Kentucky Wildcats Basketball

Justin Edwards, a 5-star small forward from the Imhotep Institute in Philadelphia, committed to Kentucky on Monday.

BREAKING: Justin Edwards, the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 class, has committed to Kentucky, he tells @247Sports.

“I have always seen myself playing for Kentucky, that was a childhood dream of mine.” || Story: https://t.co/LrzSl7h4Lf pic.twitter.com/ot3kyvKKkz

— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) July 25, 2022

Edwards is considered the No. 3 player in the Class of 2023, the No. 1 small forward and the top prospect in Pennsylvania, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

He had quite the 2021 calendar year, going from being unranked to one of the top recruits in the nation and a 5-star prospect. But what makes Edwards special?

"When I am at my best I am doing everything," he told Travis Branham of 247Sports in June. "I am scoring, defending, just everything."

Branham agreed with that sentiment, calling him "one of the most well-rounded players in the class," (h/t Ben Roberts of Kentucky.com).

He continued:

"He's very advanced when it comes to his skill set and his feel for the game. This is a kid that scores it from all three levels. He's got a good jumper. He can create his own shot. But he plays the game the right way. He's a really good passer. He just kind of takes what the defense gives him. So if he's given an opportunity to go score the ball, he's going to go score the ball. If the defense collapses on him and there's an opportunity for him to spread the ball out and get it to his teammates for open shots, he's going to do that. He's a good defender. He has a mature approach to the game. He's competitive. Just a very high floor."

Given Edwards' jump up the rankings, it appears he's only beginning to touch on his potential. Kentucky is getting a player who should help them in multiple ways.

The Wildcats should be a great fit for Edwards. His team game and humility on the court should mesh well with John Calipari's team-oriented philosophy. And more than a few players have gone from Kentucky to successful NBA careers in recent years.

The Wildcats may simply be the launching point for Edwards. In the meantime, he'll join a program that routinely stockpiles elite talent.

Five days away from the 2022 NBA draft, Shaedon Sharpe certainly isn't lacking confidence.

Speaking to reporters Saturday, Sharpe said he sees himself "as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball."

That level of belief in himself has clearly served Sharpe well in his life thus far. The 19-year-old is expected to be one of the first players selected in the draft Thursday.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman has Sharpe projected to be selected No. 8 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in his latest mock draft but noted he could potentially go in the top four.

"If a surprise name can shake up the top four, we're hearing it is Sharpe. There is some buzz about a team in the top four showing extra interest, though it is difficult to picture him going that high, considering general managers are evaluating Sharpe on 2021 AAU tape and workouts," Wasserman wrote.

Sharpe is one of the great mysteries of this year's draft because he hasn't played in an official game since he was in high school.

The Canada native was one of the top college recruits for 2022, but he reclassified and enrolled at Kentucky in January for the spring semester. He didn't appear in a game for the Wildcats and declared for the draft in April.

Given how long it has been since Sharpe has tested himself against high-level competition in actual games, declaring himself to be one of the best players in the history of the sport is a bold move.

Kentucky Basketball Hall of Famer Mike Pratt died Thursday at the age of 73.

Per Jon Hale of the Louisville Courier Journal, Pratt had cancer that spread to his liver, jaw and back.

Pratt played three seasons for the Wildcats from 1967-70. He was named to the All-SEC first team in each of his final two years with the program.

Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari issued a statement about Pratt in the wake of his death, via Tyler Thompson of On3.com:

"We lost a family member, a part of the Kentucky family and a friend. If you ever had the pleasure of meeting Mike Pratt, you knew what a special person he was. Mike was a dear friend to me and was an integral part in helping me become head coach here. Ellen and I will forever be grateful to him for his support and kindness. We should all be thankful that he was in our lives. Mike knew that the University and the Big Blue Nation loved him, and they never forgot what he did as a player and then later as a connection for the program. I’m going to miss him."

According to Hale, Pratt was on the coaching search committee in 2009 that eventually led to Calipari being hired by the program.

After going undrafted, Pratt spent two seasons playing in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonels. He moved into coaching at the college ranks in 1975 when Lee Rose hired him as an assistant at Charlotte.

When Rose left the 49ers to go to Purdue, Pratt was promoted to head coach. He went 56-52 in four seasons with the program before being fired after the 1981-82 campaign.

Pratt returned to his alma mater in 2001 to do color commentary for Wildcats games alongside Tom Leach on the UK Radio Network. The duo remained together even as Pratt underwent treatment when he was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2019.

