-star recruit's game to that of Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls:

Over the last year, Sharpe has improved tremendously as a ball handler, pull-up jump shooter and shot maker from beyond the three point line. The improved ball handling has allowed him to be much more creative as a scorer and playmaker for others. Sharpe has long arms, moves well laterally and has all of the tools to develop into a player who is just as disruptive on the defensive end of the floor as he is on offense.

The 6'5", 185-pound shooting guard announced in September he was committing to the Wildcats. His only official visits during the recruiting process were to Kentucky and Arizona, though he had scholarship offers from Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and others. The Canadian attended Dream City Christian School in Glendale, Arizona.

While Kentucky head coach John Calipari is renowned for his recruiting skills, ESPN's Jonathan Givony noted Sharpe became the program's first top-five commitment since Bam Adebayo in 2016.

The Wildcats open the 2021-22 season ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25. Their first game is Tuesday against No. 9 Duke at Madison Square Garden in the State Farm Champions Classic.    

Kentucky just improved its backcourt in a big way.

Cason Wallace, a 5-star combo guard from Richardson, Texas, committed to the Wildcats on Sunday.

"I chose Kentucky for a lot of different reasons; I built a close relationship with Coach Jai Lucas; he’d been recruiting me for a while," Wallace wrote in a first-person essay for Sports Illustrated. "When I went there, I loved everything about the vibe, and I knew that everybody really wanted me to be there."

Wallace is considered the No. 7 player overall in the Class of 2022, the No. 2 combo guard and the No. 1 player from the state of Texas, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The site compared him to Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, with Brandon Jenkins offering the following scouting report: 

One of, if not the best defender in the class. Wallace locks opponents up and controls each game with his length defensively. He keeps his man in front of him at all times, is a deflection magnet, and is one of the best transitional shot blockers in the country. Offensively, he is a bit mechanical but still very productive nonetheless. He is capable of putting points on the board from all three levels. He also can play on or off the ball and is similarly versatile in terms of his ability to play off a ball-screen or be an effective spot-up player on the weak-side of the floor. Wallace has the long-term upside to fill a role at the highest level of the sport for multiple years.

At 6'4" and 185 pounds, he'll have to bulk up some to match Smart's physicality (6'3", 220 pounds). But that's high praise nonetheless, given Smart is one of the NBA's best defenders and capable of locking down multiple positions. 

As for what Wallace believes are the strengths of his game, he told 247Sports' Travis Branham: "Leading the team, winning, playing hard on defense, hard on offense, scoring, steals and all of that."

If he provides that at the college level, Kentucky is going to be one happy squad.

The Wildcats are putting together yet another excellent recruiting class, with point guard Skyy Clark, a fellow 5-star recruit, also committed to the team. That follows a 2021 recruiting class that ranked No. 7 in the nation, per 247Sports, and included 5-star recruits TyTy Washington and Daimion Collins and 4-star power forward Bryce Hopkins. 

John Calipari always brings in a strong class. The 2022 edition is no exception.

Each player on the Kentucky men's basketball team will get paid monthly after signing an exclusive deal with FTX US:

The NIL deal will allow each player to be compensated individually as an ambassador for the cryptocurrency exchange.

A change in NCAA rules earlier this year allowed student-athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness. 

Kentucky basketball has fully embraced the new system, with head coach John Calipari saying in September he wanted his school to be the "gold standard" for NIL, per Keith Taylor of Kentucky Today.

"It is a reason they'll go somewhere else if you're not doing it right, and they will do it," Calipari said. "Every player that we brought on this campus, and we're talking about recruiting, they wanted to know, their families especially, what are you doing with name, image, and likeness? How are you trying to help, and how are you trying to protect? Every kid."

Several current players were quick to take advantage of the opportunity, either through selling merchandise at The Players Trunk or sending personalized videos on Cameo.

The latest deal not only benefits the team's biggest stars, but everyone on the roster. 

