2019–20 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 2019–20 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in Lexington, Kentucky for the 44th consecutive season at Rupp Arena, with a capacity of 20,545. The Wildcats were led by John Calipari in his 11th season as head coach and played in the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 25–6, 15–3 in SEC play to win the SEC regular season championship. They were set to be the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament with a bye to the quarterfinals. However, the SEC Tournament was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With the SEC Tournament cancelled, they were awarded the SEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. However, the NCAA Tournament was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019–20 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
SEC regular season champions
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 7
APNo. 8
2019–20 record25–6 (15–3 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaRupp Arena
2019–20 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
No. 8 Kentucky153 .833  256  .806
No. 20 Auburn126 .667  256  .806
LSU126 .667  2110  .677
Mississippi State117 .611  2011  .645
Florida117 .611  1912  .613
South Carolina108 .556  1813  .581
Texas A&M108 .556  1614  .533
Tennessee99 .500  1714  .548
Alabama810 .444  1615  .516
Arkansas711 .389  2012  .625
Missouri711 .389  1516  .484
Ole Miss612 .333  1517  .469
Georgia513 .278  1616  .500
Vanderbilt315 .167  1121  .344
As of January 29, 2021; Rankings from AP Poll
NOTE: The 2020 SEC Tournament was canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previous season

The Wildcats finished the 2018–19 season 30–7, 15–3 in SEC play to finish in a tie for second. In the SEC Tournament, the Wildcats defeated Alabama, but were defeated by Tennessee in the semi-finals of the tournament. The Wildcats received an at-large bid NCAA Tournament. As the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, they defeated No. 15 Abilene Christian,[1] No. 7 Wofford, and No. 3 Houston to advance to the Elite Eight.[2] There, they lost to the No. 5-seed Auburn.[3]

Offseason

Departures

On April 9, 2019, P. J. Washington announced that he would be entering the 2019 NBA Draft and would sign with an agent. However, due to changes in NCAA rules that took effect with the 2019 draft, signing with an agent no longer automatically results in loss of NCAA eligibility.[4] On April 16, Tyler Herro announced that he would remain in the NBA draft, forgoing his remaining eligibility.[5] The following day, two more players announced their departures, with Keldon Johnson announcing he would leave Kentucky and stay in the 2019 NBA draft and Jemarl Baker announcing his intention to transfer from Kentucky.[6][7]

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason left
Reid Travis22Forward6'8"245SeniorMinneapolis, MinnesotaCompleted athletic eligibility; graduated from Stanford in 2018
Jonny David10Guard6'2"183SeniorPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGraduated
P. J. Washington25Forward6'7"236SophomoreDallas, TexasDeclared for the 2019 NBA Draft
Tyler Herro14Guard6'5"195FreshmanMilwaukee, WisconsinDeclared for the 2019 NBA Draft
Keldon Johnson3Forward6'6"210FreshmanSouth Hill, VirginiaDeclared for the 2019 NBA Draft
Jemarl Baker13Guard6'4"185 RS FreshmanEastvale, CaliforniaTransferred to Arizona
Brad Calipari12Guard6'0"176 JuniorFranklin Lakes, New JerseyGraduate transferred to Detroit Mercy

2019 recruiting class

In May Kentucky announced the completion of its 2019 signing class. It ranked as a consensus top-three class for the eleventh straight season under Calipari. The 2019 class consists of forward Dontaie Allen (Falmouth, KY), forward Keion Brooks (Fort Wayne, IN), guard Johnny Juzang (Studio City, CA), guard Tyrese Maxey (Garland, TX), and forward Kahlil Whitney (Chicago).[8]

On May 9, 2018, Maxey committed to become the first member of the class.[9] He chose Kentucky over offers from Michigan State and Texas. Maxey was ranked as the consensus #2 ranked point guard in the 2019 class, and became a McDonald's All-American.[10]

On August 2, 2018, Allen committed to Kentucky over offers from Florida and Louisville.[11] On March 5, 2019 Allen was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball.[12]

On August 8, 2018, Kahlil Whitney committed to play basketball for UK over offers from Illinois and Georgetown. Whitney is the third commitment to commit in the 2019 class and is ranked #19 overall in the 2019 class by 247 sports.

