2016–17 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

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2016–17 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
SEC regular season and tournament champions
NCAA tournament, Elite Eight
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 5
APNo. 6
Record32–6 (16–2 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaRupp Arena
Seasons
2016–17 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 5 Kentucky 16 2   .889 32 6   .842
No. 10 Florida 14 4   .778 27 9   .750
Arkansas 12 6   .667 26 10   .722
No. 6 South Carolina 12 6   .667 26 11   .703
Ole Miss 10 8   .556 22 14   .611
Alabama 10 8   .556 19 15   .559
Vanderbilt 10 8   .556 19 16   .543
Georgia 9 9   .500 19 15   .559
Texas A&M 8 10   .444 16 15   .516
Tennessee 8 10   .444 16 16   .500
Auburn 7 11   .389 18 14   .563
Mississippi State 6 12   .333 16 16   .500
LSU 2 16   .111 10 21   .323
Missouri 2 16   .111 8 24   .250
2017 SEC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2016–17 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in Lexington, Kentucky for the 41st consecutive season at Rupp Arena, with a capacity of 23,500. The team, led by John Calipari in his eighth season as head coach, is a member of the Southeastern Conference.

Departures[edit]

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Marcus Lee 00 Forward 6'9" 224 Junior Antioch, California Transferred to California
Skal Labissière 1 Center 6'11" 205 Freshman Port-au-Prince, Haiti Declared for 2016 NBA draft
Tyler Ulis 3 Guard 5'9" 160 Sophomore Lima, Ohio Declared for 2016 NBA draft
Charles Matthews 4 Guard 6'6" 189 Freshman Chicago, Illinois Transferred to Michigan
Alex Poythress 22 Forward 6'8" 260 Senior Clarksville, Tennessee Completed athletic eligibility; received bachelor's degree in May 2015
Jamal Murray 23 Guard 6'5" 225 Freshman Kitchener, Ontario Declared for 2016 NBA draft
E. J. Floréal 24 Guard 6'4" 203 Junior Palo Alto, California Left program to compete full-time for Kentucky track[1]

2016–17 Newcomers[edit]

Malik Monk, Kentucky
Bam Adebayo, Kentucky
De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky

Edrice Adebayo, nicknamed "Bam" and originally from Pinetown, North Carolina, was a consensus top 15 player in his class. He committed to Kentucky on November 17, live on ESPN's Mike & Mike simulcast radio show.[2] He chose Kentucky over NC State and Auburn. He is ranked in the top 10 by Rivals (No. 6) and ESPN (No. 6). 247Sports (No. 14) and Scout (No. 15) tab him as a top-15 prospect in the 2016 class. He has prior USA Basketball experience and was named a MaxPreps All-American in 2013.[3]

De'Aaron Fox, originally from Katy, Texas, was the second highest rated point guard that Calipari had signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 12, live on ESPNU.[4] He chose Kentucky over Kansas, Louisville, and LSU. He was the nation's consensus top point guard, was ranked the consensus No. 3 overall player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 247 Sports.[3]

Wenyen Gabriel, originally from Manchester, New Hampshire, was the third commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on October 1, live on the radio.[5] He chose Kentucky over Connecticut, Duke, and Maryland. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 17 overall player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 247 Sports.[3]

Sacha Killeya-Jones, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was the second commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on October 1, live on the radio.[6] He chose Kentucky over Connecticut, North Carolina, and Virginia. He was a consensus four star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 36 overall player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 247 Sports.[3]

Malik Monk, originally from Lepanto, Arkansas but attending high school in Bentonville, Arkansas, was the second highest rated shooting guard that Calipari signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 18.[7] He chose Kentucky over Arkansas where his brother, Marcus Monk, played college basketball and football. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 5 overall player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 247 Sports.[3]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Edrice Adebayo
PF
Pinetown, North Carolina High Point Christian Academy 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Nov 17, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
De'Aaron Fox
PG
Katy, Texas Cypress Lakes 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Nov 12, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Wenyen Gabriel
PF
Manchester, New Hampshire Wilbraham & Monson 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 203 lb (92 kg) Oct 1, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Sacha Killeya-Jones
PF
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Virginia Episcopal 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Aug 19, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Malik Monk
SG
Lepanto, Arkansas Bentonville 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Nov 18, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Kentucky 2016 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  • "2016 Kentucky Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.