Five-star small forward Brandon Miller, who plays for Cane Ridge High School in Antioch, Tennessee, will attend the University of Alabama. 

Miller made his decision official on Monday. 

Miller is ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in Tennessee in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He ranks 11th nationally in his class and third among small forwards. 

Evan Daniels, 247Sports' former director of basketball recruiting, offered this scouting report on the 6'8", 200-pound forward in April 2020: 

Impressive build with plus positional size, a lean body, wide shoulders and long arms. Gifted athletically, Miller bounces off the ground with ease and has impressive body control. At best attacking the rim and in transition at this point. Fairly good ball skills, although could still tighten up his handles. Can guard multiple positions when locked in and has a lot of potential on that end. Long-range shot isn't reliable at this stage, but his shot isn't broken. Major upside here.

Daniels also projected Miller to be a second-round NBA draft choice.

High Level announced in August that Miller had narrowed his post-high school choices down to six schools and two professional options:

On Sept. 3, Miller narrowed that group down to four: Alabama, Tennessee State, the NBA G League and overseas National Basketball League.

Miller will join several other superstar talents in Tuscaloosa. The 2021 class includes 5-star JD Davison and a pair of 4-stars in Charles Bediako and Jusaun Holt.

Now the 2022 class is led by its own 5-star talent in Miller, who will look to continue Alabama's success under third-year head coach Nate Oats.

The Crimson Tide (26-7) are coming off an SEC championship and a Sweet Sixteen NCAA tournament appearance.

Those who attended Kentucky's Blue-White Game got a show Friday night.

Daimion Collins scored 22 points and Oscar Tshiebwe put up 25 points and 21 rebounds, as Team Blue earned a 108-80 win in the scrimmage.

TyTy Washington also added 24 points and 10 assists, with each of the Wildcats' young players putting on a show before the Rupp Arena crowd.

Washington and Collins spearheaded a Kentucky recruiting class that ranked 10th in the nation. Washington looked every bit the part of John Calipari's next great point guard, creating for himself and teammates in the open court. 

Collins and Tshiebwe, the latter being a West Virginia transfer, also looked stellar as a potential frontcourt that could dominate the SEC.

Lance Ware (20 points, 10 rebounds) and guard Keion Brooks Jr. (20 points, seven rebounds) had the top performances among returning players.

The Wildcats are looking to recover from an abysmal 2020-21 campaign that saw them go 9-16, one of the worst marks in program history. It was Calipari's first losing record at the college level since his first season at UMass in 1989-90. 

Ranked 10th in the preseason AP Poll and seemingly with stronger depth than they had last season, it appears Calipari has the team ready to right the ship in 2021-22. 

Kentucky freshman TyTy Washington Jr. will be riding onto campus in style thanks to his new NIL deal with a Porsche dealership. 

Washington announced on Instagram that he's signed an agreement with Blue Grass Motorsport Porsche in Louisville. 

Per ESPN's Myron Medcalf, the Porsche Cayenne SUV in Washington's social media photos typically sells for more than $80,000. 

Recruiting has never been an issue for Kentucky head coach John Calipari, but he also understands the added benefit of being able to sell players on their earning potential with the program. 

"Players are not going to come here because of name, image and likeness—they're not," Calipari told reporters last month. "They're going to come here because of between the white lines this culture and the brand that we built in basketball, the national-ness, all that goes along with it, the teaching, what happens."

Since the NCAA name, image and likeness rules took effect on July 1, several college athletes across the country have benefited. 

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is earning close to $1 million through his NIL deals. 

Washington is expected to be one of the best freshman players in the country during the 2021-22 season. He's a 5-star recruit and the No. 4 point guard in this year's class, per 247Sports composite rankings. 

Combining Washington's potential with the Wildcats' profile across the country makes him an attractive spokesperson for a Louisville-based car dealership. 

Kentucky, which is ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, will open the 2021-22 season on Nov. 9 against Duke at Madison Square Garden.