| 2020–21Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball | |
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| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Record | 9–16 (8–9 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Rupp Arena |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5Alabama† | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 26 | – | 7 | .788 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10Arkansas | 13 | – | 4 | .765 | 25 | – | 7 | .781 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 11 | – | 6 | .647 | 19 | – | 10 | .655 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 10 | – | 7 | .588 | 18 | – | 9 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 9 | – | 7 | .563 | 15 | – | 10 | .600 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 16 | – | 12 | .571 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri | 8 | – | 8 | .500 | 16 | – | 10 | .615 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 8 | – | 9 | .471 | 9 | – | 16 | .360 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 18 | – | 15 | .545 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 14 | – | 12 | .538 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn* | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 13 | – | 14 | .481 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 4 | – | 12 | .250 | 6 | – | 15 | .286 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | 2 | – | 8 | .200 | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 3 | – | 13 | .188 | 9 | – | 16 | .360 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †2021 SEC tournament winner * Ineligible for postseason due to self-imposed postseason ban. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The2020–21 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented theUniversity of Kentucky in the2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games inLexington, Kentucky, for the 45th consecutive season atRupp Arena, with a capacity of 20,545. The Wildcats were led byJohn Calipari in his 12th season as head coach and play in theSoutheastern Conference.
The Wildcats season was marred by inconsistent stretches. The Wildcats got off to an ugly 1–6 start (the worst since 1911) and never recovered. They finished the season with a 9–16 overall record and 8–9 in conference for 8th place. It was Kentucky's first losing season since 1988–89 and its worst winning percentage since the 1926–27 season. Their season came to an end when they lost to Mississippi State 74–73, ending their year also not participating in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2012–13 season.
The season also marked the worst season that John Calipari had coached since 1988–89, when he was in his first season as head coach ofMassachusetts.
TheWildcats 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 theSEC tournament with abye to the quarterfinals. However, the SEC Tournament was canceled amid theCOVID-19 pandemic.[1] Kentucky was announced as the league's champion following the cancellation of the tournament and, therefore, received the conference's automatic bid to theNCAA tournament.[2] However, shortly thereafter, the NCAA Tournament was also canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[3]
| Name | Position | Year at Kentucky | Alma mater (year) | Reason for departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenny Payne | Associate head coach | 11th | Louisville (1989) | Hired as assistant by theNew York Knicks[4] |
| Name | Position | Year at Kentucky | Alma mater (year) | Previous Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruiser Flint | Assistant coach | 1st | Saint Joseph's (1987) | Indiana |
| Jai Lucas | Assistant coach/Recruiting Coordinator | 1st | Texas (2011) | Texas |
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Hagans | 0 | Guard | 6'3" | 198 | Sophomore | Covington, Georgia | Declared for the2020 NBA draft |
| Tyrese Maxey | 3 | Guard | 6'3" | 198 | Freshman | Garland, Texas | Declared for the2020 NBA draft; selected 21st overall by thePhiladelphia 76ers |
| Immanuel Quickley | 5 | Guard | 6'3" | 188 | Sophomore | Havre de Grace, Maryland | Declared for the2020 NBA draft; selected 25th overall by theOklahoma City Thunder |
| Kahlil Whitney | 2 | Guard | 6'6" | 190 | Freshman | Roselle, New Jersey | Left team at midseason and later declared for the2020 NBA draft |
| Johnny Juzang | 10 | Guard | 6'7" | 214 | Freshman | Los Angeles, California | Transferred toUCLA |
| Nate Sestina | 1 | Forward | 6'9" | 234 | Graduate Student | Emporium, Pennsylvania | Completed athletic eligibility; graduated fromBucknell in 2019 |
| E. J. Montgomery | 23 | Forward | 6'10" | 228 | Sophomore | Marietta, Georgia | Declared for the2020 NBA draft |
| Nick Richards | 4 | Forward | 6'11" | 247 | Junior | Kingston, Jamaica | Declared for the2020 NBA draft; selected 42nd overall by theNew Orleans Pelicans |
On July 27, 2019,Brandon Boston Jr. committed to play basketball for the University of Kentucky over offers fromFlorida andDuke. Boston was the first commitment to the 2020 recruiting class, and the #2 ranked shooting guard in the 2020 class by 247 sports.