Pre-season[edit]

Roster[edit]

On April 1 the University of Kentucky held a press conference for Murray as he declared himself eligible for the 2016 NBA draft, and would forgo his remaining eligibility by signing with an agent.[8][9] On April 5 Labissiere declared himself eligible for the draft, and would forgo his remaining eligibility by signing with an agent.[10][11] On April 6 the University of Kentucky held a press conference for Ulis as he declared himself eligible for the draft, and would forgo his remaining eligibility by signing with an agent.[12][13] On May 18 Matthews announced that he would transfer from Kentucky and finish his remaining three years of eligibility at a school that was to be chosen;[14][15] the following month, Matthews announced that he would go to Michigan.[16] On May 25 Briscoe and Lee withdrew their names from the draft, but Lee decided to transfer for his final year of eligibility to a then-undetermined school,[17][18] which ultimately proved to be California.[19] On August 9, reserve guard E. J. Floréal announced that he would leave the UK basketball program to compete full-time for the school in track. Floréal, who had one year of remaining eligibility in basketball but would have two years in track, was a local and regional track champion in high school, and his father was UK's head track coach at the time.[1]

Accolades and rankings[edit]

The Southeastern Conference preseason media poll was released at the SEC Media Days in October, it predicted that Kentucky would win the championship.[20] Adebayo and Fox were named to the All-SEC First Team while Briscoe and Monk were named to the All-SEC Second Team.[20]

USA Today announced its initial coaches poll on October 15 with Kentucky ranked as No. 4 in the country.[21] The Associated Press announced on October 31 that Kentucky was ranked No. 2 to start the season in its initial poll of the season.[22]

Events[edit]

On July 18 Kentucky released the non-conference portion of its schedule.[23] The schedule is highlighted by marquee match-ups at Rupp Arena and across the country. Kentucky will travel to New York to play Michigan State in the annual Champions Classic, to the Bahamas to play Arizona State, back to New York to play Hofstra, to Las Vegas to play against North Carolina in the annual CBS Sports Classic, and finally to Louisville to face in-state rival Louisville.. Kentucky will also host UCLA for the first time as well as Kansas in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Tickets for Big Blue Madness, Kentucky's version of Midnight Madness went on sale and sold out on September 30.[24]

Big Blue Madness took place on October 14. The event debuted the team for the 2016–17 season. It included player introductions, a speech by Calipari, and a scrimmage.[25]

2017–18 newcomers[edit]

Nick Richards, a native of Kingston, Jamaica living in Queens, New York, was the first commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on November 10 at a press conference at his high school.[26] He chose Kentucky over Arizona and Syracuse. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 14 overall player by the four main recruiting services.

P. J. Washington, a Dallas native attending school in Las Vegas, Nevada, was the second commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on November 10 live on ESPNU.[26] He chose Kentucky over North Carolina and UNLV. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 15 overall player by the four main recruiting services.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, originally from Hamilton, Ontario and attending school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was the third commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on November 14 through a message on Twitter.[27] He was a consensus top fifty player, ranked No. 42 by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 24/7 Sports.

Quade Green, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the fourth commitment in the Kentucky class. He signed his National Letter of Intent on November 16, the last day of the early signing period, but did not reveal his choice between Kentucky and Syracuse until an event at his high school on November 19 - with his mother Tamika Johnson by his side.[28] He was a consensus top-25 player and ranked as a five-star player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 24/7 Sports.

Hamidou Diallo, a Queens native who graduated from a Connecticut school in spring 2016, announced on January 7, 2017, that he would enroll at UK for the start of the school's spring semester the following week. While he was eligible to play immediately, he redshirted the spring semester and is set to begin play as a freshman in 2017–18.[29]

Jemarl Baker, a native of Eastvale, California, was the seventh commitment in the Kentucky recruiting class. He announced his decision on April 11 via a story posted on Scout.com by Evan Daniels.[30] Baker originally committed to Cuonzo Martin at California, before Martin left the school to coach Missouri. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals for Roosevelt High School in Corona, Calif., and he quickly emerged as one of the Wildcats' top backcourt targets after their season ended last month. Scout.com ranks Baker as the No. 86 overall prospect in the 2017 class.[31]

