Rob Dillingham did not hold onto his black and grey hat for long, as the San Antonio Spurs sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves last night during the first round of the NBA draft. The Spurs selected the Kentucky PG with the #8 pick, their second selection in the top eight, but struck a deal with Minnesota. In return, the T-Wolves sent back a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

At face value, the Timberwolves seem to have won the trade. Minnesota needed to address the one-guard position this off-season as Mike Conley turns 37. Dillingham brings youth and energy to his game, and Conley can take him under his wing to teach the rookie how to survive in the league, standing only 6’1”. The hope for the Western Conference finalists is Dillingham can complement star SG Anthony Edwards as he enters his prime.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are looking to build around rookie of the year C Victor Wembenyama but decided to trade away a 19-year-old oozing with talent. The picks they received may not be helpful six years later, with Edwards at age 29. After taking Stephon Castle #4 last night, San Antonio has a backlog of guards, but the team should focus on the present and not the distant future.

Dillingham won SEC sixth man of the year last season, averaging 15.2 points per game and 3.9 assists while shooting 44% from beyond the arc. His running mate, Reed Sheppard, went #3 to the Houston Rockets as the Wildcat guards became the fourth Kentucky duo to be taken in the first ten picks of an NBA draft.

Minnesota and San Antonio are two teams trending in opposite directions. The Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals this season and 56-26 during the regular season. The Spurs finished with the fifth-worst record in the NBA at 22-60 and were drafted in the top four for the second year.

College basketball coach John Calipari is leaving the Kentucky Wildcats to become the next coach at the University of Arkansas. Calipari will join the Razorbacks on a five-year deal as he replaces head coach Eric Musselman. Calipri’s last game with the Wildcats was an 80-76 loss to No. 14 seed Oakland University in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The longtime Kentucky coach led the Wildcats from 2009-2024, finishing with a 198-65 overall record, six SEC championships, eight Sweet Sixteen appearances, four Final Fours in five years and an NCAA national championship in 2012. He won SEC Coach of the Year honors four times with Kentucky and was named the AP College Coach of the Year in 2015.

Calipari’s award-winning year, 2015, was the last time his team saw significant success in the postseason. Since then, the team has missed the Final Four every year, a non-common occurrence for a team with the fourth most appearances and the second most national championships. In the 2020-21 season, the Wildcats finished with a 9-16 record to finish eighth in the SEC. Though it was a shortened season, it was the school’s first year without double-digit wins in 94 years and the most losses in its 115-year history.

In the following three years, Calpari lead Kentucky to a combined 71-30 record. But the team had limited success in the NCAA tournament, as in 2022, they famously lost in the first round to St. Peter’s, in 2023 in the second round to Kansas State, and in the first round of the most recent tournament to Oakland. Calipari reportedly signed a “lifetime” extension with the University in 2019. Still, after not making it out of the second round for the fourth straight year, the two parties agreed to split.

Along with his team’s poor performances in the past few years, Calipari’s arrival in Arkansas comes after a chain reaction to the college coaching carousel. SMU fired head coach Rob Lanier, which led to the hiring of USC’s Andy Enfield to fill the position. In Los Angeles, the Trojans hired then-Arkansas head coach Musselman, leading to the open spot in Fayetteville.

The Razorbacks reportedly went after Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard and Kansas State’s Jerome Tang to fill the position, but both declined. Calipari’s Hall of Fame coach moves in-conference, looking for a fresh start. Arkansas finished this past season 12th in the SEC with a 16-17 overall record, missing out on the NCAA tournament after making the Elite Eight the previous two years. It was only Musselman’s fourth year with the team but their first losing season in 15 years.

Though the team struggled near the end of his tenure in Lexington, Calipari has a track record of pushing out NBA-level talent. In his time with Kentucky, Calipari coached current professional stars Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, De’Aaron Fox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Karl-Anthony Towns, Bam Adebayo, Jamal Murray and countless others. Calipari has sent 47 players to the NBA, more than any other school in his 15 years with the team.

With Kentucky being a blue-blood team in college basketball, it was easy to get recruits to commit. Still, Calipari elevated so many of his players to reach the professional ranks and dominate them. Discussions are constantly had about the best all-time college basketball program or lineup by a given school, and the names Calipari has coached could match up with any school from any era.