Cam'Ron Fletcher, fromSt. Louis, Missouri, was the second commitment in the Kentucky 2020 recruiting class. He committed to Kentucky on August 4, 2019, and chose Kentucky overMichigan State.[5] 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, fromCamden, New Jersey, was the third commitment in the Kentucky 2020 recruiting class. He committed to Kentucky on September 12, 2019, and chose Kentucky overOhio 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, SFTerrence Clarke fromBrewster 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.
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Boston Jr. SG | Norcross, GA | Sierra Canyon (CA) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jul 27, 2019 | |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (96) | ||||||
| Cam'Ron Fletcher SF | St. Louis, MO | Vashon (MO) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Aug 4, 2019 | |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (83) | ||||||
| Lance Ware PF | Camden, NJ | Camden (NJ) | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Sep 12, 2019 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (87) | ||||||
| Terrence Clarke SG | Boston, MA | Brewster Academy (NH) | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Sep 14, 2019 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (95) | ||||||
| Devin Askew PG | Sacramento, CA | Mater Dei (CA) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Oct 17, 2019 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (91) | ||||||
| Isaiah Jackson PF | Pontiac, MI | Waterford Mott (MI) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Nov 16, 2019 | |
| Recruit ratings:Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (89) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 1st 247Sports: 1st ESPN: 1st | ||||||
Sources:
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| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Toppin | 0 | F | 6'9" | 194 | Sophomore | Brooklyn, NY | Rhode Island |
| Davion Mintz | 10 | G | 6'3" | 196 | Graduate Student | Charlotte, NC | Creighton |
| Olivier Sarr | 30 | C | 7'0" | 237 | Senior | Toulouse, France | Wake Forest |
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School | Years Eligible | Date Eligible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oscar Tshiebwe | 34 | C | 6'9" | 260 | Sophomore | Lubumbashi, DR Congo | West Virginia | 3[a] | October 1, 2021 |
| 2020–21 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date time, TV | Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 25, 2020* 6:00 p.m., SECN | No. 10 | Morehead State | W 81–45 | 1–0 | 15 – Boston Jr. | 7 – Boston Jr. | 4 – Tied | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | |||
| November 29, 2020* 1:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 10 | Richmond | L 64–76 | 1–1 | 20 – Boston Jr. | 11 – Sarr | 2 – Tied | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | |||
| December 1, 2020* 9:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 20 | vs. No. 7 Kansas Champions Classic | L 62–65 | 1–2 | 12 – Boston Jr. | 12 – Jackson | 2 – Tied | Bankers Life Fieldhouse (0) Indianapolis, IN | |||
| December 6, 2020* 5:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 20 | vs. Georgia Tech | L 62–79 | 1–3 | 22 – Clarke | 12 – Jackson | 6 – Mintz | State Farm Arena (0) Atlanta, GA | |||
| December 12, 2020* 12:00 p.m., CBS | Notre Dame | L 63–64 | 1–4 | 22 – Sarr | 7 – Sarr | 4 – Mintz | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| December 19, 2020* 2:00 p.m., CBS | vs. No. 22 North Carolina CBS Sports Classic | L 63–75 | 1–5 | 17 – Mintz | 8 – Mintz | 3 – Askew | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (0) Cleveland, OH | ||||
| December 26, 2020* 1:00 p.m., ESPN | at Louisville Battle for the Bluegrass | L 59–62 | 1–6 | 19 – Mintz | 7 – Tied | 3 – Askew | KFC Yum! Center (3,281) Louisville, KY | ||||
| SEC regular season | |||||||||||
| December 29, 2020 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | South Carolina | Postponed due toCOVID-19 issues | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||||