Snapped this picture of Mike with Chuck Hayes at UK shootaround ay Vandy in 2020. Everybody gravitated to MP for his bball knowledge and his friendship. I loved him like a brother. My heart is broken. RIP pic.twitter.com/BkdkqWqp41

— Tom Leach (@tomleachKY) June 17, 2022

Pratt was inducted into the Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. He averaged 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 81 games as a player for the Wildcats.

Jacob Toppin isn't done at Kentucky.

Toppin, who is the younger brother of New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin, announced Tuesday in a video message that he is withdrawing from the 2022 NBA draft and returning to the Wildcats for the 2022-23 campaign.

He ended his message by saying: "Let's run it back one more year. Go Big Blue."

https://twitter.com/Jtoppin0/status/1531742975407144965

It doesn't come as a massive surprise that Toppin isn't remaining in next month's draft.

After all, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman released an updated mock draft Tuesday that did not have him being selected in either of the two rounds. He also started just four games for the Wildcats last season and was more of a secondary contributor.

Toppin averaged 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 blocks per game in 2021-22 and shot 55.6 percent from the field.

He wasn't much of an outside shooter, but he can work in pick-and-rolls and provide interior scoring and rebounding. He may also be a bigger factor for the Wildcats during the upcoming season with more experience and the expected roster turnaround.

Toppin started his collegiate career at Rhode Island but transferred to Kentucky ahead of the 2020-21 season. He has yet to live up to his brother's college legacy considering Obi was the men's National Player of the Year in 2019-20 and a consensus All-American at Dayton.

The younger Toppin can be a matchup problem because of his athleticism, and ESPN's Jeff Borzello called him a "potential breakout candidate" for a team ranked No. 3 in the publication's early Top 25 rankings.

If that is the case, Toppin may hear his name called at the 2023 NBA draft.         

Kentucky basketball legend Reggie Warford died on Thursday at the age of 67. 

Per Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader, Warford had been diagnosed with numerous health problems in recent years and was surrounded by his family when he died. 

Reggie Warford passed away this morning at home surrounded by his loving family. I know how much Reggie meant to Kentucky & how he inspired others.

Reggie and I worked together at Pitt in the 80s and have remained friends.

I’m going to miss my brother, may God bless you Reggie.

— John Calipari (@CoachCalArk) May 26, 2022

According to Tipton, Warford was the first Black player in Wildcats history to have a four-year basketball career and graduate from the university. 

Per Mike Fields of KHSAA.org, Warford had a heart transplant in 2014, a kidney transplant in 2017 and developed a pulmonary condition that restricted his breathing and required him to use oxygen at night. 

Joe B. Hall was named Kentucky head coach in April 1972 after Adolph Rupp retired. Hall was instrumental in fully integrating the Wildcats basketball program, with Warford being the first player who committed to the team under the first-year head coach. 

Derrick White, a professor in UK’s African American and Africana Studies program, told The Athletic's Kyle Tucker after Hall's death in January that Warford's commitment was a huge milestone for Kentucky basketball. 

"Joe B. signing Reggie Warford was so important because it signaled to Black Kentuckians and folks all over the nation that they were not going to do business the same way they had done it," White said. 

According to Tipton, Warford, Jack Givens, James Lee, Merion Haskins and Larry Johnson were the first all-Black starting five in Wildcats history during the 1974-75 season. 

Warford was inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2019. He helped the Wildcats win the National Invitational Tournament as a senior during the 1975-76 season. 

In four years at Kentucky, Warford averaged 4.1 points per game over 50 appearances.     

The No. 4 Kentucky men's basketball team suffered a 76-63 upset loss to No. 16 Tennessee on Tuesday. The Wildcats fell to 21-5 and 10-3 in the SEC after their six-game win streak came to an end.

The Volunteers earned their fifth straight victory to improve to 19-6 and 10-3 against conference opponents. They haven't lost to Kentucky twice in the same season since 2012.

BIG DUB. 🍊 pic.twitter.com/Ey8Verg2pe

— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) February 16, 2022

Tennessee was led by junior guard Santiago Vescovi's 18 points. Kennedy Chandler added 17 points and six assists, while John Fulkerson and Zakai Zeigler scored 14 points apiece off the bench.

It was a combination of strong defense and efficient shooting that did the job for the Volunteers. Tennessee jumped out to a 46-32 lead at halftime and never looked back. When the Wildcats cut the lead to eight in the second half, Tennessee went on a 15-3 run to push its advantage to 20 and put the game away.

The Volunteers shot 47.1 percent from beyond the arc and played a clean game with just eight turnovers, a sharp improvement from their first meeting earlier this season. Meanwhile, Kentucky was held to 34.3 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range. The Wildcats also had a hard time taking care of the ball, posting 14 turnovers against 11 assists.

