2022–23 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
NCAA tournament, Second Round
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record22–12 (12–6 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaRupp Arena
2022–23 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 1 Alabama162 .889316  .838
No. 17 Texas A&M153 .8332510  .714
Kentucky126 .6672212  .647
No. 23 Missouri117 .6112510  .714
No. 20 Tennessee117 .6112511  .694
Vanderbilt117 .6112215  .595
Auburn108 .5562113  .618
Florida99 .5001617  .485
Mississippi State810 .4442113  .618
Arkansas810 .4442214  .611
Georgia612 .3331616  .500
South Carolina414 .2221121  .344
Ole Miss315 .1671221  .364
LSU216 .1111419  .424
2023 SEC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2022–23 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, founding members of the Southeastern Conference, played their home games at Rupp Arena and were led by John Calipari in his 14th season as head coach. They finished the season 21–10, 12–6 in SEC play to finish in third place. As the No. 3 seed in the SEC tournament, they were upset in the quarterfinal round by Vanderbilt. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Providence in the first round before falling to Kansas State in the second round to finish the season with a final record of 22–12.

Previous season

The Wildcats finished the 2021–22 season 26–8, 14–4 in SEC play to finish a tie for second place. As the No. 3 seed in the SEC tournament, they defeated Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals before losing to Tennessee in the semifinals. They received an at large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East region. The Wildcats became just the 10th No. 2 seed to lose in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to No. 15-seeded Saint Peter’s 85–79 in overtime. It also marked the first time Kentucky had suffered a First Round exit under Calipari.

Offseason

Player departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason left
Dontaie Allen11Guard6'6"205SophomoreFalmouth, KYTransferred to Western Kentucky
Kellan Grady31Guard6'5"205SeniorBoston, MACompleted college eligibility
Bryce Hopkins23Power forward6'7"220FreshmanOak Park, ILTransferred to Providence
Davion Mintz10Guard6'3"195SeniorCharlotte, NCCompleted college eligibility
Keion Brooks Jr.12Forward6'7"210JuniorFort Wayne, INTransferred to Washington
Zan Payne20Forward6'4"215JuniorLexington, KYTransferred to Louisville
TyTy Washington Jr.13Guard6'3"197FreshmanPhoenix, AZNBA Draft
Shaedon Sharpe21Guard6'6"200Redshirt FreshmanLondon, ONNBA Draft

Class of 2022 signees

The Wildcats signed a two man class of Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace. Sharpe enrolled in January to join the 2022 team.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Chris Livingston
SF
Akron, OH Oak Hill Academy (VA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Nov 10, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 91
Cason Wallace
SG / PG
Dallas, TX Richardson (TX) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Nov 10, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 92
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 2nd  247Sports: 8th  ESPN: 1st
  • 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 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  • "2022 Kentucky Basketball Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  • "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  • "Kentucky 2022 Basketball Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021.

Class of 2023 commitments

On November 20, 2021, Reed Sheppard verbally committed to UK over multiple offers, with Louisville and Virginia among the most active in attempting to recruit him. The son of former UK basketball players Jeff Sheppard and the former Stacey Reed, he was the first commitment to the 2023 recruiting class. At the time of his commitment, he was the #3 ranked combo guard in the 2023 class by 247 Sports.[1] On November 14, 2022, D. J. Wagner, ranked as the top point guard in the class by ESPN and Rivals, committed to the University Of Kentucky, deciding over Louisville.[2]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Reed Sheppard
SG
London, KY North Laurel (KY) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Nov 20, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 89
Robert Dillingham
PG
Simi Valley, CA Donda Academy (CA) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Jun 24, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 95
Justin Edwards
SF
Philadelphia, PA Imhotep Institute (PA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul 25, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 91
Ugonna Kingsley
C
Owerri, Nigeria Putnam Science Academy (CT) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Aug 1, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 89
Aaron Bradshaw
C
Roselle, NJ Camden, NJ 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Oct 14, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 94
D. J. Wagner
PG
Camden, NJ Camden (NJ) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Nov 14, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 96
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:

Incoming transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious SchoolYears Eligible[lower-alpha 1]Date Eligible
Antonio Reeves[3]12SG6'6"185SeniorChicago, ILIllinois State2October 1, 2022
  1. Due to a special NCAA ruling, the 2020–21 season does not count against the eligibility of players in all NCAA winter sports, including basketball.