| January 2, 2021 6:00 p.m., SECN | at Mississippi State | W 78–73 2OT | 2–6 (1–0) | 23 – Allen | 12 – Ware | 6 – Askew | Humphrey Coliseum (1,000) Starkville, MS | ||||
| January 5, 2021 7:00 p.m., SECN | Vanderbilt | W 77–74 | 3–6 (2–0) | 24 – Sarr | 7 – Sarr | 3 – Askew | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| January 9, 2021 5:00 p.m., ESPN | at Florida | W 76–58 | 4–6 (3–0) | 13 – Tied | 6 – Tied | 4 – Brooks | O'Connell Center (2,324) Gainesville, FL | ||||
| January 12, 2021 9:00 p.m., ESPN | Alabama | L 65–85 | 4–7 (3–1) | 14 – Jackson | 6 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| January 16, 2021 2:00 p.m., ESPN | at Auburn | L 59–66 | 4–8 (3–2) | 11 – Mintz | 6 – Tied | 3 – Askew | Auburn Arena (1,824) Auburn, AL | ||||
| January 20, 2021 7:00 p.m., SECN | at Georgia | L 62–63 | 4–9 (3–3) | 18 – Boston Jr. | 13 – Sarr | 4 – Askew | Stegeman Coliseum (1,638) Athens, GA | ||||
| January 23, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN | LSU | W 82–69 | 5–9 (4–3) | 18 – Boston Jr. | 15 – Jackson | 4 – Askew | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| January 26, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN | at No. 9 Alabama | L 59–70 | 5–10 (4–4) | 12 – Tied | 5 – Tied | 4 – Mintz | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
| January 30, 2021* 8:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 5 Texas Big 12/SEC Challenge | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||||
| February 3, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | at No. 18 Missouri Rescheduled from Feb. 2 due to COVID-19 issues | L 70–75 | 5–11 (4–5) | 18 – Mintz | 10 – Tied | 4 – Askew | Mizzou Arena (3,033) Columbia, MO | ||||
| February 6, 2021 8:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 11 Tennessee | L 71–82 | 5–12 (4–6) | 23 – Brooks Jr. | 11 – Brooks Jr. | 4 – Askew | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| February 9, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN | Arkansas | L 80–81 | 5–13 (4–7) | 17 – Boston Jr. | 10 – Sarr | 6 – Askew | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| February 13, 2021 1:00 p.m., CBS | Auburn | W 82–80 | 6–13 (5–7) | 18 – Jackson | 11 – Jackson | 4 – Tied | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| February 17, 2021 7:00 p.m., SECN | at Vanderbilt | W 82–78 | 7–13 (6–7) | 18 – Mintz | 9 – Tied | 5 – Brooks Jr. | Memorial Gymnasium (164) Nashville, TN | ||||
| February 20, 2021 1:00 p.m., CBS | at No. 19 Tennessee | W 70–55 | 8–13 (7–7) | 16 – Jackson | 14 – Brooks Jr. | 4 – Askew | Thompson-Boling Arena (4,191) Knoxville, TN | ||||
| February 23, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2 | Texas A&M | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues | Rupp Arena Lexington, KY | ||||||||
| February 27, 2021 4:00 p.m., CBS | Florida | L 67–71 | 8–14 (7–8) | 21 – Mintz | 5 – Jackson | 3 – Askew | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| March 2, 2021 9:00 p.m., ESPN | at Ole Miss | L 62–70 | 8–15 (7–9) | 16 – Brooks Jr. | 8 – Brooks Jr. | 8 – Mintz | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (895) Oxford, MS | ||||
| March 6, 2021 12:00 p.m., ESPN | South Carolina Makeup from Dec. 29 postponement | W 92–64 | 9–15 (8–9) | 21 – Boston Jr. | 10 – Jackson | 7 – Mintz | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
| SEC Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 11, 2021 12:00 p.m., SECN | (8) | vs. (9) Mississippi State Second round | L 73–74 | 9–16 | 23 – Allen | 5 – Tied | 8 – Mintz | Bridgestone Arena (1,733) Nashville, TN | |||
*Non-conference game.#Rankings fromAP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are inEastern Time. | |||||||||||
On January 18, 2021, Duke fell out of the AP Top 25 ranking for the first time since February 8, 2016. This broke a 59-year streak and marked the first time since December 25, 1961 that the powerhouse trio of Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina were all out of the Top 25 ranking.[6]
| Week | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | 10 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
| Coaches | 9 | 9^ | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.