On March 15, 2019, Keion Brooks, from Fort Wayne, IN, committed to play basketball for Kentucky over offers from Michigan State and Indiana. Brooks is the fourth recruit to commit in the 2019 class and is ranked #23 overall in the 2019 by 247 sports.

On May 10, 2019, Johnny Juzang committed to play basketball for Kentucky over an offer to play for Virginia. Juzang is the fifth commitment to commit in the 2019 class and is ranked #32 overall in the 2019 class by 247 sports.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Tyrese Maxey
PG
Garland, TX South Garland High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) May 9, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 93
Dontaie Allen
SF
Falmouth, KY Pendleton County High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Aug 2, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 78
Kahlil Whitney
SF
Roselle, NJ Roselle Catholic High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Aug 8, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 94
Keion Brooks
SF
Fort Wayne, IN La Lumiere 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Mar 15, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 89
Johnny Juzang
SF
Studio City, CA Harvard-Westlake School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) May 10, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 89
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #2   Rivals: #2  247Sports: #2  ESPN: #4
  • 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 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  • "2019 Kentucky Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2019-05-22.

    Incoming transfers

    On April 4, 2019, Nate Sestina announced that he would transfer to Kentucky for the 2019–2020 season.[13] Sestina was named second team All-Patriot league for Bucknell and averaged 15.8 PPG and 8.7 RPG in his final year with the Bisons. As a grad transfer, he is eligible to play immediately under NCAA rules.

    NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
    Nate Sestina4F6'9"245Graduate StudentEmporium, PABucknell

    2020 Recruiting Class

    On July 27, 2019, BJ Boston committed to play basketball for the University of Kentucky over offers from Florida and Duke. Boston is the first commitment to the 2020 recruiting class and the #2 ranked shooting guard in the 2020 class by 247 sports.

    Cam'Ron Fletcher, from St. Louis, Missouri, is the second commitment in the Kentucky 2020 recruiting class. He committed to Kentucky on August 4, 2019, and chose Kentucky over Michigan State.[14] He is a consensus four-star player by the four main recruiting services and is ranked #36 overall by 24/7 Sports.

    Power forward Lance Ware, from Camden, New Jersey, is the third commitment in the Kentucky 2020 recruiting class. He committed to Kentucky on September 12, 2019, and chose Kentucky over Ohio State. He is a consensus four-star player by the four main recruiting services and is ranked #32 overall by Rivals.

    Two days later, on September 14, 2019, SF Terrence Clarke from Brewster Academy pledged to Kentucky. Clarke is one of the most highly regarded prospects in the 2020 class, with most services ranking him among the top five players overall.

    Other news

    As part of a major renovation of Rupp Arena, included within a larger expansion project for the attached Central Bank Center convention complex, nearly half of the upper arena bowl, originally consisting entirely of bleacher seating, was refitted with chairback seats during the 2019 offseason. This reduced the arena's basketball capacity by nearly 3,000—from 23,500 to 20,545.[15]

    On January 27, 2020, it was announced that Lexington Center's overall naming rights were sold to Central Bank, a local community bank, by the Lexington Center Corporation and JMI Sports, which handles the multimedia rights for both the LCC and the University of Kentucky. The Rupp name will continue to receive primacy in the fourteen-year agreement for the arena portion of the complex, and be known as "Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center".[16]