Roster

2022–23 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F 0 Jacob Toppin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)205 lb (93 kg) SrRhode Island Brooklyn, NY
G 1 CJ Fredrick 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg) RS SrIowa Cincinnati, OH
G 2 Sahvir Wheeler 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)180 lb (82 kg) SrGeorgia Houston, TX
G 3 Adou Thiero 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)200 lb (91 kg) FrQuaker Valley Leetsdale, PA
F 4 Daimion Collins 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)210 lb (95 kg) SoAtlanta Atlanta, TX
G 12 Antonio Reeves 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)205 lb (93 kg) SrIllinois State Chicago, IL
G 13 Grant Darbyshire (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)190 lb (86 kg) FrSycamore Cincinnati, OH
F 14 Brennan Canada 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) SrGeorge Rogers Clark Mount Sterling, KY
G 21 Walker Horn (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)200 lb (91 kg) FrWestlake Austin, TX
G 22 Cason Wallace 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)193 lb (88 kg) FrRichardson Dallas, TX
F 24 Chris Livingston 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg) FrOak Hill Akron, OH
G 25 Kareem Watkins (W) 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)175 lb (79 kg) JrKingsway Regional Camden, NJ
C 33 Ugonna Kingsley 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)225 lb (102 kg) FrPutnam Science Academy Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
F 34 Oscar Tshiebwe 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)260 lb (118 kg) SrWest Virginia Lubumbashi, DR Congo
F 55 Lance Ware 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)235 lb (107 kg) JrCamden Camden, NJ
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

