Ben Roberts

‘Step on their necks’: Why Vandy win might have been Kentucky’s best this season On the eve of March, the Kentucky Wildcats turned in one of their most impressive performances of the season.

"We’re trying to make some noise and let people know that we’re here to play, and we’re not going away."

Many have already written off this Kentucky team. Today, the Wildcats showed the college basketball world that they might still have a run in them.

Story: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘We need him.’ This Kentucky Wildcat came up clutch in the win at South Carolina With Otega Oweh struggling, another Kentucky guard stepped up and helped save the day in Columbia on Tuesday night.

South Carolina went all out trying to limit Otega Oweh last night, and it worked.

That meant another Kentucky Wildcat would have to step up, and he did. "He rose up and got the job done."

Story: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

Kentucky did something at South Carolina that it cannot afford to do again Mark Pope’s team got the win it needed Tuesday night. But one thing the Wildcats did can’t be repeated for the rest of this season.

Kentucky escaped South Carolina with a victory last night.

The Wildcats got the win they needed, but they can't do what they did here in Columbia again and expect to get away with it.

Story: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

Mark Pope fined and issued a ‘public reprimand’ by the SEC for criticizing refs The Kentucky coach was reprimanded by the league for his comments after the loss at Auburn on Saturday.

Mark Pope has been fined $25,000 and issued a public reprimand by the SEC for his comments after the Auburn game.

Story: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

Here’s how badly that loss to Georgia affected Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament hopes A fresh wave of bracketology projections, a peek at the selection process, and a new metric to know while tracking Kentucky’s outlook.

How much did the loss to Georgia hurt Kentucky's NCAA Tournament chances?

A closer look at just how safe the Cats are right now, with information on an important metric to know about as Selection Sunday approaches: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘Santoro!’ Here’s what happens when Mark Pope doesn’t like a referee’s call Kentucky basketball video coordinator Matt Santoro talks to the Herald-Leader about how UK’s challenge process works.

What happens when Mark Pope disagrees with a ref's call?

"Santoro!"

UK's resident video guy hears the Kentucky coach yell his name, and he springs into action. A behind-the-scenes look at how the Wildcats are dealing with the NCAA's new challenge system: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

Kentucky’s Denzel Aberdeen shouldn’t expect any valentines at Florida on Saturday Denzel Aberdeen was expected to return to Florida. Instead, he’s a Kentucky Wildcat. His ex-teammates aren’t anticipating a warm reception.

"We’re not necessarily happy to see him in Kentucky blue, but we’re going to be ready to compete against him, I can promise you that."

Tomorrow, Denzel Aberdeen returns home to Florida. He shouldn't expect a warm welcome.

Story: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

How No. 25 Kentucky matches up vs. No. 14 Florida — with a game prediction How Mark Pope’s Wildcats and Todd Golden’s Gators match up at each position for Saturday’s SEC men’s college basketball game in Gainesville.

How No. 25 Kentucky and No. 14 Florida match up at each position - with my game prediction www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-c...

How worried should UK fans be about Mark Pope’s recruiting? The answer to that question comes down to what you, as a Kentucky fan, most value.

My column: How worried should Kentucky fans be about Mark Pope’s recruiting? www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-c...

After a slow start, this former UK recruit is playing like a star for Florida At one time, Boogie Fland was committed to play basketball at Kentucky. Now, he’s helping lead the way for Florida.

Just a few short years ago, point guard Boogie Fland was a Kentucky basketball commit for coach John Calipari.

Things have changed since then.

Now at Florida, Fland is set to play against Kentucky for the first time on Saturday: ⬇️
www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

An update on Jayden Quaintance’s potential for a return as NBA stock takes a hit Mark Pope offered the latest update on Jayden Quaintance before Kentucky’s game against Florida. Meanwhile, his NBA draft stock is falling.

The latest update on Jayden Quaintance, whose NBA draft stock is starting to take a hit as he approaches his 10th consecutive missed game for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Story: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

I get both sides of it. And I was skeptical from the start. But it is difficult to just turn down a projected lottery pick, even under the circumstances, especially when they already had some other bigs on the roster that they liked -- making JQ more of a bonus than someone they were "relying" on.

An update on Jayden Quaintance’s potential for a return as NBA stock takes a hit Mark Pope offered the latest update on Jayden Quaintance before Kentucky’s game against Florida. Meanwhile, his NBA draft stock is falling.

The latest update on Jayden Quaintance, whose NBA draft stock is starting to take a hit as he approaches his 10th consecutive missed game for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Story: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

Do Kentucky fans have unrealistic expectations? A UK basketball great weighs in A Kentucky basketball season filled with ups and downs has led to larger questions about UK’s program and fan expectations.

Do Kentucky basketball fans have unrealistic expectations?

A UK great talks about that question and how the Pope era has gone so far: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

These Wildcats needed to be more physical. Boxing exercises have helped UK basketball is using boxing exercises to help set a physical tone prior to practices and games.

Have you noticed a physical edge that Kentucky basketball has played with in recent games?

Well, there's a reason for that.

The Wildcats have used a new boxing exercise to help them lock in before practices and games: ⬇️
www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘He’s not afraid of the moment.’ But here’s what makes Collin Chandler so clutch Kentucky’s sophomore guard hit the big shot against Tennessee, but he’s been doing it for weeks. Here’s the origin of his clutch play.