Despite staying in the SEC, Calipari’s move to Arkansas will be a significant change after coaching Kentucky for the past 15 years. They have yet to hire a new head coach, but potential targets are Baylor’s Scott Drew, Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Auburn’s Bruce Pearl and even Alabama’s Nate Oates. Whatever happens, it will be a fresh start for the Wildcats and the beginning of the ‘Coach Cal’ era in Fayetteville.

This season, for the first time since 1975, the number-one and -two ranked teams opened up the season matchup up against one another. It was the second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats that took the victory, however, 69-62 over the Spartans.

This was certainly a big statement win for the Wildcats, who saw incredible production out of their new freshman phenom, Tyrese Maxey.

The freshman was sensational for the Wildcats, coming off of the bench at a jam-packed Madison Square Garden and putting on a dominant performance. Maxey finished with 26 points and hit a clutch three-pointer with less than a minute remaining to seal the deal for Kentucky.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

“Honestly, I just trust my training,” Maxey said. “I shot that shot a thousand times.”

Following the game, some questioned Coach John Calipari’s decision to bring the freshman off the bench instead of starting him.

“I wanted him to come in firing,” Calipari mentioned when asked about Maxey’s massive performance off the bench.

“Great intangibles,” Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said when asked about Maxey. “He’s got a feel. He’s kind of happy-go-lucky but plays hard. He’s got a smile on his face.”

“I recruited Maxey,” Izzo said. “He visited our place. I love Maxey. Great kid. Great family. It’s one of those shots that I don’t know, I think he had to take the shot because the shot clock was almost out. If it was a little earlier, Cal would have killed him. But he made a big-time shot.”

In a big opening game, playing on a Kentucky team largely made up of returning contributors, Maxey certainly made a name for himself. Many since, players and coaches alike, have regarded the joy and passion that he plays the game with and how that ultimately makes him the player that he is.

Kentucky will be hoping to jump up to number one in the polls as they head off to face Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.

Auburn star Chuma Okeke tore his ACL in the Tigers’ victory over North Carolina on Friday night. Of course, this drew panic from fans who couldn’t imagine how the team would advance after losing a centerpiece while already a No. 5 seed.

But the resulting changes might have worked to their advantage when they took on No. 2 seed Kentucky on Sunday. Either way, the Tigers won 77-71 on Sunday to head to their first Final Four in school history.

Auburn To Face Virginia In Final Four

The Tigers seemed to represent what the Elite Eight became in its last two games: Underdog teams relying on defense beat out sloppy play by teams loaded with players killing a year before they go pro. Auburn joins two other teams with a first-time coach in this year’s Final Four. Their Bruce Pearl will square off against Virginia coach Tony Bennett in hopes of taking on either Texas Tech coach Chris Beard or Michigan State coach and “Mr.March” Tom Izzo.

Down five at the end of the first half, Auburn looked for something to carry them, not knowing the game was going to go to overtime. They simply hoped to hang close. Then, Okeke was wheeled out behind the bench.

“It gave our team a lift,” Tigers guard Jared Harper said of seeing Okeke join the Auburn bench. “He told us before the game that he was hurting a little bit and that he probably wasn’t going to make it in. But Coach told us at halftime that Chuma was on the way to come support us. We needed that support.”

Auburn outscored Kentucky 30-25 in the second half. While Okeke was out, the big-man rotation that included Anfernee McLemore, Austin Wiley, Danjel Purifoy and Horace Spencer filled in. It was that group that made sure to stop Kentucky from getting up a last-second chance at victory in regulation.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

In overtime, Auburn ran off and outscored Kentucky by six points. Auburn made circus shots on assists dished out by Harper to stay in the lead. Coach Pearl was sure to give him credit.

“It’s an honor to even be on the floor with those programs, and then when you play, your kids play hard and play unselfishly and play together, obviously they’re the Cinderellas of this tournament,” Pearl said. “And that’s what makes March so special, which team is it going to be?”

After they defeated Kentucky and made school history, the Tigers made sure to include Okeke. From his wheelchair, he pasted Auburn’s name on the Final Four line in a tournament bracket out at midcourt.

