< PreviousMike Pratt previews the Notre Dame game 8 @KentuckyMBB 10 @KentuckyMBB 2020 UK Sports Partnership Football Program Ad (8.5x11) 265-20801.indd 12020 UK Sports Partnership Football Program Ad (8.5x11) 265-20801.indd 111/13/20 11:01 AM11/13/20 11:01 AMWEEKNIGHTS 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY 9:00 a.m.110920 BBN Tonight RUPP Ad.indd 1110920 BBN Tonight RUPP Ad.indd 111/9/20 4:39 PM11/9/20 4:39 PMAround the SEC Around the Country 2020-21 SEC Standings Team SEC Overall Home Road Arkansas 0-0 5-0 5-0 0-0 Georgia 0-0 4-0 4-0 0-0 Missouri 0-0 4-0 2-0 1-0 Florida 0-0 3-0 1-0 0-0 Texas A&M 0-0 3-0 3-0 0-0 Tennessee 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 Vanderbilt 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 Alabama 0-0 3-1 1-0 0-0 LSU 0-0 3-1 2-0 0-1 Mississippi State 0-0 3-2 3-0 0-0 Auburn 0-0 2-2 1-0 0-1 South Carolina 0-0 1-2 0-0 0-1 Kentucky 0-0 1-3 1-1 0-1 Ole Miss 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 Scoring Player-Team ...................................................................PPG Scotty Pippen Jr., VANDY ...............................................25.0 Cameron Thomas, LSU ..................................................22.3 Keyontae Johnson, UF ...................................................19.7 Trendon Watford, LSU ...................................................18.8 Mark Smith, MIZZOU ...................................................17.3 Rebounding Player-Team ...................................................................RPG Dylan Disu, VANDY ......................................................11.0 Isaiah Jackson, UK ........................................................10.5 Yves Pons, UT ...............................................................10.0 Connor Vanover, ARK ......................................................8.8 Jeremiah Tilmon, MIZZOU ..............................................8.8 Assists Player-Team ...................................................................APG Sahvir Wheeler, UGA ......................................................9.3 Santiago Vescovi, UT .......................................................5.0 Savion Flagg, TAMU ........................................................4.7 Trendon Watford, LSU .....................................................4.5 Xavier Pinson, MIZZOU ..................................................4.0 Steals Player-Team ................................................................... SPG Josiah-Jordan James, UT ..................................................3.0 Scotty Pippen Jr., VANDY .................................................3.0 Victor Bailey Jr., UT .........................................................3.0 Tyree Appleby, UF ...........................................................2.3 Dru Smith, MIZZOU .......................................................2.3 Blocks Player-Team ...................................................................BPG Connor Vanover, ARK ......................................................3.6 Isaiah Jackson, UK ..........................................................3.3 Dylan Disu, VANDY ........................................................2.0 Abdul Ado, MSU .............................................................1.8 Omar Payne, UF ..............................................................1.7 2020-21 Associated Press Rankings As of Dec. 7, 2020 (week 3) Team Record Points 1 Gonzaga (54) 3-0 1,51 2 Baylor (7) 3-0 1,470 3 Iowa 3-0 1,385 4 Michigan State 5-0 1,296 5 Kansas 4-1 1,195 6 Illinois 3-1 1,104 7 Houston 4-0 1,090 8 Creighton 3-0 1,068 9 Villanova 4-1 1,033 10 Duke 2-1 954 11 West Virginia 4-1 918 12 Tennessee 0-0 767 T-13 Wisconsin 3-1 750 T-13 Texas 4-1 750 15 Virginia Tech 4-0 688 16 North Carolina 3-1 547 17 Texas Tech 4-1 541 18 Virginia 3-1 474 19 Richmond 2-0 419 20 Florida State 1-0 350 21 Rutgers 3-0 293 22 Ohio State 3-0 287 23 Arizona State 3-1 218 24 San Diego State 4-0 123 25 Louisville 4-0 122 14 @KentuckyMBBFrom Press Row 16 @KentuckyMBB UK, Detroit Mercy Game Postponed The Kentucky men's basketball game vs. Detroit Mercy on Dec. 15 in Rupp Arena has been postponed. The game, originally scheduled for Nov. 27 in the Bluegrass Showcase and then re- scheduled to Dec. 15 because of COVID-19 safety protocols, has been postponed a sec- ond time due to concerns with COVID-19 protocols and calendar logistics, the Ga- zelle Group announced Tuesday. The postponement