Thought two of the biggest keys tonight for Tennessee had to be turnovers and transition defense. 20 turnovers in first meeting; six tonight. Transition defense has been so much better, too. Kentucky consistently beat Tennessee down the floor last month; hasn’t happened tonight.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 16, 2022

Oscar Tshiebwe led Kentucky with 13 points and 15 rebounds but shot 5-of-15 from the field. Jacob Toppin and Davion Mintz were the only other players on the team to score in double figures at 11 points apiece.

The Volunteers will go for another win against a ranked opponent when they travel to take on No. 23 Arkansas in a road matchup Saturday. The Wildcats will look to bounce back that same day at home against No. 25 Alabama.

Top NBA draft prospect Shaedon Sharpe will not play for Kentucky this season after joining the program in January, coach John Calipari announced Monday.

"After talking with Shaedon and his parents, we want to end all of the speculation by again saying that he will not play for us this season," Calipari said in a tweet. "He is committed to bettering himself and our team in practice this year and being better prepared to lead us next season."

The 18-year-old Sharpe was the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 high school recruiting class, per 247Sports, before reclassifying and enrolling at Kentucky last month. He is eligible for the 2022 NBA draft because he turns 19 in May.

Calipari has said he expects Sharpe to play for the Wildcats during the 2022-23 season. He is ranked as ESPN's No. 7 player in the 2022 NBA draft.

In previous years, it might be a no-brainer for Sharpe to enter the draft and reap the benefits of being a lottery pick. He would make at least $10.1 million in guarantees over his first two NBA seasons if he went with the seventh overall pick.

That said, new NCAA rules that allow college players to make money off their name, image and likeness could reap dividends. Several prominent athletes have reached deals that approach or surpass seven figures, and brands would likely want to get in on the ground floor of a player who could be the No. 1 overall pick in 2023.

Sharpe is a 6'6" shooting guard who is a bouncy athlete off the dribble and has an impressive shooting stroke; he's a Platonic ideal of a modern NBA 2-guard. If he returns to Kentucky in 2022-23 and excels, he could make more money in the long run. The top pick of the 2023 NBA draft is slotted to make $19.4 million over his first two seasons. 

Kentucky earned its biggest win of the season, upsetting Kansas 80-62 at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas.

This is the 12th-ranked Wildcats' second victory over a Top 25 opponent as they improve to 17-4. The No. 5 Jayhawks are losers for only the third time as they slip to 17-3 amid their toughest stretch of the year.

The rout was on by halftime. Kentucky was up 20 points, 51-31, at the end of the first half. Kansas hadn't allowed 50-plus first-half points in a home game since 2007.

This is the largest home halftime deficit for Kansas over the last 25 seasons.

The Jayhawks last trailed by such a margin to Florida in 2014 (15 points). Kansas came back to win that one, but it has never overcome a 20-point deficit at home to win. pic.twitter.com/7mPie4IHhD

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 30, 2022

The Wildcats didn't take their foot off the gas much in the second half. They shot 50.8 percent as a team.

---

Notable Performers

Oscar Tshiebwe, F, Kentucky: 17 points, 14 rebounds, one assist, four steals

Keion Brooks Jr., F, Kentucky: 27 points, eight rebounds, one steal

Christian Braun, G, Kansas: 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal 

Ochai Agbaji, G, Kansas: 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal

---

Brooks, Tshiebwe Too Much for Jayhawks

Keion Brooks Jr. and Oscar Tshiebwe were the engines for Kentucky's offensive explosion.

Tshiebwe didn't fill up the points column, but his work on the glass was instrumental in denying Kansas second-chance opportunities and getting the transition started. The junior forward now has 15 double-doubles in Kentucky's 21 games.

I also don't think that enough is made of the fact that Oscar Tshiebwe does the job of two people on the glass. That's a big part of why Kentucky is so lethal in transition, and why it's so hard to run on them.

This is a fun, fun team, and I did not see this coming.

— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) January 30, 2022

Hardest worker we know …@Oscartshiebwe34 💪 pic.twitter.com/UHPtfkjQiZ

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 30, 2022

Brooks' impact, meanwhile, is evident in his stat line. At one point in the second half, he scored 15 straight points for Kentucky.

His willingness to put the Wildcats offense on his back was helpful when Kansas began building a head of steam to start the second half. He was content to take what the Jayhawks were giving him inside the arc.

Keion Brooks is loving this triangle and 2 defense.

— Terrence Oglesby (@T_Oglesby22) January 30, 2022

Did not expect Keion Brooks to turn into Dirk Nowitzki at Kansas and hit all of the midrange jumpers. But here we are.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) January 30, 2022

Kentucky is one week removed from losing to Auburn, so this win should be kept in perspective. But this outing was another reminder—something that was evident with the blowouts of North Carolina and Tennessee—of how dynamic the Wildcats can be.