“Coming into the game, we said this is all for Chuma,” Harper said. “Going to the Final Four and trying to compete for a national championship is all for Chuma. He put so much on the line for us this year.'”

Auburn will take on No. 1 seed Virginia, the only remaining top seed, on Saturday.

John Calipari, one of the most respected and successful coaches in all of college sports, is once again facing the same question that all great collegiate coaches happen to be asked: would you be interested in coaching other teams?

Report :Ucla is strongly interested in coach Calipari

After rumors that UCLA was interested in hiring Calipari came out, the Kentucky basketball coach said Wednesday night that he has no interest in leaving the Wildcats.

“My plan and my desire is to retire at Kentucky,” Calipari said.

Due to his dominance at Kentucky, sporting a ridiculous record of (302-70), winning several championships and successfully turning several high college-level players into lottery picks, no one doubts his basketball knowledge and his skill in the sport.

He later on took to Twitter to express he has no desire to coach for anywhere else besides Kentucky. Calipari went on to say he feels like he has the best job in the world, and that he’s looking forward to the next game Kentucky plays.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Calipari has denied interest in several NBA jobs in recent off-seasons. Two years ago, after reports and rumors had spread that Calipari reached out to the New York Knicks expressing his own interest in what would have been a dual coach/front-office position. Similar to this situation, he took to Twitter and wrote that “NO ONE has contacted the Knicks on my behalf. I am the coach at Kentucky and will be for a long time!”

Halfway through the 2015-16 season, Calipari had once again tweeted a statement regarding a report that stated he had asked the New Jersey Nets and Sacramento Kings for a nine-figure contract and was in the process of negotiating for a higher price. “I am not negotiating with ANYBODY,” he wrote.

Later on in that same year, he took to Twitter again to re-enforce the sentiment after reports that him and the Kings were talking continued to come out. At that time, he had this to say: “not looking for any other coaching position”

Just a few weeks earlier, Calipari had publicly denied interest in the vacant New Orleans Pelicans job, despite having two of the players he’s scouted and recruited on the roster. He was quoted and had this to say: “Even though Anthony [Davis] and Tyreke [Evans] are in NOLA, I have no interest in the Pelicans or any other job. I have a great job and I’m happy at UK,” he tweeted.

While all the teams do seem interested in Calipari, many members of the media just can’t see him leaving Kentucky either.

While some are calling the rumors likely, others just think it’s part of NCAA March Madness. It seems that no money or type of competition can drive coach Calipari away from this Kentucky team. He seems like he’s found a home, and a franchise that ties in with his heart. Kentucky has had another standard Kentucky season, going (27-6, 15-3 SEC) and earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament, they will be facing off against 15-seed Abilene Christian on Thursday.

The No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats opened 2019 with a bang by defeating the No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 on Tuesday in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Kentucky Wildcats Win First Bowl Game Since 2008

With the win, Kentucky posted its first ten-win season since 1977 and secured its first bowl game victory since 2008. Linebacker Josh Allen and running back Benny Snell — two of the Wildcats’ biggest stars — delivered standout performances.

Snell even became Kentucky’s all-time leading rusher following a touchdown run in the second half that pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 27-7. Snell logged 144 rushing yards and two scores on 26 attempts on Tuesday. Allen finished with three tackles, three sacks and one blocked field goal.

“We just started from the beginning of the season. We came into the season as underdogs, and bond that we created as a team, it’s a brotherhood, it’s deeper than football. I’m proud of all my guys,” Snell told ESPN. “We’re legends. We’re all legends in our own way, we’re all special.”

After making the 12-yard touchdown run to reach his big accomplishment, Snell dropped to his knees in the end zone.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley battled through a foot injury to help lead the Nittany Lions back from a 20-point deficit in the second half. McSorley commandeered three consecutive scoring drives in the final quarter and finished 17 of 33 passing for 246 yards and two scores, as well as an interception.

One particular decision from Penn State’s offense in the final minutes of the game also appeared to shock and anger many of the team’s fans. With 4:12 left and the score at 27-21, James Franklin oped to kick a field goal from the 14-yard line instead of attempting a conversion on fourth-and-7. The decision may have been especially surprising because the Nittany Lions still had three timeouts left at that point and the Wildcats hadn’t scored in the fourth quarter up until then.