UK's final commitment came on May 6, when Tampa product Kevin Knox II announced he would come to the school. Kentucky beat out Duke, Florida State, North Carolina, and Missouri for Knox's signature.[32]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
G
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton Heights Christian (TN) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Nov 14, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Jemarl Baker
SG
Eastvale, California Roosevelt High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Apr 11, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Hamidou Diallo
SG
Queens, New York Putnam Science Academy 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jan 7, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Quade Green
PG
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Neumann–Goretti 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Nov 16, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Kevin Knox II
SF
Tampa, Florida Tampa Catholic High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) May 6, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Nick Richards
C
Kingston, Jamaica St. Patrick 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (110 kg) Nov 10, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
P. J. Washington
PF
Dallas, Texas Findlay Prep 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Nov 10, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Jarred Vanderbilt
SF
Houston, Texas Victory Prep 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Dec 23, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Roster[edit]

2016–17 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 De'Aaron Fox 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 187 lb (85 kg) Fr Cypress Lakes Houston, Texas
F 1 Sacha Killeya-Jones 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Fr Virginia Episcopal Chapel Hill, North Carolina
C 3 Bam Adebayo 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 260 lb (118 kg) Fr High Point Christian Academy Washington, North Carolina
G 4 Hamidou Diallo Current redshirt 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr Putnam Science Academy Queens, New York
G 5 Malik Monk 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Fr Bentonville Lepanto, Arkansas
G 10 Jonny David (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 183 lb (83 kg) So Mt. Lebanon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
G 11 Mychal Mulder 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr Vincennes Windsor, Ontario
G 13 Isaiah Briscoe 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So Roselle Catholic Newark, New Jersey
C 14 Tai Wynyard 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 254 lb (115 kg) RS Fr Rangitoto College Auckland, New Zealand
C 15 Isaac Humphries 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 255 lb (116 kg) So La Lumiere School Sydney, Australia
G 20 Brad Calipari 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 178 lb (81 kg) Fr MacDuffie School Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
G 25 Dominique Hawkins 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 191 lb (87 kg) Sr Madison Central Richmond, Kentucky
G 30 Dillon Pulliam (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS So Transylvania Cynthiana, Kentucky
F 32 Wenyen Gabriel 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 213 lb (97 kg) Fr Wilbraham & Monson Manchester, New Hampshire
F 35 Derek Willis 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 228 lb (103 kg) Sr Bullitt East Mount Washington, Kentucky
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

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

Roster
Last update: March 7, 2017

  • Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.

Depth chart[edit]

Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Bam Adebayo Isaac Humphries Tai Wynyard
PF Wenyen Gabriel Sacha Killeya-Jones
SF Isaiah Briscoe Derek Willis Dillon Pulliam
SG Malik Monk Mychal Mulder Johnny David
PG De'Aaron Fox Dominique Hawkins Brad Calipari

