Tyrese Maxey

The No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats scored a huge 78-70 overtime home victory over the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday.

Kentucky ended its two-game losing streak following losses to Utah and Ohio State to improve to 9-3 on the season, while Louisville lost for just the second time in 2019-20, dropping to 11-2.

The Wildcats have now won three in a row and seven of their past eight meetings with Louisville.

Freshman guard Tyrese Maxey led the way for the Wildcats, as he registered 13 points and four rebounds in the first half alone before finishing with 27 points and seven rebounds.

Kentucky also locked down Louisville defensively, holding the Cardinals to 40.3 percent shooting from the field and 25.9 percent from three, while the Wildcats shot 46.3 percent overall and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc.

     

Notable Stats

Tyrese Maxey, G, KEN: 27 PTS, 7 REB

Immanuel Quickley, G, KEN: 18 PTS, 3 REB

Nick Richards, F, KEN: 13 PTS, 10 REB

Steven Enoch, C, LOU: 18 PTS, 5 REB

Dwayne Sutton, F, LOU: 14 PTS, 10 REB

Lamarr Kimble, G, LOU: 12 PTS, 4 AST

Jordan Nwora, F, LOU: 8 PTS, 4 REB

     

Maxey, Richards Come Up Huge in Gutsy Kentucky Win

Kentucky entered Saturday's game as a desperate team after losing consecutive games, and it showed, as the Wildcats led by eight at halftime and as many as 12 in the second half.

The play of Maxey, who scored a career-high 27 points in the win, played a significant role in the Wildcats' hot start, as he was firing on all cylinders from beyond the arc:

AND HE DRAINS IT.

Tyrese Maxey with a big 3 for @KentuckyMBB pic.twitter.com/bVhsKUetyN

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) December 28, 2019

Maxey with his second 3-pointer of the day 💪🏻@KentuckyMBB pic.twitter.com/4oozFChKfx

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) December 28, 2019

Nick Coffey of 790 KRD pointed out that everything seemed to be working in Kentucky's favor during the early going:

Gonna take a phenomenal second half for Louisville for this to end well. Kentucky clearly has forgotten they’ve lost 2 in a row. Everything Kentucky needed to happen, happened. Nwora missing, Richards outworked Enoch. Guard play advantage was evident.

— Nick Coffey (@TheCardConnect) December 28, 2019

The tide started to shift as the game reached the midway point of the second half, however, with Louisville seizing the momentum.

Louisville went on a 14-3 run at one point to shrink what was once a 12-point deficit to one, and Justin Rowland of Rivals noted that a discrepancy in fouls played a role:

Foul count is 8 against Kentucky, 2 against Louisville this half. Without passing judgment on the majority of those calls, it's pretty fair to say they have completely changed the course of the game.

— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) December 28, 2019

At around the midway point of the second half, Louisville knocked down threes on consecutive possessions to tie the score and then take the lead:

Word that comes to mind: WOW. @LouisvilleMBB pic.twitter.com/P3OsWu9s2o

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) December 28, 2019

LOUISVILLE TAKES THE LEAD 💯@LouisvilleMBB pic.twitter.com/o1xFo7BtI7

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) December 28, 2019

It would have been easy for Kentucky to wilt at that point with the momentum clearly on the Cardinals' side, but junior forward Nick Richards started to take the game over for Kentucky even with four fouls.

Richards drew a pair of offensive fouls in the second half, much to the approval of Stadium's Jeff Goodman and Chris Bailey of WKYT:

Nick Richards has been damn good here the last few minutes on the defensive end, especially with four fouls.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 28, 2019

Nick Richards is the most impactful player on the floor today.

— Chris Bailey🌪️⚡️ (@Kentuckyweather) December 28, 2019

With Richards getting the Wildcats back in their groove, they managed to avoid a devastating loss and instead forced overtime.

Perhaps the biggest reason Louisville was unable to win it in regulation was the poor play of star forward Jordan Nwora, who was also out of sync in the Cardinals' only previous loss to Texas Tech:

Louisville’s best player, Jordan Nwora, in loss against Texas Tech and first half vs. Kentucky:

5-24 from field
1-11 from 3

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 28, 2019

Nwora snapped out of his funk to hit a massive three that gave the Cardinals the lead in overtime, though, and at that point, it looked like Louisville was destined for a huge comeback win.

The Wildcats answered back, however, and after Richards hit two free throws to give Kentucky a two-point lead late in the overtime session, the Cardinals could not net the equalizer, and their comeback was all for naught.

     

What's Next?