    Roster

    2019–20 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    G 0 Ashton Hagans 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)198 lb (90 kg) SoNewton Cartersville, GA
    F 1 Nate Sestina 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)234 lb (106 kg) GSBucknell Emporium, PA
    G 3 Tyrese Maxey 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)198 lb (90 kg) FrSouth Garland Garland, TX
    C 4 Nick Richards 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)247 lb (112 kg) JrThe Patrick School Kingston, Jamaica
    G 5 Immanuel Quickley 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)188 lb (85 kg) SoThe John Carroll School Havre de Grace, MD
    G 10 Johnny Juzang 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)214 lb (97 kg) FrHarvard-Westlake School Los Angeles, CA
    G 11 Dontaie Allen  6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)200 lb (91 kg) FrPendleton County Falmouth, KY
    F 12 Keion Brooks 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrLa Lumiere School Fort Wayne, IN
    G 13 Riley Welch 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)185 lb (84 kg) JrUC Irvine Littleton, CO
    F 14 Brennan Canada (W) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)198 lb (90 kg) FrGeorge Rogers Clark Mount Sterling, KY
    G/F 21 Zan Payne (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)235 lb (107 kg) RS FrLexington Catholic Lexington, KY
    F 23 E. J. Montgomery 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)228 lb (103 kg) SoWheeler Fort Pierce, FL
    F 33 Ben Jordan 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)250 lb (113 kg) RS SoWest Carter Olive Hill, KY
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)

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

    Roster
    Last update: October 22, 2019

    Depth chart

    Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
    C Nick Richards Nate Sestina Ben Jordan
    PF E. J. Montgomery Keion Brooks Brennan Canada
    SF Immanuel Quickley Dontaie Allen Zan Payne
    SG Tyrese Maxey Johnny Juzang
    PG Ashton Hagans Riley Welch