Kentucky (10-3) finished third in the SEC East and 5-3 in its conference. Meanwhile, Penn State (9-4) was third in the Big Ten East and 6-3 in its conference.

Here are some highlights from the exciting 2019 Citrus Bowl:

James Wiseman is the No. 1 NCAA basketball prospect in the Class of 2019, and he chose to join the Memphis Tigers over the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky coach John Calipari called himself “overrated as a recruiter.”

John Calipari calls Himself ‘Overrated’

Wisemans’s decision to go to Memphis means that Calipari and the Wildcats have gone seven years without signing the No.1 payer and could fail to sign a top-five prospect for the fourth year in a row.

“I think I’m overrated as a recruiter,” Calipari said at a press conference. “We’ve had kids that made the decision to come here, and it’s played out well for almost all of them. My thing is, I want to be able to sleep at night. I want to make sure I’m telling the truth. I want to make sure I’m sticking with guys.”

Kentucky was viewed as the heavy favorite for Wiseman, but Memphis hired Penny Hardaway to replace Tubby Smith as head coach.

Hardaway coached Wiseman in high school and on the grassroots circuit, and the relationship won out. Memphis also landed five-star forward D.J. Jeffries, who decommitted from Kentucky in July.

Calipari has landed a top-two recruiting class every single year since taking over at Kentucky in 2009, including five No. 1-ranked classes. He landed the No. 1 class in four of his first five seasons in Lexington.

“I gotta be able to sleep at night knowing that I’m being honest. I’m not embellishing: ‘Here’s what it is,'” Calipari said. “I’m not saying that against anybody else, everybody recruits the way they recruit. But you’ve got good programs and good coaches, and that’s why we don’t get everybody we recruit.”

Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils have dominated the recruiting game in the past five years, reeling in the No. 1 class in four of them.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“It’s not changed my approach to this,” Calipari said. “Maybe because of social media and the video games and the stuff, and there’s not as much on the playgrounds and the pickup and the fight — maybe they do want to hear that it’s gonna be easier.”

The Wildcats are the only program in the country with two top-10 prospects committed in 2019 with Tyrese Maxey (No. 7) and Kahlil Whitney (No. 9). They don’t appear to be the leaders for any of their remaining elite targets, as Vernon Carey Jr. (No. 3) and Isaiah Stewart (No. 4) look poised to go elsewhere.

“We don’t get every kid. We get the ones we are supposed to get. It just kind of plays out that way and it always has.”

The Duke Blue Devils pulled off a 118–84 victory over the Kentuck Wildcats in the eighth Champion Classic season opener on Tuesday night, and looking back at this game, the Blue Devils appear to be headed for an extremely successful season.

Duke’s beats Kentucky in Champions Classic

The Wildcats’ 34-point loss was not only the largest of head coach John Calipari‘s career but it was the worst margin of defeat suffered by an AP top-two team since 1951. 

“They’re a very good team,” Calipari said. “If they play like that, they’re not losing many, if that’s who they are.”

Duke’s all-freshman “Big Three” combined to score 83 points, which was only one point fewer than Kentucky’s entire team had on the night.

“I’m really proud of my guys,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “You start four freshmen, no matter how talented they are, you never know what they’re going to do in this environment against an outstanding team and great program. And they responded. They were magnificent.

Duke notched its 100th point with a whopping 7:38 still left to play, smashing the previous record of 94 (set by Kansas, against Duke, back in 2013).

The Bule Devils also edged out 2014–15 Kentucky for the largest Champions Classic margin of victory, overtaking the Wildcats’ 32-point 2014 win over the Kansas Jayhawks.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Duke had just four turnovers on the night, coughing it up on only 4.9% of its possessions. (Kentucky, for context, turned it over on 18.3%). It was the lowest rate of any of the 188 Division I teams that played D-I opponents on Tuesday night, per kenpom.com.

R.J. Barrett set a Duke freshman record with 33 points, six assists and four rebounds asserting himself as Duke’s best player. The Wildcats simply didn’t have an answer for Barrett, who scored 20 points in the first half.

Zion Williamson put up 28 points and seven rebounds. Williamson’s 28 points came in just 23 minutes of action, and he missed just two of 13 attempts from the field. Altogether, he posted the highest offensive rating (164) of anyone on either side in the game.