Kentucky will begin SEC play when it hosts the 7-4 Missouri Tigers on Jan. 4 in a game the Wildcats should be heavily favored to win.

Meanwhile, Louisville will open its ACC slate Jan. 4 when it hosts the No. 17 Florida State Seminoles, who are currently 11-2.

The Utah Utes upset the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats 69-66 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

VICTORY!! UTES TAKE DOWN NO. 6 KENTUCKY!

🔴 69 | 🔵66 #GoUtes🏀🔴 pic.twitter.com/pA6kl5CYW7

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) December 19, 2019

The Utes celebrated properly in the locker room afterward:

LOCKER ROOM MOOD‼️🔥💦#GoUtes🏀🔴 pic.twitter.com/GOjWqPfrs4

— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) December 19, 2019

Kentucky freshman guard Tyrese Maxey bucketed the first points of the game and put the Wildcats up 2-0, but the Utes led for the entire game after that until UK threatened late in the second half, coming from 17 points down to tie the game at 66 with 1:43 in regulation.

Timmy Allen's jumper put Utah back up 68-66 20 seconds later, but the penultimate moment came when officials reviewed what was originally called a defensive shooting foul on the Utes and reversed it to an offensive charge committed by Maxey.

Kentucky had another chance to tie the game after Rylan Jones made a free throw to extend Utah's lead to 69-66, but Maxey missed his three-point attempt with 11 seconds left. EJ Montgomery nabbed the offensive rebound, and UK was able to call a timeout to retain possession, but Immanuel Quickley missed his three-point attempt as time expired.

Allen led all scorers with 25 points and flirted with a double-double at nine rebounds. Utah's other double-digit scorers were Jones, Both Gach and Riley Battin.

The Wildcats' scoring efforts were led by Maxey's 18 points and 16 points from sophomore guard Ashton Hagans.

Overall, the Utes shot 54.8 percent from the field, including 8-of-15 shooting from three-point range, while Kentucky recorded 41.3 percent shooting from the field but a woeful 2-of-17 from deep.

Kentucky dropped to 8-2 with the loss, and the other loss came against unranked 8-4 Evansville 67-64 on Nov. 12 at Rupp Arena.

Utah improved to 9-2, rising to the occasion against its first ranked opponent this year.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari gave a blunt assessment of his team's performance:

Calipari on the 3-point shooting: "I don't have the answer. I wish I did. I believe we have good shooters. Maybe timid right now?"

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) December 19, 2019

Calipari lamenting all the shot-clock-beaters Kentucky gave up and leaving Utah in corners, which he demands his team not do. Says it's such a late night and quick turn (Cats don't play til Saturday) he might not watch much of this tape.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) December 19, 2019

These aren't new issues, Calipari said. "We've had these issues." Says they have to make six or seven 3-pointers a game and too often making one or two instead.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) December 19, 2019

Calipari saying Utah wasn't even older and physically imposing to push UK around. "They weren't beasts (but) they fought. They deserved it. He outcoached me and they outplayed us. They deserved to win the game."

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) December 19, 2019

But this was hardly the most egregious upset to happen so far this season—both to UK and around college basketball.

Kentucky's loss to Evansville was worse, as they were the top-ranked program in the nation at the time. Michigan State's season began by losing to Kentucky 69-62 while ranked No. 1 at the time. Duke was ranked No. 1 when losing to Stephen F. Austin 85-83 in overtime on Nov. 26, and No. 1 Louisville collected its first loss when Texas Tech topped it 70-57 on Dec. 10.

Sunday, the previously undefeated No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes fell 84-71 to unranked Minnesota.

It's hard to gauge the Wildcats right now, but a clearer picture will emerge after their next two games. Kentucky and No. 5 Ohio State will clash Saturday at T-Mobile Arena before Louisville, now No. 3, visits Rupp Arena on Dec. 28.

The No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats started their season with a win that will register well into March.

Kentucky defeated the No. 1 Michigan State Spartans 69-62 at the 2019 Champions Classic on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was a massive showdown between programs featuring 27 combined Final Fours, 10 combined national championships and legendary coaches in Tom Izzo and John Calipari.

It also represented the first time the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the Associated Press poll played each other on the opening day of the season, and Tyrese Maxey made sure the SEC representative marked the occasion with a win by taking over the game down the stretch.

The freshman drilled the biggest shot of the night from well beyond the arc with his team nursing a two-point lead with one minute remaining and was the best player on the floor in a game featuring Player of the Year candidate Cassius Winston.