They arguably have as good a shot at making a Final Four run as anybody else in the country.

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Kansas Undone by Slow Start

A high-octane offense has been Kansas' calling card this season. The Jayhawks entered Sunday averaging the 12th-most points (81.5) and ranking 10th in field-goal percentage (49.3).

Bill Self's squad didn't have a terrible opening half on offense, shooting 13-of-33 overall and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. 

But Kansas was getting bullied inside. Kentucky had a 28-18 edge in points in the paint and a 23-12 rebounding advantage.

Kansas Jayhawks getting exposed for their 51st ranked Ken Pom d and Oscar is also dominating for UK.

— Ari Temkin (@arisports) January 30, 2022

Last 3 games vs. Kansas

Kentucky, 51 point 1st Half
Texas Tech, 45 point 2nd Half
K-State, 50 point 1st Half https://t.co/sqsug70Pqh

— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) January 30, 2022

The Jayhawks' switch to a 2-3 defensive zone led to some brief success and it looked like the home team might be able to chip away at the deficit. Kentucky—Brooks to be more specific—quickly found a formula to work around the zone, nullifying the gains Kansas had made.

The Jayhawks' last three games were decided by nine combined points and they needed double overtime to put away Texas Tech. Perhaps a result was on the cards sooner or later, and it's better for Self to see now what he needs to work on.

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What's Next?

Kansas moves on to another ranked opponent as it faces off with No. 23 Iowa State on the road Tuesday. Kentucky returns to Lexington on Wednesday for an SEC clash with Vanderbilt.

Top prospect Shaedon Sharpe is reportedly eligible for the 2022 NBA draft after enrolling early at Kentucky, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Kyle Tucker of The Athletic noted this still doesn't change his status:

Shaedon Sharpe being eligible for the next NBA draft is not news to Kentucky. It’s not a new development. It’s something neither Sharpe’s camp nor UK wanted out because of all the speculation it would create. As of today, whether he plays this year or not, he plans to stay at UK.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) January 20, 2022

Sharpe was part of the class of 2022 until graduating before the start of the NBA season in October. He enrolled at Kentucky in January, although he is yet to play for the Wildcats.

The 6'5" guard told Jason Jordon of Sports Illustrated that his plan was to redshirt the 2021-22 season and play for Kentucky next season.

If he does declare for the upcoming draft, ESPN lists Sharpe as the No. 6 prospect in the class.

Sharpe was initially considered the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 class but is now listed as No. 3 in the 2021 class behind only Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, per 247Sports composite rankings.

While Homgren and Banchero have each showed their upside on the court this season, Kentucky coach John Calipari indicated Sharpe is unlikely to play this year despite being eligible.

"He's a ways away from playing games," Calipari told reporters earlier this month. "It may be a year from now. They all know. I talked to them. We don’t have a plan for him to play this year. Maybe he does, but that is not the plan and never has been."

If he did enter the draft, it would leave NBA scouts to make their evaluations based on past high school performance at Dream City Christian in Arizona as well as AAU competition.  

Former Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball head coach Joe B. Hall died at the age of 93.

The program announced the news Saturday morning:

It is with great sadness we share the passing of the great Joe B. Hall. Our hearts are with the Hall family.

We love you, Joe B. pic.twitter.com/SahjbGOexb

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 15, 2022

Current Kentucky head coach John Calipari tweeted a series of messages in which he called Hall "my friend, my mentor and an icon in our state and in our profession" while pointing out he "made it the job it is today with his hard work, his ingenuity and his great basketball coaching."

Calipari continued, adding, "Coach Hall is beloved by everyone. What makes me happy on this extremely somber day is that before he left this earth, he knew how much all of us appreciated and loved him. I would ask that everyone keep him and his family in your prayers. I love you, Coach."

Hall took over the Wildcats program after the legendary Adolph Rupp, who coached Kentucky for 42 years prior, for the 1972-73 season.

He faced plenty of pressure following in the footsteps of a giant in the sport, but he lived up to and ultimately exceeded expectations during a tenure that lasted through the 1984-85 campaign.

Kentucky went to 10 NCAA tournaments and three Final Fours under the four-time SEC Coach of the Year. It also won eight regular-season conference championships and took home the national title during the 1977-78 campaign.

That national championship team featured four players who made the NBA in Jack Givens, Rick Robey, Kyle Macy and Chuck Aleksinas.

Hall was not just a national champion coach, as ESPN noted he is one of just three men to win an NCAA title as a player and coach and the only one to accomplish the feat at the same school.

He remained a public figure around the program well into retirement and was often seen sitting courtside for home games.