Schedule and results[edit]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 30, 2016*
7:00 pm, SECN
No. 2 Clarion W 108–51  0–0
 15  Monk   14  Adebayo   11  Briscoe  Rupp Arena (20,099)
Lexington, KY
November 6, 2016*
7:00 pm, SECN
No. 2 Asbury W 156–63  0–0
 25  Fox   12  Humphries   7  Briscoe  Rupp Arena (21,394)
Lexington, KY
Regular Season
November 11, 2016*
7:00 pm, SECN
No. 2 Stephen F. Austin W 87–64  1–0
 17  Briscoe   8  Humphries   12  Fox  Rupp Arena (22,683)
Lexington, KY
November 13, 2016*
6:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 2 Canisius
Bluegrass Showcase
W 93–69  2–0
 21  Fox, Briscoe   11  Adebayo   3  Fox  Rupp Arena (22,009)
Lexington, KY
November 15, 2016*
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 2 vs. No. 13 Michigan State
Champions Classic
W 69–48  3–0
 23  Monk   6  Monk   6  Fox  Madison Square Garden (19,812)
New York, NY
November 20, 2016*
9:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 2 Duquesne
Bluegrass Showcase
W 93–59  4–0
 16  Fox   8  Adebayo   6  Fox  Rupp Arena (21,327)
Lexington, KY
November 23, 2016*
1:00 pm, SECN
No. 1 Cleveland State
Bluegrass Showcase
W 101–70  5–0
 23  Monk   10  Gabriel   11  Fox  Rupp Arena (22,441)
Lexington, KY
November 25, 2016*
7:00 pm, SECN
No. 1 UT Martin
Bluegrass Showcase
W 111–76  6–0
 26  Monk   12  Adebayo   9  Hawkins  Rupp Arena (23,324)
Lexington, KY
November 28, 2016*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 1 vs. Arizona State
Atlantis Showcase
W 115–69  7–0
 23  Monk   11  Fox   10  Fox  Imperial Arena (1,200)
Nassau, BAH
December 3, 2016*
1:30 pm, CBS
No. 1 No. 11 UCLA L 92–97  7–1
 24  Monk   13  Adebayo   9  Fox  Rupp Arena (23,976)
Lexington, KY
December 7, 2016*
8:00 pm, SECN
No. 6 Valparaiso W 87–63  8–1
 16  Adebayo   7  Adebayo, Fox, Mulder   5  Fox  Rupp Arena (21,805)
Lexington, KY
December 11, 2016*
3:00 pm, ESPN
No. 6 vs. Hofstra
Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival
W 96–73  9–1
 20  Monk   8  Willis   6  Briscoe  Barclays Center (7,514)
Brooklyn, NY
December 17, 2016*
5:45 pm, CBS
No. 6 vs. No. 7 North Carolina
CBS Sports Classic/Rivalry
W 103–100  10–1
 47  Monk   7  Tie   10  Fox  T-Mobile Arena (19,298)
Las Vegas, NV
December 21, 2016*
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 6 at No. 10 Louisville
The Battle for the Bluegrass
L 70–73  10–2
 21  Fox   9  Adebayo, Willis   3  Briscoe, Fox  KFC Yum! Center (22,783)
Louisville, KY
December 29, 2016
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 8 at Ole Miss W 99–76  11–2
(1–0)
 34  Monk   10  Briscoe   11  Briscoe  The Pavilion (9,086)
Oxford, MS
January 3, 2017
9:00 pm, ESPN
No. 6 Texas A&M W 100–58  12–2
(2–0)
 26  Monk   6  Humphries   7  Briscoe  Rupp Arena (23,455)
Lexington, KY
January 7, 2017
8:30 pm, SECN
No. 6 Arkansas W 97–71  13–2
(3–0)
 27  Fox   8  Briscoe   6  Fox  Rupp Arena (24,322)
Lexington, KY
January 10, 2017
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 6 at Vanderbilt W 87–81  14–2
(4–0)
 23  Briscoe   7  Briscoe   5  Briscoe  Memorial Gymnasium (12,707)
Nashville, TN
January 14, 2017
4:00 pm, ESPN
No. 6 Auburn W 92–72  15–2
(5–0)
 24  Monk   16  Gabriel   6  Monk  Rupp Arena (24,372)
Lexington, KY
January 17, 2017
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 5 at Mississippi State W 88–81  16–2
(6–0)
 21  Fox   8  Gabriel   5  Fox  Humphrey Coliseum (9,768)
