 dropped out of the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press Top 25 after losing at home to Evansville last week, and they had to overcome a late surge to hold off the Wolverines.Kentucky led by 16 points early in the second half, but Utah Valley steadily chipped away until T. J. Washington's 3-pointer got the Wolverines (3-2) within one at 68-67 with 3:26 remaining. Nate Sestina responded with a three-point play that helped the Wildcats pull away.Kentucky was without second-leading scorer Immanuel Quickley, who sat out because of a chest injury. Quickley has scored 16 points in each of the last two games.The Wildcats also have been without forward EJ Montgomery, who has missed the past three games because of an ankle injury. Coupled with Quickley's injury, Kentucky's roster has dwindled to seven scholarship players, leaving the Wildcats short-handed in practice.Nick Richards had 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey added 14 points.Washington led the Wolverines with 22 points, followed by Trey Woodbury with 17 and Jamison Overton with 10.BIG PICTUREKentucky: The Wildcats are used to shooting free throws and averaged 29.7 attempts per game in their first three. Kentucky made 31 of 34 from the line against the Wolverines, including 14 of 15 in the first half. The Wildcats held a 46-27 edge in rebounding, including 34 on the defensive end.Utah Valley: Just as Evansville did in its upset, the Wolverines spread the floor and forced the Wildcats to play defense in the open court. The Wolverines made 11 3-pointers to keep the game close.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Wildcats play two more games this week and could move up a spot or two with three victories, although games like this will surely give voters pause. The Wildcats don't play a ranked opponent again until they take on No. 10 Ohio State at Las Vegas on Dec. 21.UP NEXTUtah Valley hosts Lamar on Thursday.Kentucky hosts Mount St. Mary's on Friday---More college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/-Top25)
Nov 17, 2019Kentucky, which was ranked No. 1 all of one day before a stunning home loss to Evansville, looks to get back on track when Utah Valley visits Rupp Arena on Monday night."We may look back in a couple weeks and say, 'this is the greatest thing that ever happened to this team,' " Wildcats coach John Calipari said. "But we also may look back in a couple weeks and say, 'What the heck? They're not changing.' "Calipari knows what to look for in the days to come."The whole key to this will be toughness," he said. "Toughness doesn't mean pushing and shoving. Toughness means before I catch the ball I'm working. Before a shot hits the rim, I'm moving to go rebound. If I'm getting screened, I'm fighting that screen because I'm tough. If I'm on offense, I will get open because I'm tougher than the guy that's guarding me. Being tough enough late to make free throws, to finish off a game. All that stuff."They're hurting and they should be," Calipari said. "But my guess is they will learn from this." In the Evansville upset, Kentucky was without sophomore forward EJ Montgomery, who was sporting a boot for an ankle sprain, while sophomore guard Ashton Hagans, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was hampered by a leg injury."I will tell you, part of this is that I've had to change practice because we're practicing with seven and eight guys. That makes it hard," Calipari said. "Ashton, that wasn't Ashton today. That wasn't the Ashton that I know. I think when you, you're not competing every day to bring that out, you're not going to play that way. That's on me, not on them."But Evansville deserved to win the game in every aspect," Calipari said. "They outrebounded us, they out-toughed us, they made more threes, drove us for layups. I mean, they deserved to win." Kentucky (2-1) defeated then-No. 1 Michigan State and Eastern Kentucky before falling to Evansville, 67-64, last Tuesday.The Wildcats average 74.7 points and allow 59.3. Freshman guard Tyrese Maxey leads the way with 16.7 points per game, followed by sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley at 14.0 and junior forward Nick Richards at 11.3Utah Valley arrives in Lexington with a 3-1 record. The Wolverines' only setback was a 74-62 loss at Denver on Nov. 9 and they are coming off a 66-55 victory at UAB on Friday night.The Wolverines average 75.3 points per game while allowing just 63.5. Four players average in double figures, topped by junior guard Brandon Averette at 17.0 per game. Next comes junior guard Isaiah White at 14.0, senior guard TJ Washington (13.5) and junior wing Casdon Jardine (10.5).Utah Valley is led by first-year coach Mark Madsen. The two-time NBA champion and former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach was a standout at Stanford. He was a member of the Cardinal's 30-win 1998 team that lost in overtime in the Final Four to eventual national champion Kentucky.--Field Level Media
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