    Schedule and Results

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Exhibition
    October 27, 2019*
    5:00 pm, SECN
    No. 2 Georgetown (KY) W 80–53 
     16  Quickley  10  Sestina  10  Hagans  Rupp Arena (19,527)
    Lexington, KY
    November 1, 2019*
    7:00 pm, SECN
    No. 2 Kentucky State W 83–51 
     15  Tied  9  Brooks Jr.  9  Hagans  Rupp Arena (19,588)
    Lexington, KY
    Regular Season
    November 5, 2019*
    9:30 pm, ESPN
    No. 2 vs. No. 1 Michigan State
    Champions Classic
    W 69–62  1–0
     26  Maxey  6  Sestina  3  Hagans  Madison Square Garden (19,812)
    New York, NY
    November 8, 2019*
    7:00 pm, SECN
    No. 2 Eastern Kentucky W 91–49  2–0
     21  Richards  11  Sestina  5  Tied  Rupp Arena (20,163)
    Lexington, KY
    November 12, 2019*
    7:00 pm, SECN
    No. 1 Evansville L 64–67  2–1
     16  Quickley  9  Quickley  3  Hagans  Rupp Arena (19,101)
    Lexington, KY
    November 18, 2019*
    7:00 pm, ESPN2
    No. 9 Utah Valley
    BBN Showcase
    W 82–74  3–1
     26  Hagans  12  Sestina  5  Hagans  Rupp Arena (18,859)
    Lexington, KY
    November 22, 2019*
    7:00 pm, SECN
    No. 9 Mount St. Mary's
    BBN Showcase
    W 82–62  4–1
     19  Richards  7  Hagans  7  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,351)
    Lexington, KY
    November 24, 2019*
    6:00 pm, SECN
    No. 9 Lamar
    BBN Showcase
    W 81–56  5–1
     21  Maxey  13  Richards  9  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,048)
    Lexington, KY
    November 29, 2019*
    7:00 pm, SECN
    No. 9 UAB
    BBN Showcase
    W 69–58  6–1
     16  Tied  9  Richards  12  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,401)
    Lexington, KY
    December 7, 2019*
    4:00 pm, SECN
    No. 8 Fairleigh Dickinson W 83–52  7–1
     25  Montgomery  10  Richards  11  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,080)
    Lexington, KY
    December 14, 2019*
    5:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 8 Georgia Tech W 67–53  8–1
     21  Hagans  7  Tied  7  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,111)
    Lexington, KY
    December 18, 2019*
    11:00 pm, ESPN2
    No. 6 vs. Utah
    Neon Hoops Showcase
    L 66–69  8–2
     18  Maxey  10  Montgomery  8  Hagans  T-Mobile Arena (5,507)
    Paradise, NV
    December 21, 2019*
    5:15 pm, CBS
    No. 6 vs. No. 5 Ohio State
    CBS Sports Classic
    L 65–71  8–3
     15  Maxey  6  Maxey  9  Hagans  T-Mobile Arena 
    Paradise, NV
    December 28, 2019*
    3:45 pm, CBS
    No. 19 No. 3 Louisville
    Battle for the Bluegrass
    W 78–70 OT 9–3
     27  Maxey  10  Richards  8  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,437)
    Lexington, KY
    January 4, 2020
    2:00 pm, SECN
    No. 17 Missouri W 71–59  10–3
    (1–0)
     23  Quickley  12  Richards  7  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,396)
    Lexington, KY
    January 7, 2020
    9:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 14 at Georgia W 78–69  11–3
    (2–0)
     17  Tied  7  Tied  8  Maxey  Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
    Athens, GA
    January 11, 2020
    12:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 14 Alabama W 76–67  12–3
    (3–0)
     19  Quickley  11  Richards  9  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,407)
    Lexington, KY
    January 15, 2020
    6:30 pm, SECN
    No. 10 at South Carolina L 78–81  12–4
    (3–1)
     20  Quickley  7  Tied  7  Hagans  Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
    Columbia, SC
    January 18, 2020
    4:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 10 at Arkansas W 73–66  13–4
    (4–1)
     17  Richards  10  Quickley  6  Hagans  Bud Walton Arena (19,200)
    Fayetteville, AR
    January 21, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 15 Georgia W 89–79  14–4
    (5–1)
     23  Hagans  8  Richards  9  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,135)
    Lexington, KY
    January 25, 2020*
    6:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 15 at No. 18 Texas Tech
    Big 12/SEC Challenge
    W 76–74 OT 15–4
     25  Richards  14  Richards  7  Hagans  United Supermarkets Arena (14,763)
    Lubbock, TX
    January 29, 2020
    6:30 pm, SECN
    No. 13 Vanderbilt W 71–62  16–4
    (6–1)
     17  Maxey  11  Richards  6  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,311)
    Lexington, KY
    February 1, 2020
    6:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 13 at No. 17 Auburn
    ESPN College GameDay
    L 66–75  16–5
    (6–2)
     23  Quickley  7  Richards  3  Hagans  Auburn Arena (9,121)
    Auburn, AL
    February 4, 2020
    9:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 15 Mississippi State W 80–72  17–5
    (7–2)
     27  Richards  11  Richards  6  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,115)
    Lexington, KY
    February 8, 2020
    1:00 pm, CBS
    No. 15 at Tennessee
    Rivalry
    W 77–64  18–5
    (8–2)
     18  Quickley  9  Brooks Jr.  4  Maxey  Thompson–Boling Arena (21,232)
    Knoxville, TN
    February 11, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 12 at Vanderbilt W 78–64  19–5
    (9–2)
     25  Maxey  10  Hagans  8  Hagans  Memorial Gymnasium (11,598)
    Nashville, TN
    February 15, 2020
    2:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 12 Ole Miss W 67–62  20–5
    (10–2)
     17  Quickley  8  Montgomery  3  Maxey  Rupp Arena (20,417)
    Lexington, KY
    February 18, 2020
    9:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 10 at LSU W 79–76  21–5
    (11–2)
     21  Quickley  8  Sestina  6  Quickley  Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,260)
    Baton Rouge, LA
    February 22, 2020
    6:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 10 Florida
    Rivalry
    W 65–59  22–5
    (12–2)
     26  Quickley  7  Maxey  7  Maxey  Rupp Arena (20,489)
    Lexington, KY
    February 25, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 8 at Texas A&M W 69–60  23–5
    (13–2)
     30  Quickley  10  Montgomery  7  Hagans  Reed Arena (8,190)
    College Station, TX
    February 29, 2020
    3:45 pm, CBS
    No. 8 No. 15 Auburn W 73–66  24–5
    (14–2)
     18  Quickley  12  Quickley  5  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,638)
    Lexington, KY
    March 3, 2020
    9:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 6 Tennessee
    Rivalry
    L 73–81  24–6
    (14–3)
     21  Maxey  9  Richards  4  Hagans  Rupp Arena (20,413)
    Lexington, KY
    March 7, 2020
    1:00 pm, CBS
    No. 6 at Florida
    Rivalry
    W 71–70  25–6
    (15–3)
     21  Richards  7  Richards  7  Maxey  O'Connell Center (9,767)
    Gainesville, FL
    SEC Tournament
    March 13, 2020
    1:00 pm, ESPN
    (1) No. 8 vs.
    Quarterfinals
    Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[17] Bridgestone Arena
    Nashville, TN
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Eastern Time.