Duke point guard Tre Jones pitched in with six points, seven assists, four rebounds and didn’t turn the ball over once. He was one of just five Division I players who had at least seven assists with no TOs on opening night, and the only freshman of those five.

Duke’s Cam Reddish added 22 points and four steals.

The Blue Devils are now No. 1 in Wednesday morning’s Top 25 and One, while Kentucky has dropped to No. 9.

Duke will play host to the Army Sunday afternoon. The game will air on ESPN at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Kentucky’s next game will be against Southern Illinois Friday night at 7:00 p.m. EST.

The University of Kentucky’s football team is now bowl-eligible at 6-1 after defeating Vanderbilt 14-7 Saturday.

Kentucky bowl-eligible after latest win

The Cats face another struggling SEC opponent this week against Missouri (4-3, 0-3 in conference play) and can become a top-10 football team, an astounding accomplishment in the unforgiving SEC. For now, coach Mark Stoops wants to commemorate the team’s accomplishments.

“Hold your head high, you’re a 6-1 football team,” he said. “On your way moving up into the top 10, we have another great opportunity this week.” 

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Kentucky freshman guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will leave the Wildcats after just one year and enter the 2018 NBA Draft.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Enter NBA Draft

The 19-year-old Canadian won SEC Tournament MVP honors in March. Gilgeous-Alexander began the season as the ninth-highest rated player on the Wildcats’ roster. He is ranked 12th on ESPN’s top 100 prospects list.

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“After consulting with my coaches at Kentucky and those involved with my process, I have weighed the pros and cons, and I would like to renounce my college eligibility in order to enter the 2018 NBA Draft,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN via text. “I would firstly like to thank God, who made all of this possible and has covered me in his mercies from day one. I have worked really hard to get to this point, and because of the sacrifices and support of others, I am closer to my dreams.”

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Kentucky coach John Calipari lauded Gilgeous-Alexander in multiple tweets on Monday.

The 6-foot-6 freshman averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 37 games. He shot 40 percent from three and 82 percent from the free throw line in his only year with Calipari’s squad, according to ESPN. However, he only attempted 1.5 3-pointers per game.

The Wildcats won all three of their SEC Tournament games and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky — a No. 5-seed in the latter tourney — lost to Kansas State 61-58 in that third-round matchup.

“I decided to enter the NBA draft because I believe I am ready for this next step,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN. “I’ve worked hard, weighed the pros and cons, conducted my research, and I’m ready. I am and will continue to work hard at my craft every day, and I’m ready for the challenge of the NBA.”

The Kentucky Wildcats have reached the Sweet 16 round again this year in the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky vs. Kansas State Sweet 16 preview

The No.5 seed Wildcats (26-10) have advanced to the third round for the seventh time in nine seasons under coach John Calipari. 

Kentucky will next face the No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats on Thursday in Atlanta for the South Region semifinals. The game will air on CBS and will begin at 9:37pm EST.

Kansas State edged UMBC — the No. 16 seed that trounced top-seed Virginia 74-54 in a first-round matchup on Friday — on Sunday after defeating Creighton on Thursday.

Also playing on Thursday will be the No. 11 Loyola -Chicago Ramblers, who will face the No. 7 Nevada Wolf Pack. No. 7 Texas A&M will play No.3 Michigan, while No. 9 Florida State will face No. 4 Gonzaga.

MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 26: Malik Monk #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots against Justin Jackson #44 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The No. 5-seed Kentucky Wildcats won their challenging first-round NCAA Tournament game against No. 12 Davidson on Thursday thanks to an impressive outing from Kevin Knox. 

Kentucky vs. Davidson NCAA Round 1 highlights

The freshman forward scored 25 points for SEC Tournament champions Kentucky, (25-10) which finished 0-6 in 3-point shooting in the game against another team also named the Wildcats.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also provided much help for Kentucky’s offense: he logged 19 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

Kentucky hasn’t lost a first-round NCAA Tourney contest since 2008. Wildcats coach John Calipari wasn’t entirely pleased with his team’s performance on Thursday, however, as one ESPN.com reporter noted:

Davidson (21-12) shot 29.4 percent from the field in the first half, including 3-of-15 from three-point range.