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

Roster

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Big Blue Bahamas exhibition trip
August 10, 2022*
7:00 p.m., SECN
vs. Dominican Republic National Select Team W 108–56 
 17  Tshiebwe  8  Livingston  5  Collins  Baha Mar Convention Center (1,200)
Nassau, BAH
August 11, 2022*
7:00 p.m., SECN
vs. Tec De Monterrey W 102–40 
 14  Tie  14  Tshiebwe  10  Wheeler  Baha Mar Convention Center (1,200)
Nassau, BAH
August 13, 2022*
6:00 p.m., SECN
vs. Carleton University W 118–56 
 27  Toppin  13  Tshiebwe  6  Tie  Baha Mar Convention Center (1,200)
Nassau, BAH
August 14, 2022*
12:00 p.m., SECN
vs. The Bahamas National Select Team W 98–74 
 22  Reeves  12  Tshiebwe  5  Wallace  Baha Mar Convention Center (1,200)
Nassau, BAH
Exhibition
October 30, 2022*
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 4 Missouri Western W 56–38 
 15  Fredrick  7  Wallace  2  Toppin  Rupp Arena (17,735)
Lexington, KY
November 3, 2022*
7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+
No. 4 Kentucky State W 111–53 
 23  Reeves  11  Onyenso  6  Fredrick  Rupp Arena (18,413)
Lexington, KY
Regular season
November 7, 2022*
6:30 p.m., SECN
No. 4 Howard W 95–63  1–0
 22  Reeves  11  Toppin  9  Wallace  Rupp Arena (18,750)
Lexington, KY
November 11, 2022*
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 4 Duquesne
Tribute Classic
W 77–52  2–0
 18  Reeves  10  Onyenso  11  Wheeler  Rupp Arena (20,014)
Lexington, KY
November 15, 2022*
7:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 4 vs. Michigan State
Champions Classic
L 77–86 2OT 2–1
 22  Tshiebwe  18  Tshiebwe  8  Wheeler  Gainbridge Fieldhouse (17,923)
Indianapolis, IN
November 17, 2022*
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 4 South Carolina State
Tribute Classic
W 106–63  3–1
 17  Fredrick  9  Toppin  10  Wheeler  Rupp Arena (18,885)
Lexington, KY
November 20, 2022*
7:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 4 vs. No. 2 Gonzaga L 72–88  3–2
 20  Tshiebwe  15  Tshiebwe  4  Wheeler  Spokane Arena (12,333)
Spokane, WA
November 23, 2022*
4:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+
No. 15 North Florida
Tribute Classic
W 96–56  4–2
 20  Tie  15  Tshiebwe  6  Wallace  Rupp Arena (19,763)
Lexington, KY
November 29, 2022*
7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+
No. 19 Bellarmine W 60–41  5–2
 18  Reeves  12  Tshiebwe  6  Wheeler  Rupp Arena (19,092)
Lexington, KY
December 4, 2022*
1:00 p.m., ABC
No. 19 vs. Michigan
Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase
W 73–69  6–2
 14  Tie  14  Tshiebwe  7  Wheeler  The O2 Arena (8,242)
London, England
December 10, 2022*
1:00 p.m., SECN
No. 16 Yale W 69–59  7–2
 28  Tshiebwe  12  Tshiebwe  4  Toppin  Rupp Arena (20,264)
Lexington, KY
December 17, 2022*
5:15 p.m., CBS
No. 13 vs. No. 16 UCLA
CBS Sports Classic
L 53–63  7–3
 14  Livingston  16  Tshiebwe  6  Wheeler  Madison Square Garden (20,261)
New York City, NY
December 21, 2022*
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 19 Florida A&M W 88–68  8–3
 27  Wallace  8  Tshiebwe  9  Wallace  Rupp Arena (20,226)
Lexington, KY
December 28, 2022
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 19 at Missouri L 75–89  8–4
(0–1)
 23  Tshiebwe  19  Tshiebwe  8  Wheeler  Mizzou Arena (15,061)
Columbia, MO
December 31, 2022*
12:00 p.m., CBS
No. 19 Louisville
Rivalry
W 86–63  9–4
 24  Tie  14  Tshiebwe  9  Wheeler  Rupp Arena (20,934)
Lexington, KY
January 3, 2023
8:00 p.m., ESPN
LSU W 74–71  10–4
(1–1)
 21  Toppin  16  Tshiebwe  9  Wheeler  Rupp Arena (19,610)
Lexington, KY
January 7, 2023
1:00 p.m., ESPN
at No. 7 Alabama L 52–78  10–5
(1–2)
 20  Reeves  6  Tie  3  Tie  Coleman Coliseum (13,747)
Tuscaloosa, AL
January 10, 2023
7:00 p.m., ESPN2