"I think that’s how you become a great team is earning each other’s trust, because you can’t just 'trust' people. You can say that you trust people automatically, but that’s not how it works. It’s earned."

How Collin Chandler turned into Kentucky's Captain Clutch: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘He’s not afraid of the moment.’ But here’s what makes Collin Chandler so clutch Kentucky’s sophomore guard hit the big shot against Tennessee, but he’s been doing it for weeks. Here’s the origin of his clutch play.

"I think that’s how you become a great team is earning each other’s trust, because you can’t just 'trust' people. You can say that you trust people automatically, but that’s not how it works. It’s earned."

How Collin Chandler turned into Kentucky's Captain Clutch: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

Kentucky basketball is back in Top 25 rankings ahead of showdown with Florida Mark Pope’s Wildcats fell out of the Top 25 after their 35-point loss to Gonzaga more than two months ago. Now they’re back in the rankings.

For the first time in more than two months, the Kentucky Wildcats are back in the AP Top 25 rankings.

Just in time for one of their biggest tests of the season.

www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘This is our team’: In the presence of greatness, Mark Pope’s Wildcats delivered With the Untouchables watching from the Rupp Arena stands, the current Kentucky basketball team showed them how they get the job done.

The Untouchables told the current UK basketball team about how they did things back in the day.

That's not how these Cats operate.

"It might not be the normal way we do things here at Kentucky. But it’s pretty great."

Story from another epic comeback: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

Is this very flawed UK team actually capable of doing something ‘special?’ Kentucky rallies from double-digits down to beat Tennessee again, and a Wildcats season that was on the rocks suddenly has some major possibilities.

My column: Is this very-flawed UK team morphing into something “special?” www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-c...

UK basketball put the clamps on Tennessee in second half of comeback win A stout defensive showing in the second half keyed Kentucky basketball’s comeback win over No. 25 Tennessee.

UK basketball’s latest comeback win over Tennessee featured a second-half defensive showing in which the Wildcats allowed just 24 points

It was the latest indication that Mark Pope’s team is tracking for improvement on that side of the ball this season ⬇️
www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘This is our team’: In the presence of greatness, Mark Pope’s Wildcats delivered With the Untouchables watching from the Rupp Arena stands, the current Kentucky basketball team showed them how they get the job done.

The Untouchables told the current UK basketball team about how they did things back in the day.

That's not how these Cats operate.

"It might not be the normal way we do things here at Kentucky. But it’s pretty great."

Story from another epic comeback: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘We had one voice’: Here’s what made that 1996 Kentucky basketball team so great As one of the greatest teams in college basketball history prepares for this weekend’s reunion, those Kentucky Wildcats share their stories.

"We loved him, and he loved us. But, at the same time, there were definitely moments where we didn’t like him, and he didn’t like us."

One of the greatest teams in college basketball history will reunite this weekend. Here's what made the '96 Cats so great: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

Return of the Denim: An iconic UK basketball look wasn’t beloved at the beginning Kentucky will bring back its “denim” basketball uniforms for Saturday’s game against Tennessee. Here’s what everyone thought back in 1996.

"I’m not going to let one Yankee turn me against my team."

Kentucky's "denim" basketball jerseys will make a return this weekend. Time has been kind to those '96 uniforms, but it stirred quite a controversy when they debuted 30 years ago.

A stroll down memory lane: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘Poor Oklahoma’: How Kentucky’s offense sent the Sooners home with another loss Otega Oweh put on a show against his former team yet again, and he got plenty of help as Kentucky improved to 7-3 in SEC play.

From last night: Otega Oweh dazzled again.

"He’s really almost — I don’t want to say impossible (to guard) — but he’s damn close."

And Oweh had plenty of help as Kentucky's scoring attack sent Oklahoma packing: www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘He delivered.’ Without Trent Noah, the Wildcats might not have beaten Arkansas After weeks of waiting, Trent Noah came up big for Kentucky in an upset victory over No. 15 Arkansas on Saturday night.

UK might not have upset No. 15 Arkansas without Trent Noah.

After weeks of waiting, the Kentucky kid "delivered" in the Cats' biggest win of the season.

"Life always isn’t how you want it to be. So you just gotta take the hand you’re dealt and make the best of it." www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

‘Man, these guys are here to fight.’ How Kentucky finished off No. 15 Arkansas Mark Pope’s Wildcats set the tone against John Calipari’s Razorbacks, and UK ended up with its biggest victory of the season so far.

From last night:

Kentucky got hit with 3 technicals in 38 seconds. Bud Walton Arena was at fever pitch. The Cats could have caved right there. They didn't. What did it feel like?

"It felt like, ‘Man, these guys are here to fight.’" www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...

You just watched the biggest win of Mark Pope’s UK basketball coaching career At a time when many were doubting his standing as Kentucky basketball coach, Pope’s team delivered a signature victory over John Calipari.

My column: Given the circumstances, you just watched the biggest win of Mark Pope’s UK coaching tenure amp.kentucky.com/sports/spt-c...

It’s Towel Night in Bud Walton Arena!

Kentucky at No. 15 Arkansas at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

How Kentucky matches up vs. No. 15 Arkansas — with a game prediction How Mark Pope’s Wildcats & John Calipari’s Razorbacks match up at each position for Saturday’s SEC men’s basketball game in Fayetteville.

How Kentucky matches up with No. 15 Arkansas at each position - with my game prediction www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-c...