Several Kentucky players on offense, however, put on fine displays of athleticism:

Davidson tied it up at 52 with nine minutes remaining, but Kentucky ultimately used a 9-0 run to pull away. Knox secured his team’s victory with a big jump-shot:

Kentucky will next face the winner of No. 4 Arizona and No. 13 Buffalo in the South Regional’s second round on Saturday. That game will begin at 5:15pm EST and air on CBS.

The No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats will visit the Florida Gators on Saturday, and here are all the facts to know before the big matchup.

Florida vs. Kentucky basketball preview

Florida beat Kentucky 66-64 in their previous game in Lexington on Jan. 20 after the hosts blew a late lead. The Wildcats (21-9, 10-7 SEC) are coming off a 96-78 home win over Ole Miss on Wednesday. After that, Kentucky freshman guard Quade Green said his team needs to “go to Florida and spank them.” The Wildcats have won four straight games.

The Gators (19-11, 10-7 SEC) have won their last two contests against No. 14 Auburn and Alabama.

Should the Wildcats win on Saturday, they would earn a top-four finish in the SEC.

Kentucky has gotten consistent scoring from Kevin Knox, all-around consistency from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, shot making from Green, hustle plays from Hamidou Diallo and Jarred Vanderbilt and bench scoring from PJ Washington. Sophomore Wenyen Gabriel has also been productive, and played one of his best games on Wednesday.

For Florida, junior guard Jalen Hudson has enjoyed a strong season thus far scoring-wise. He’s averaging 15 points and four rebounds per game.

Next week, Kentucky has the SEC Tournament in St. Louis.

Here are all the details for Saturday’s game:

Date: March 3, 2018

Time: 12 p.m. EST

Place: Exactech Arena, Gainseville, Florida

TV Channel: CBS

Online Stream: CBS Sports HQ

Odds: KenPom projects Kentucky to be a 3.5-point underdog. It gives Florida a 63-percent chance of winning. ESPN’s BPI predictor gives the Gators a 66.5-percent chance of winning.

MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 26: Malik Monk #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots against Justin Jackson #44 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats will visit the South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday night, and here is everything you need to know before the game.

Kentucky vs. South Carolina basketball preview

The Gamecocks have lost three of their top four scorers, two of them to the NBA: Sindarius Thornwell and PJ Dozier. They also dropped a non-conference game to Illinois State and opened SEC play 1-3.

However, South Carolina (11-6, tenth in SEC) are now coming off a surprise 64-57 upset of Georgia. The Gamecocks average 18.8 fouls per game — more than 214 other Division I teams — and 12.5 offensive rebounds per game (fourth-most in the SEC).

Meanwhile, Kentucky (14-3, third in SEC) have won four of their five conference contests.

John Calipari will have to be extra careful. The Wildcats’ head coach has been ejected at South Carolina twice in the past four seasons — and during the 2015-2016 season, that happened less than three minutes into the game.

“I said, ‘Cal, don’t put me out there with these puppies,’ ” said UK assistant coach Kenny Payne. 

Payne also provided a detailed update on five-star freshman Jarred Vanderbilt, who is vying to return from his third left foot injury in two years. Vanderbilt is cleared to play.

“It’s wrong for adults to force a kid to do anything when they don’t feel like they are ready yet,” said Payne, who also praised Vanderbilt’s skills. “His speed is unbelievable … he can really move … an exceptional ball handler … literally like a point forward.”

Kentucky vs. South Carolina:

• Time: 9 p.m. ET
• Date: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018
• Location: Colonial Life Arena (18,000), Columbia, S.C.
• Records: Kentucky 14-3, 4-1 SEC, South Carolina 11-6, 2-3
• Favorite: Kentucky by 2.5 (according to seccountry.com)
• TV Channel: ESPN
• Streaming: on ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.

Kentucky has been playing the last two games without its starting point guard, Quade Green, who tweaked his back. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been great for the Wildcats.

MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 26: Malik Monk #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots against Justin Jackson #44 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Kentucky fought back from several point deficits to secure a 74-73 home victory over Texas A&M on Tuesday night, and Wildcats coach John Calipari had much to say about his team’s win.