Starkville, MS
January 21, 2017
6:00 pm, ESPN
No. 5 No. 24 South Carolina W 85–69  17–2
(7–0)
 27  Monk   7  Willis   7  Hawkins  Rupp Arena (24,389)
Lexington, KY
January 24, 2017
9:00 pm, ESPN
No. 4 at Tennessee
Rivalry
L 80–82  17–3
(7–1)
 25  Monk   14  Briscoe   5  Briscoe  Thompson–Boling Arena (19,349)
Knoxville, TN
January 28, 2017*
6:15 pm, ESPN
No. 4 No. 2 Kansas
Big 12/SEC Challenge/ESPN College GameDay
L 73–79  17–4
 18   Monk, Willis   8   Adebayo, Briscoe   6   Briscoe  Rupp Arena (24,418)
Lexington, KY
January 31, 2017
9:00 pm, ESPN
No. 8 Georgia W 90–81 OT 18–4
(8–1)
 37  Monk   11  Briscoe   8  Briscoe  Rupp Arena (23,814)
Lexington, KY
February 4, 2017
8:15 pm, ESPN
No. 8 at No. 24 Florida
Rivalry/ESPN College GameDay
L 66–88  18–5
(8–2)
 19  Fox   7  Adebayo   3  Briscoe  O'Connell Center (11,171)
Gainesville, FL
February 7, 2017
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 15 LSU W 92–85  19–5
(9–2)
 23  Gabriel   9  Adebayo   6  Fox  Rupp Arena (23,657)
Lexington, KY
February 11, 2017
1:00 pm, CBS
No. 15 at Alabama W 67–58  20–5
(10–2)
 17  Monk   11  Briscoe   4  Briscoe  Coleman Coliseum (15,383)
Tuscaloosa, AL
February 14, 2017
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 13 Tennessee
Rivalry
W 83–58  21–5
(11–2)
 20  Monk   12  Adebayo   6  Fox, Briscoe  Rupp Arena (24,391)
Lexington, KY
February 18, 2017
6:00 pm, ESPN
No. 13 at Georgia W 82–77  22–5
(12–2)
 16  Fox, Monk   12  Willis   5  Fox, Monk  Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Athens, GA
February 21, 2017
9:00 pm, SECN
No. 11 at Missouri W 72–62  23–5
(13–2)
 22  Adebayo   15  Adebayo   4  Fox  Mizzou Arena (11,574)
Columbia, MO
February 25, 2017
2:00 pm, CBS
No. 11 No. 13 Florida
Rivalry
W 76–66  24–5
(14–2)
 33  Monk   15  Adebayo   5  Monk  Rupp Arena (24,431)
Lexington, KY
February 28, 2017
9:00 pm, ESPN
No. 9 Vanderbilt W 73–67  25–5
(15–2)
 27  Monk   8  Willis   6  Briscoe  Rupp Arena (24,036)
Lexington, KY
March 4, 2017
12:00 pm, CBS
No. 9 at Texas A&M W 71–63  26–5
(16–2)
 19  Fox   8  Adebayo   8  Briscoe  Reed Arena (9,528)
College Station, TX
SEC Tournament
March 10, 2017
1:00 pm, SECN
(1) No. 8 vs. (8) Georgia
Quarterfinals
W 71–60  27–5
 20  Briscoe   11  Willis   4  Fox  Bridgestone Arena (18,130)
Nashville, TN
March 11, 2017
12:00 pm, ESPN
(1) No. 8 vs. (5) Alabama
Semifinals
W 79–74  28–5
 28  Fox   9  Adebayo   3  Briscoe  Bridgestone Arena (19,196)
Nashville, TN
March 12, 2017
12:00 pm, ESPN
(1) No. 8 vs. (3) Arkansas
Championship
W 82–65  29–5
 18  Fox   9  Adebayo   3  Monk  Bridgestone Arena (19,953)
Nashville, TN
NCAA tournament
March 17, 2017*
9:40 pm, CBS
(2 S) No. 6 vs. (15 S) Northern Kentucky
First Round
W 79–70  30–5
 19  Fox   18  Adebayo   3  Fox, Wills  Bankers Life Fieldhouse (18,269)
Indianapolis, IN
March 19, 2017*
2:40 pm, CBS
(2 S) No. 6 vs. (10 S) No. 19 Wichita State
Second Round
W 65–62  31–5
 14  Monk, Fox   10  Adebayo   4  Monk  Bankers Life Fieldhouse (18,293)
Indianapolis, IN
March 24, 2017*
9:39 pm, CBS
(2 S) No. 6 vs. (3 S) No. 8 UCLA
Sweet Sixteen
W 86–75  32–5
 39  Fox   8  Adebayo   5  Adebayo  FedEx Forum (17,532)
Memphis, TN
March 26, 2017*
5:05 pm, CBS
(2 S) No. 6 vs. (1 S) No. 5 North Carolina
Elite Eight
L 73–75  32–6
 13  Adebayo, Fox   7  Adebayo   8  Briscoe  FedEx Forum (16,412)
Memphis, TN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Honors[edit]