    SEC Tournament

    The Wildcats received the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament. However, the 2020 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament was cancelled before the Wildcats played their first game, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18]

    2020 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

    Like the SEC Tournament, the NCAA Tournament was cancelled amidst concern over the health of participants as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States.[19]

    Rankings

    Ranking movements
    Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
    NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
    Week
    Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Final 
    AP 2 (2) 1 (64) 9 9 8 8 6 19 17 14 10 15 13 15 12 10 8 6 8 8 
    Coaches 2 2* 10 11 10 9 6 19 14 13 12 14 13 16 12 10 9 6 7 7

    *AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings

    References

    1. "Kentucky overwhelms NCAA Tournament first-timer Abilene Christian". Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
    2. "Second-seeded Kentucky holds off No. 3 Houston to advance to NCAA Tournament Elite Eight". USAToday.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
    3. "Kentucky vs. Auburn score: Surging Tigers shock Wildcats in OT to earn the first trip to Final Four in school history". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
    4. Hale, Jon (2019-04-09). "Kentucky basketball: PJ Washington to enter NBA draft". USA Today. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
    5. Moore, Annie (2019-04-16). "Tyler Herro declares he will stay in NBA draft". Wave 3 News. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
    6. "Keldon Johnson declares for 2019 NBA draft". WKYT. 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
    7. Hale, Jon (2019-04-17). "Kentucky basketball: Jemarl Baker set to transfer". USA Today. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
    8. "UK Men's Basketball Lands 11th Straight Top-Three Signing Class". University of Kentucky. 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
    9. "Junior guard Tyrese Maxey commits to Kentucky for 2019 class". ESPN. 2018-05-09. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
    10. Hoyt, Joseph (2019-01-24). "Tyrese Maxey, Jordyn Oliver among 5 locals named to McDonald's All-American game". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
    11. Hale, Jon (2018-08-02). "Pendleton County basketball star Dontaie Allen commits to Kentucky". Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
    12. Moore, Josh (2019-03-05). "UK signee Dontaie Allen named 2019 Kentucky Mr. Basketball". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
    13. "Grad transfer Nate Sestina commits to Kentucky". KentuckySportsRadio.com. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
    14. Wheatley, Nick (August 4, 2019). "Cam'Ron Fletcher commits to Kentucky". A Sea of Blue. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
    15. Pilgrim, Jack (October 8, 2019). "Rupp Arena Unveils New Upper-Level Chair Back Seats". Kentucky Sports Radio. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
    16. "It's Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center as naming rights agreement rebrands Lexington's premier spot". Northern Kentucky Tribune. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
    17. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2020-sec-tournament-canceled-thursday-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-concerns/live/
    18. Myerberg, Paul. "ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 among major college basketball tournaments cancelled amid coronavirus". USA Today. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
    19. ESPN News Services. "NCAA tournaments canceled over coronavirus". ESPN. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
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