Kentucky vs. Texas A&M Basketball score

The No. 21 Wildcats have now improved to 13-3 and 3-1 in SEC play to place third in the conference. The Aggies held the lead several times throughout the evening.

“I got to give Billy [Kennedy] and A&M credit for the end of the game,” said Calipari. “They had a chance to beat us. Had a chance. It was like, Wait a minute. You miss a couple free throws. How about we were going to switch everything and we left the man in the corner? Yeah, that’s not toughness. See, that means you’re not engaged in what’s going on.”

Freshman forward Kevin Knox made 3 of 4 free throws for 15 points for Kentucky. Another freshman, PJ Washington, finished with 16 points and four rebounds in addition to contributing other great plays for the hosts down the stretch.

First-year Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was playing in place of the injured Quade Green, had 16 points, a career-high seven rebounds and five assists, while Hamidou Diallo added 18 points.

“We won a good game,” Calipari added. “I mean, folks, just understand, A&M lost three players. They were No. 5 in the country. They beat, I believe, West Virginia. They lost to Arizona. I watched that game. They could have beat Arizona easily. It was a touch-and-go game. They have three guys injured.”

The Aggies dropped to 11-5 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. Kentucky leads the series against Texas A&M 9-3 and has won four straight against the Aggies.

Kentucky extended its streak of 1,029 consecutive games with a 3-pointer when Washington hit a long ball at the 17-minute mark.

Calipari is now 262-56 at Kentucky.

The Wildcats next visit Vanderbilt on Saturday, when the Aggies will visit No. 24 Tennessee.

Attention, all college basketball fans: tickets to the inaugural Citi Hoops Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City are now on pre-sale at Ticketmaster!

Citi Hoops Classic 2017 Tickets

The Kentucky Wildcats will face off against the Monmouth Hawks men’s basketball team in this year’s tournament, which will be held on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 12pm EST at MSG.

“This is a great opportunity to play a strong and up and coming team in a historic venue,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said in a statement. “We love coming to New York and look forward to seeing the Big Blue Nation in full force out east.”

Kentucky advanced to the Elite Eight in last season’s NCAA Tournament where the Wildcats fell to eventual national champion North Carolina, 75-73.

“I’ve looked up to Coach Calipari for a long time,” said King Rice, who is entering his seventh season as Monmouth’s head coach. “This game will be a great chance for our two teams to play each other outside of our conferences.”

Monmouth finished last season with a 27-6 record but fell to Siena in the second round of the MAAC Tournament before losing to Ole Miss in the NIT.

The Citi Cardmember pre-sale for tickets began on Thursday (Aug. 24), and ticket sales start on Friday (Aug. 25) at 10 am EST.

MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 26: Malik Monk #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots against Justin Jackson #44 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Kentucky made several mistakes from the start, including missing multiple three-pointers, but that didn’t stop the No. 6 Wildcats from cruising to a comfortable 87-63 home victory over the Valparaiso Crusaders on Wednesday night.

No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats Beat Valparaiso Crusaders 87-63

Bam Adebayo scored 16 points, Malik Monk added 15 and had 21 consecutive points during a first-half run.

Needing to rebound following Saturday’s upset by then-No. 11 UCLA, Kentucky (8-1) turned a 4-all tie and seven turnovers in the first 4 minutes into a 29-9 lead behind that big run over 8:51, keeping Valparaiso scoreless for 7 minutes during that stretch. The Wildcats eventually built a 34-point lead midway through the second half, and also recorded 19 turnovers and nine blocks.

“I was kind of surprised (by the UCLA loss) because that’s not us,” said senior guard Dominique Hawkins, who had six points, four assists and three rebounds. “We usually come in and put pressure on the ball and make the ball handler feel uncomfortable. … When they did get in the lane, it was usually a blocked shot or you had to throw a half-floater over one of our bigs.”

The Crusaders (7-2) shot just 28 percent in the first half and finished 23 of 67 from the field (34 percent). It marked Valparaiso’s second-lowest field goal percentage this season.

“Our game plan coming in was making sure we took good shots so they couldn’t fly up the court,” said first-year Valpo coach Matt Lottich, who is only 34. “I thought in the first half we took a lot of quick shots, they sped us up a lot and really got out and got in good in transition.”

