| 2016–17Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball | |
|---|---|
SEC regular season andtournament champions | |
NCAA tournament, Elite Eight | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 5 |
| AP | No. 6 |
| Record | 32–6 (16–2 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Rupp Arena |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6Kentucky † | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 32 | – | 6 | .842 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 20Florida | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 27 | – | 9 | .750 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 26 | – | 10 | .722 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 fromAP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The2016–17 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented theUniversity of Kentucky in the2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games inLexington, Kentucky for the 41st consecutive season atRupp Arena, with a capacity of 20,500. The team, led byJohn Calipari in his eighth season as head coach, was a member of theSoutheastern Conference.
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Lee | 00 | Forward | 6'9" | 224 | Junior | Antioch, California | Transferred toCalifornia |
| Skal Labissière | 1 | Center | 6'11" | 205 | Freshman | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | Declared for2016 NBA draft |
| Tyler Ulis | 3 | Guard | 5'9" | 160 | Sophomore | Lima, Ohio | Declared for2016 NBA draft |
| Charles Matthews | 4 | Guard | 6'6" | 189 | Freshman | Chicago, Illinois | Transferred toMichigan |
| 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 for2016 NBA draft |
| E. J. Floréal | 24 | Guard | 6'4" | 203 | Junior | Palo Alto, California | Left program to compete full-time for Kentucky track[1] |
Edrice Adebayo, nicknamed "Bam" and originally fromPinetown, North Carolina, was a consensus top 15 player in his class. He committed to Kentucky on November 17, live on ESPN'sMike & Mike simulcast radio show.[2] He chose Kentucky overNC State andAuburn. He is ranked in the top 10 byRivals (No. 6) andESPN (No. 6). 247Sports (No. 14) andScout (No. 15) tab him as a top-15 prospect in the 2016 class. He has prior USA Basketball experience and was named aMaxPreps All-American in 2013.[3]
De'Aaron Fox, originally fromKaty, Texas, was the second highest rated point guard that Calipari had signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 12, live onESPNU.[4] He chose Kentucky overKansas,Louisville, andLSU. He was the nation's consensus top point guard, was ranked the consensus No. 3 overall player by the four main recruiting servicesRivals,ESPN,Scout, and 247 Sports.[3]
Wenyen Gabriel, originally fromManchester, 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 overConnecticut,Duke, andMaryland. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 17 overall player by the four main recruiting servicesRivals,ESPN,Scout, and 247 Sports.[3]
Sacha Killeya-Jones, originally fromChapel 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 overConnecticut,North Carolina, andVirginia. He was a consensus four star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 36 overall player by the four main recruiting servicesRivals,ESPN,Scout, and 247 Sports.[3]
Malik Monk, originally fromLepanto, Arkansas but attending high school inBentonville, Arkansas, was the second highest rated shooting guard that Calipari signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 18.[7] He chose Kentucky overArkansas 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 servicesRivals,ESPN,Scout, and 247 Sports.[3]
| Name | Hometown | School | 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 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| De'Aaron Fox PG | Katy, Texas | Cypress Lakes | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Nov 12, 2015 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Wenyen Gabriel PF | Manchester, New Hampshire | Wilbraham & Monson | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | Oct 1, 2015 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Sacha Killeya-Jones PF | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Virginia Episcopal | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Aug 19, 2015 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Malik Monk SG | Lepanto, Arkansas | Bentonville | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Nov 18, 2015 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
On April 1 the University of Kentucky held a press conference for Murray as he declared himself eligible for the2016 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 toMichigan.[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 beCalifornia.[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, andhis father was UK's head track coach at the time.[1]
TheSoutheastern 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] TheAssociated Press announced on October 31 that Kentucky was ranked No. 2 to start the season in its initial poll of the season.[22]
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]
Nick Richards, a native ofKingston, Jamaica living inQueens, 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 overArizona andSyracuse. 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, aDallas native attending school inLas Vegas, Nevada, was the second commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on November 10 live onESPNU.[26] He chose Kentucky overNorth Carolina andUNLV. 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 fromHamilton, Ontario and attending school inChattanooga, Tennessee, was the third commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on November 14 through a message onTwitter.[27] He was a consensus top fifty player, ranked No. 42 by the four main recruiting servicesRivals,ESPN,Scout, and 24/7 Sports.
Quade Green, fromPhiladelphia, 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 andSyracuse 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 servicesRivals,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 ofEastvale, 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 toCuonzo Martin atCalifornia, before Martin left the school to coachMissouri. 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, whenTampa productKevin Knox II announced he would come to the school. Kentucky beat out Duke, Florida State, North Carolina, and Missouri for Knox's signature.[32]
| Name | Hometown | School | 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 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Jemarl Baker SG | Eastvale, California | Roosevelt High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Apr 11, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Hamidou Diallo SG | Queens, New York | Putnam Science Academy | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Jan 7, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Quade Green PG | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Neumann–Goretti | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Nov 16, 2016 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Kevin Knox II SF | Tampa, Florida | Tampa Catholic High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | May 6, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Nick Richards C | Kingston, Jamaica | St. Patrick | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Nov 10, 2016 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| P. J. Washington PF | Dallas, Texas | Findlay Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Nov 10, 2016 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Jarred Vanderbilt SF | Houston, Texas | Victory Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Dec 23, 2016 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
| 2016–17 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team | |
|---|---|
| Players | Coaches |
Roster | |
| 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 |
| 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 fromAP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are inEastern Time. | |||||||||||
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]
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 theJerry West Award, which is awarded to the nation's top shooting guard of the year. Monk beat out Duke'sLuke Kennard, UCLA'sBryce Alford, and Creighton's Marcus Foster for the award.[35]
| Week | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 2 (2) | 2 (2) | 2 (1) | 1 (42) | 1 (40) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Not released |
| Coaches | 4 (2) | 4 (2) | 2 (2) | 1 (20) | 1 (23) | 7 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 |