Weekly Awards[edit]

On November 14 Fox was named SEC Freshman of the Week following a 21-point career-high against Canisius and a 12-assist career-high against Stephen F. Austin.[33]

National Awards[edit]

On March 28, 2017, Malik Monk was voted consensus Second Team All-American by each of the NCAA's four recognized organizations (AP, National Association of Basketball Coaches, United States Basketball Writers Association, Sporting News) it uses to determine consensus status.[34] On April 7, 2017, Malik Monk won the Jerry West Award, which is awarded to the nation's top shooting guard of the year. Monk beat out Duke's Luke Kennard, UCLA's Bryce Alford, and Creighton's Marcus Foster for the award.[35]

Rankings[edit]

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516171819Final
AP2 (2)2 (2)2 (1)1 (42)1 (40)666866548151311986Not released
Coaches4 (2)4 (2)2 (2)1 (20)1 (23)7758665461211109855

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "E.J. Floreal will leave basketball to run track for Kentucky". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  2. ^ "No. 6 recruit Edrice 'Bam' Adebayo commits to Kentucky". ESPN.com. November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Kentucky Men's Basketball Signs Six in Fall Signing Period". University of Kentucky. November 19, 2014. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  4. ^ "Point guard De'Aaron Fox, No. 7 in ESPN 100, chooses Kentucky". ESPN.com. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  5. ^ "No. 23-rated Wenyen Gabriel chooses Kentucky over Duke, others". ESPN.com. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  6. ^ "Sacha Killeya-Jones commits to Kentucky Wildcats". ESPN.com. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  7. ^ "No. 5 recruit Malik Monk commits to Kentucky". ESPN.com. November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  8. ^ "Jamal Murray Declares for the NBA draft". UKAthletics. April 1, 2016. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  9. ^ Tipton, Jerry (April 1, 2016). "Murray's NBA announcement turns April Fool's into Father's Day". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  10. ^ "Labissiere Declares for 2016 NBA Draft". UKAthletics. April 5, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  11. ^ "Kentucky's Skal Labissiere enters NBA draft after freshman season". Associated Press. April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  12. ^ "Ulis Declares for the 2016 NBA Draft". UKAthletics. April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  13. ^ Tipton, Jerry (April 6, 2016). "Kentucky's Ulis says he will enter this year's NBA Draft". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  14. ^ Tucker, Kyle (May 18, 2016). "Kentucky guard Charles Matthews transferring". Courier-Journal. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  15. ^ Tipton, Jerry (May 18, 2016). "Kentucky basketball freshman Charles Matthews to transfer". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  16. ^ Facher, Lev (June 29, 2016). "Kentucky transfer Charles Matthews eligible for Michigan in 2017". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  17. ^ Tucker, Kyle (May 25, 2016). "In a stunner, UK's Lee announces transfer". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  18. ^ Tipton, Jerry (May 25, 2016). "Isaiah Briscoe to remain at Kentucky, Marcus Lee transferring". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  19. ^ Rothstein, Jon (June 12, 2016). "Kentucky transfer Marcus Lee commits to California, will be eligible in 2017-18". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  20. ^ a b "Media picks Kentucky to win 2017 SEC Championship" (Press release). Southeastern Conference. October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  21. ^ "Top 25 Teams, Week 1". USA Today. October 20, 2016.
  22. ^ "The AP Top 25 Poll". AP. October 31, 2016.
  23. ^ "UK MBB Faces Challenging Nonconference Schedule in 2016-17". UKathletics.com. JMI Sports. July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ "Madness Tickets SOLD OUT". UKathletics.com. JMI Sports. September 30, 2016. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  25. ^ Norlander, Matt (October 14, 2016). "Kentucky's Big Blue Madness highlighted by Cousins vs. Wall at Rupp Arena". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  26. ^ a b "Kentucky lands commitments from a pair of five-star basketball recruits". Lexington Herald-Leader. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  27. ^ "Calipari adds third commitment to Kentucky's recruiting class of 2017". Lexington Herald-Leader. November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  28. ^ Roberts, Ben (November 19, 2016). "New UK commitment Quade Green will bring 'Philly toughness' to Lexington". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  29. ^ Borzello, Jeff (January 7, 2017). "Hamidou Diallo, No. 11 in ESPN 100, picks Kentucky over UConn". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  30. ^ Daniels, Evan (April 11, 2017). "Four-star guard Jemarl Baker commits to Kentucky". Scout. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  31. ^ Roberts, Ben. "New basketball commitment Jemarl Baker is 'exactly what Kentucky needed'". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  32. ^ Borzello, Jeff (May 6, 2017). "Kevin Knox, No. 9-ranked prospect in 2017, commits to Kentucky". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  33. ^ "De'Aaron Fox Named SEC Freshman of the Week". UKathletics.com. JMI Sports. November 14, 2015. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  34. ^ "Monk Earns Consensus All-America Second Team Status with AP Honor". UKAthletics.com. UK Athletics. March 28, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  35. ^ "Malik Monk wins Jerry West Award as nation's best shooting guard". kentucky.com. Lexington Herald-Leader. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.