Among Kentucky’s weaknesses seems to be its inability to consistently score jumpers from the perimeter. Nevertheless, Wildcats coach John Calipari remained satisfied with his team’s victory.

“This was a heckuva win for us,” Calipari said before later adding, “There were signs today that we could be really good.”

Derek Willis added 12 points and Isaiah Briscoe scored 10 for Kentucky, who shot 46 percent after making just 41 percent against UCLA.

Valpo forward Alec Peters scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half to help the Crusaders snap their four-game winning streak eight days after upsetting No. 21 Rhode Island. The nation’s second-leading scorer entering (25.4 points per game) went to the locker room briefly during the second half with what Lottich believed was a leg cramp, but returned to cap off his ninth 20-point performance in as many games.

Kentucky power forward Wenyen Gabriel started and had two of his career-best three blocks by halftime and added six rebounds. The Wildcats also controlled the boards 48-41.

Valparaiso next visits Missouri State on Saturday night, while Kentucky will face off against Hofstra in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday.

LEXINGTON, KY – DECEMBER 07: De’Aaron Fox #0 of the Kentucky Wildcats and Max Joseph #3 of the Valparaiso Crusadersreach for a loose ball during the game at Rupp Arena on December 7, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Kentucky Wildcats routed the Arizona State Sun Devils 115-69 in the Bahamas on Monday night, and in doing so, De’Aaron Fox made history.

De’Aaron Fox Record Second Triple-Double In Kentucky History In 115-69 Rout

The freshman point guard posted the second triple-double in Kentucky history by scoring 14 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and adding 10 assists. Chris Mills had the only previous triple-double in UK history in 1988.

“I didn’t even know how long it’s been,” Fox said, “but it felt good. Honestly, it may be my most efficient game shooting-wise. So that’s what I feel good about.”

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari, who has repeatedly denied interest in NBA coaching jobs, made very clear on Monday what his plan for his future with Kentucky is.

John Calipari: ‘I Plan To Coach Here For The Rest Of My Career’

“My plan is to coach here for the rest of my career,” he wrote in a post on his website. “I want this to be my final coaching position.”

“Kentucky is the gold standard in our sport,” he continued. “It’s been that way throughout the history of our game. It’s one of the reasons I dreamed of one day coaching here. The biggest goal I have — and we all should have — is to make sure Kentucky remains that way.”

Calipari, 57, has coached the Wildcats since 2009 after moving from Memphis, where he spent nine seasons. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets (then New Jersey) from 1996-99, and an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers the season after his termination.

When the Nets and the Sacramento Kings both had coaching vacancies in January, rumors began naming Calipari as a possible replacement before he denied negotiating with them.

“You may have heard me say this before: I absolutely have the best coaching job in sports and I plan on being at Kentucky for a long time,” Calipari tweeted in January. “I am not negotiating with ANYBODY. My total focus is on this team and winning the next game.”

Calipari produced 19 first-round NBA draft selections during his tenure with Kentucky. Former Wildcats forward Karl-Anthony Towns was last year’s No. 1 draft pick and Monday was voted rookie of the year.

The NCAA instituted a major college basketball rule change this year that allows players to withdraw from the draft process after the NBA Combine. This would allow players to receive genuine feedback on their prospects.

Kentucky Coach Announces All His Players Will Submit Name For NBA Draft

This is a very pro-player rule, and Kentucky Wildcats coach John Calipari was one of the first NCAA coaches to express his satisfaction with the new rule.

On Wednesday, Calipari announced via Twitter that every player on his team, walk-ons included, will enter this year’s NBA Draft in hopes of scoring an invite to the Combine in May.

“When the season’s over, it’s about each individual player and what’s right for them and their families,” Calipari said. “With that being said, every player who is eligible for the draft, including our walk-ons, will submit their names for the NBA Draft in hopes of being invited to the combine in May.”

Calipari has previously stated several times that he believes the NBA Draft is just as important for his program as the national championship. One of his program mottos is “succeed and proceed,” and given what we know about Calipari, the fact that he is a fan of this new rule comes as no surprise.

Kentucky guards Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray and forward Skal Labissiere are considered likely draft choices. The Wildcats lost to Indiana in the second round of the NCAA tournament Saturday, and finished the season 27-9.