TYRESE MAXEY. CLUTCH 💰 pic.twitter.com/IAmhmTOB2A

— ESPN (@espn) November 6, 2019

          

Notable Player Stats

• KY G Tyrese Maxey: 26 points, five rebounds and two assists on 7-of-13 shooting from the field
• KY G Ashton Hagans: 11 points, three rebounds and two assists on 3-of-9 shooting from the field
• KY G Immanuel Quickley: 10 points, four rebounds and two assists on 1-of-5 shooting from the field
• MSU G Cassius Winston: 21 points, four assists and two rebounds on 5-of-12 shooting from the field

         

Tyrese Maxey Announces His Presence to the Nation in Dramatic Fashion

It's fitting that a freshman starred for Calipari's side even though the Wildcats brought back guard Ashton Hagans, guard Immanuel Quickley, forward EJ Montgomery and big man Nick Richards as experienced contributors.

With that foursome and some of the freshmen-created depth, the Wildcats have size and athleticism all over the court. They have the potential to be one of the top defensive teams in the country, and they put it on display by consistently switching on ball screens for Winston and challenging perimeter shots.

Even a decent offense will put Calipari's bunch in the middle of the national title race, and Maxey provided scoring in bunches as a spark plug off the bench.

Love Tyrese Maxey tonight. Gets to the basket, can finish, has floaters, shooting it from deep, and making some nice decisions with the ball in his hands. Kentucky needs a go-to guy, and it certainly looks as though Maxey can fill that role.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 6, 2019

Regardless of what Maxey's final stat line says, this has been a strong first impression. Effective changing speeds, gets into high-% floaters, shot-making ability seems obvious.

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) November 6, 2019

https://twitter.com/Sam_Vecenie/status/1191939158199164929

After last year's Champions Classic I was all-in on Quentin Grimes and thought Tyler Herro was a bum, so I'm going to do my best to pump the brakes on the knee-jerk reactions this time around.

BUT!

I think I'm in love with Tyrese Maxey.

— Mark Titus (@clubtrillion) November 6, 2019

Tyrese Maxey has pretty clearly been the best player for Kentucky tonight. It's not just the scoring - although those floaters are something else - he just has a great feels.

I think Kentucky's best lineups are when they have the three lead guards on the floor together.

— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) November 6, 2019

He unleashed a deep three in the first half to give Kentucky the lead and made another long triple in the second half when Michigan State was storming back with plenty of momentum. His shooting tilted the Spartans defense at times and created space for himself and others, but he also proved he could attack the rim and score with well-timed floaters.

Alongside Hagans and Quickley, Maxey was part of the trio of guards who were too much for Michigan State in the first half, and then he went into takeover mode when the game was hanging in the balance.

He quickly pushed a three-point lead with less than six minutes remaining to seven by scoring in the lane, creating a turnover and dishing to a wide-open Hagans. He mixed in rebounding on the defensive side and also pushed a four-point advantage to six with another driving basket in the final three minutes.

Yet it was his memorable three-pointer in crunch time that served as the exclamation mark to a head-turning debut.

           

Michigan State is Much Better Than Tuesday's Showing

The Spartans were No. 1 in the country based on last season's Final Four appearance and the return of Winston as a veteran leader who can control the pace, dictate play in key stretches and thrive in clutch moments. 

However, they were short-handed against the Wildcats without the injured Joshua Langford and with Kyle Ahrens at less than 100 percent. 

What's more, Xavier Tillman, who is expected to lead their interior attack on the blocks, and Aaron Henry, who serves as a valuable perimeter defender to take some pressure off Winston, dealt with foul trouble and found themselves on the bench as Kentucky built a double-digit lead in the first half.

Fouls aside, Kentucky's defensive length is the issue for Michigan State. All lanes — driving and passing — are congested.

By my count, MSU has put Cassius Winston into 17 ball screens so far. Those sets have produced only 2 made baskets and only one FG attempt for Winston.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) November 6, 2019

https://twitter.com/Sam_Vecenie/status/1191915201848852483

Given MSU's lack of firepower without Joshua Langford, just not sure Izzo can afford to put Aaron Henry in mothballs due to foul trouble like this. MSU is just so limited offensively without him on the court

— Brian Snow (@BSnow513) November 6, 2019

Their absence prevented Michigan State from establishing a rhythm and forced Winston to carry much of the offensive load as a scorer and creator. Things got even more difficult when the senior leader picked up his fourth foul with more than seven minutes remaining.

Despite all the factors working against them, the Spartans were still one or two possessions away from earning a victory. Had they made more than five of their 26 three-point attempts (19.2 percent), they likely would have won.

When Michigan State gets Langford back and isn't in constant foul trouble, it will be on the shortlist of national title contenders. Fortunately for Kentucky, that wasn't the case on Tuesday.