South Carolina L 68–71  10–6
(1–3)
 19  Tshiebwe  12  Tshiebwe  3  Wheeler  Rupp Arena (19,393)
Lexington, KY
January 14, 2023
12:00 p.m., ESPN
at No. 5 Tennessee
Rivalry
W 63–56  11–6
(2–3)
 18  Reeves  13  Tshiebwe  6  Wallace  Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678)
Knoxville, TN
January 17, 2023
9:00 p.m., ESPN
Georgia W 85–71  12–6
(3–3)
 37  Tshiebwe  24  Tshiebwe  4  Toppin  Rupp Arena (19,171)
Lexington, KY
January 21, 2023
2:00 p.m., ESPN
Texas A&M W 76–67  13–6
(4–3)
 23  Reeves  17  Tshiebwe  4  Wallace  Rupp Arena (20,017)
Lexington, KY
January 24, 2023
9:00 p.m., SECN
at Vanderbilt W 69–53  14–6
(5–3)
 16  Reeves  13  Tshiebwe  5  Tie  Memorial Gymnasium (10,238)
Nashville, TN
January 28, 2023*
8:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 9 Kansas
Big 12/SEC Challenge
L 68–77  14–7
 18  Tshiebwe  9  Tshiebwe  5  Wallace  Rupp Arena (20,418)
Lexington, KY
January 31, 2023
9:00 p.m., ESPN
at Ole Miss W 75–66  15–7
(6–3)
 27  Reeves  11  Tshiebwe  9  Wheeler  SJB Pavilion 
Oxford, MS
February 4, 2023
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Florida
Rivalry
W 72–67  16–7
(7–3)
 20  Wallace  15  Tshiebwe  3  Tie  Rupp Arena (20,315)
Lexington, KY
February 7, 2023
9:00 p.m., ESPN
Arkansas L 73–88  16–8
(7–4)
 24  Wallace  8  Toppin  5  Wallace  Rupp Arena (19,855)
Lexington, KY
February 11, 2023
12:00 p.m., ESPN
at Georgia L 68–75  16–9
(7–5)
 20  Tie  14  Tshiebwe  6  Wallace  Stegeman Coliseum (10,376)
Athens, GA
February 15, 2023
8:30 p.m., SECN
at Mississippi State W 71–68  17–9
(8–5)
 18  Tshiebwe  11  Tshiebwe  11  Wallace  Humphrey Coliseum (9,297)
Starkville, MS
February 18, 2023
1:00 p.m., CBS
No. 10 Tennessee
Rivalry
W 66–54  18–9
(9–5)
 16  Tie  10  Livingston  6  Wallace  Rupp Arena (20,323)
Lexington, KY
February 22, 2023
7:00 p.m., ESPN
at Florida
Rivalry
W 82–74  19–9
(10–5)
 25  Tshiebwe  15  Livingston  6  Wallace  O'Connell Center (9,540)
Gainesville, FL
February 25, 2023
4:00 p.m., CBS
Auburn W 86–54  20–9
(11–5)
 22  Tshiebwe  17  Tshiebwe  9  Wallace  Rupp Arena (20,353)
Lexington, KY
March 1, 2023
7:00 p.m., SECN
No. 23 Vanderbilt L 66–68  20–10
(11–6)
 21  Tshiebwe  20  Tshiebwe  2  Tie  Rupp Arena (20,337)
Lexington, KY
March 4, 2023
2:00 p.m., CBS
No. 23 at Arkansas W 88–79  21–10
(12–6)
 37  Reeves  13  Tshiebwe  4  Fredrick  Bud Walton Arena (19,200)
Fayetteville, AR
SEC Tournament
March 10, 2023*
9:00 p.m., SECN
(3) No. 23 vs. (6) Vanderbilt
Quarterfinals
L 73–80  21–11
 22  Reeves  15  Tshiebwe  5  Wallace  Bridgestone Arena (17,989)
Nashville, TN
NCAA tournament
March 17, 2023*
7:10 pm, CBS
(6 E) vs. (11 E) Providence
First Round
W 61–53  22–11
 22  Reeves  25  Tshiebwe  5  Wallace  Greensboro Coliseum 
Greensboro, NC
March 19, 2023*
2:40 p.m., CBS
(6 E) vs. (3 E) No. 15 Kansas State
Second Round
L 69–75  22–12
 25  Tshiebwe  18  Tshiebwe  4  Wallace  Greensboro Coliseum (16,517)
Greensboro, NC
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=East.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Source[4]

References

  1. Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (November 20, 2021). "Reed Sheppard, No. 37 men's basketball prospect in 2023, commits to Kentucky Wildcats". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  2. "No. 1-ranked recruit Wagner chooses Kentucky". ESPN.com. November 14, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  3. Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (April 27, 2022). "Antonio Reeves transfers from Illinois State to play basketball for Kentucky Wildcats". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  4. "2022–23 Kentucky men's basketball schedule". ukathletics.com. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
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