is due strictly to test- ing and safety logistics. Both UK and Detroit Mercy will continue with their current prac- tice and playing schedule. The health and safety of Wildcat student-athletes, coach- es and staff remains UK Athletics' No. 1 priority. The status of the game – in addition to Detroit Mercy's games vs. Morehead State and Richmond that were also a part of the Bluegrass Showcase –will be determined at a later date once COVID-19 protocols and calendar logistics provide the oppor- tunity for a comprehensive and safe res- olution. UK ticket holders will receive commu- nication via email if additional changes are made to Kentucky's schedule through- out the season. Given the unusual nature of this season – specifically, the current unknowns related to postponed games getting rescheduled or canceled games getting replaced – UK Athletics appreci- ates the continued support, flexibility and understanding of its ticket holders. If cir- cumstances change during the season and games are canceled and not rescheduled, UK Athletics will evaluate credit and re- fund options for the ticket portion of pay- ment at the conclusion of the season. Kentucky went 1-1 in its first two Blue- grass Showcase games, winning the sea- son opener vs. Morehead State 81-45, but lost to Richmond, now ranked in the Asso- ciated Press Top 25, 76-64. With hopes of rescheduling Detroit Mercy for later in the season, UK does not plan on rescheduling an opponent for Dec. 15. Per the NCAA Division I Coun- cil's framework for scheduling this season, teams can play a maximum of 27 games (24 regular-season games with one three- game multi-team event). Mr. Jackson is For Real Throughout the preseason, every schol- arship player and coaching staff member participated in a media conference call. The general consensus? Isaiah Jackson was easily the surprise of the early season practices. And through three games, he's lived up to the hype. Jackson is averaging 7.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game, while shooting 45.0% from the field. He's logged back-to-back games with 12 or more re- bounds and introduced himself to the nation in a nationally-televised game in the Cham- pions Classic against No. 7/5 Kansas with seven points, eight blocks and 12 boards. The eight blocks are the most for a UK player since Willie Cauley-Stein had nine against Boise State on Dec. 10, 2013. It's the most ever by a UK player against an Associated Press top-10 opponent in pro- gram history. Andre Riddick held the record with seven swats against No. 1 Arkansas on March 12, 1994. National Player of the Year Anthony Davis produced three games with six rejections against top-10 ranked teams during his one-year career at Kentucky, in- cluding six in the national title game against Kansas on April 2, 2012. Jackson joins Davis (vs. St. John's, Dec. 1, 2011) and Sam Bowie (vs. Vanderbilt, Feb. 21, 1981) as the only players in school history with at least 12 rebounds and eight blocks in a single game. Three players in program history amassed 100 or more blocks in a season in three straight years: Davis (2011-12), Nerlens Noel (2012-13) and Cauley-Stein (2013-14). Cats Don't Count on the Long Ball New rules that moved the 3-point line to the international basketball distance of 22 feet, 1.75 inches had an impact on college basketball last season. The Wildcats were not immune. A season after Kentucky shot 34.3% from behind the arc ranked 122nd in the coun- try, trouble from behind the arc has creeped into the 2020-21 season as well. The Wildcats rank near the bottom na- tionally in both 3-point field goals per game (ranked 259th with 3.0 per game) and 3-point scoring distribution (only 13.0% of UK's points come from 3s, which was 247th thus far) and have taken 20 fewer 3-point- ers than the opposition. Additionally, the Wildcats have already made four or fewer 3-pointers in two games. If you've followed John Calipari's teams over the years, Kentucky has never relied on the 3-point shot. While teams nationally are taking more 3-point shots than ever before, UK has bucked the trend and played to the style that's best suited for that particular group. The highest percentage of 3-point shots taken under Calipari was the 2010-11 Fi- nal Four team that lofted 32.4% of its shots from beyond the arc. No surprise, that team consisted of Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb on the perimeter is also Calipari's top 3-point shooting team at Kentucky. Next >