          

What’s Next?

Kentucky hosts Eastern Kentucky on Friday, while Michigan State hosts Binghamton on Sunday.

Kentucky men's basketball debuted its 2019-20 team in the annual Blue-White Game on Friday at Rupp Arena in Lexington.

The White Team beat the Blue Team 81-80 led by 20 points from Nick Richards, who hit a pair of game-winning free throws down the stretch.

Final: ⚪️ Team 81, 🔵 Team 80.

2019 #BlueWhite Game went down to the wire.

The first @KentuckyMBB preseason exhibition is Sunday, Oct. 27 vs. Georgetown College 🎟➡️ https://t.co/KHqxjbVrxz pic.twitter.com/U455IaSv90

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 19, 2019

Both sides looked great, however, on a night in which many players shined.

Per 247Sports, UK landed the second-best class of 2019, led by 5-stars Tyrese Maxey, Kahlil Whitney and Keion Brooks. Four-stars Johnny Juzang and Dontaie Allen rounded out the group.

But the most impressive Wildcat debut arguably came courtesy of graduate transfer Nate Sestina, who arrived from Patriot League powerhouse Bucknell.

Sestina enjoyed a breakout season in his senior campaign, averaging 15.8 points on 53.6 percent shooting (38.0 percent on three-pointers), 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 27.9 minutes per game.

The 6'9", 234-pound forward picked up where he left off Friday, scoring 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting and hitting four of his eight three-pointers. He showed that he might be the missing veteran piece the Wildcats need to land a championship for the first time since 2012.

Travis Graf of Cats Illustrated was impressed:

https://twitter.com/Trav_Graf/status/1185333524091588611

It was hard not to be after seeing the him stretch the floor with a deadly three-point shot:

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1185343612529201152

Sestina did damage in the paint too, per Kyle Tucker of The Athletic:

Nate Sestina offensive board, whirling jump hook in the paint. That's 20 points, 3 boards, 1 block and a steal for a dude who it looks increasingly like Kentucky would've been screwed without this season.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) October 19, 2019

Elsewhere, Maxey and Whitney showed why they were worthy of the hype. Maxey posted 17 points, five assists and five rebounds, while Whitney posted 12 points, eight boards and two steals.

Maxey showcased his clutch ability by nailing this turnaround jumper to end the first half:

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1185346146522128384

Whitney was a problem in the paint thanks to a few dunks, including one courtesy of Maxey:

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1185339260183945216

Tucker called Maxey a "game-changer."

He hasn't necessarily been the star of this thing, but Tyrese Maxey is the game-changer for Kentucky. Drained a 3-pointer and he's up to 11 points, 3 assists and a steal without a turnover. Plays the game at a great pace and in command.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) October 19, 2019

As for Whitney, his game-breaking athleticism—good enough to leap over three people for a dunk—could be a serious problem:

.@KahlilWhitney clears 3 people with ease to show off the hops! 🐰 #BBM19pic.twitter.com/RzMp3Pk5xv

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) October 12, 2019

The early votes for UK's most improved player go to Immanuel Quickley, who clearly means business after a freshman year in which he struggled and averaged 5.2 points per game on 37.2 percent shooting. He made quick work of the opposition Friday with 25 points, seven rebounds and six rebounds.

Aaron Torres of Fox Sports reported an inside scoop on Quickley's stellar preseason:

Had heard buzz behind the scenes that Immanuel Quickley had been one of the pleasant surprises early on in Kentucky basketball practices. Based on tonight's scrimmage that seems to be the case. Looks like a COMPLETELY different player this season. Much more confident

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) October 19, 2019

Quickley was a problem inside the arc:

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1185340423063199746

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1185353395147812870

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1185342623449407488

Another sophomore, Ashton Hagans, shone with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and six assists. Like Quickley, he struggled in his first UK campaign, shooting just 27.5 percent from three-point range. But Hagans hit three of his six treys Friday, including this one from transition:

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1185351361887657984

At game's end, Tucker provided his power ranking of the top-performing players:

Blue-White top performers, one man's opinion:

1. Immanuel Quickley (25, 7 and 6)
2. Nate Sestina (22 and 4)
3. Tyrese Maxey (17, 5 and 5)
4. Ashton Hagans (14, 6 and 3)
5. Nick Richards (20 and 11)

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) October 19, 2019

The early returns on UK men's hoops this year are positive, and the Wildcats will open the 2019-20 season against Michigan State on Nov. 5 at Madison Square Garden in New York. NBC Sports ranked MSU and UK No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in its preseason poll.