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Visit UKathletics.com/ UKSportsNetwork for radio and TV affiliates in your area.12 @UKFootball12 @KentuckyMBB PRESENTED BY 14 @KentuckyMBB Around the SEC Around the Country 2019-20 SEC Standings Team SEC Overall Home Road Auburn 0-0 9-0 4-0 1-0 Arkansas 0-0 9-1 8-0 1-1 Kentucky 0-0 8-1 7-1 0-0 LSU 0-0 7-2 6-0 0-1 Mississippi State 0-0 7-2 4-1 1-0 Tennessee 0-0 7-2 5-1 0-0 Ole Miss 0-0 7-3 6-1 0-1 Florida 0-0 6-3 3-1 0-2 Georgia 0-0 6-3 5-0 1-1 Vanderbilt 0-0 6-3 6-2 0-1 South Carolina 0-0 7-4 5-2 2-0 Missouri 0-0 6-4 5-1 1-1 Alabama 0-0 4-5 3-1 0-2 Texas A&M 0-0 4-5 4-1 0-0 Scoring Player-Team ...................................................................PPG Aaron Nesmith, VANDY ................................................22.3 Anthony Edwards, UGA.................................................19.8 Mason Jones, ARK .........................................................19.6 Breein Tyree, MISS .........................................................18.2 Tyson Carter, MSU .........................................................17.4 Rebounding Player-Team ...................................................................RPG Reggie Perry, MSU ...........................................................9.1 Austin Wiley, AUB ...........................................................8.9 Rayshaun Hammonds, UGA ............................................8.8 Kerry Blackshear Jr., UF ...................................................8.4 Darius Days, LSU ............................................................8.2 Assists Player-Team ...................................................................APG Lamonte Turner, UT .........................................................7.1 Ashton Hagans, UK .........................................................7.0 J'Von McCormick, AUB ...................................................6.3 Saben Lee, VANDY ..........................................................5.7 Andrew Nembhard, UF ...................................................5.2 Steals Player-Team ................................................................... SPG Anthony Edwards, UGA...................................................2.2 Mason Jones, ARK ...........................................................2.2 Skylar Mays, LSU .............................................................2.2 KJ Buffen, MISS ................................................................2.0 Lamonte Turner, UT .........................................................2.0 Blocks Player-Team ...................................................................BPG Nick Richards, UK ...........................................................2.4 Josh Nebo, TAMU ............................................................2.3 Yves Pons, UT .................................................................2.2 Clevon Brown, VANDY ....................................................2.0 Anfernee McLemore, AUB ...............................................1.8 2019-20 Associated Press Rankings (Week 7) Team Record Points 1 Kansas (47) 9-1 1,607 2 Gonzaga (15) 11-1 1,552 3 Louisville (1) 10-1 1,412 4 Duke (2) 9-1 1,387 5 Ohio State 9-1 1,334 6 Kentucky 8-1 1,231 7 Maryland 10-1 1,207 8 Oregon 8-2 1,172 9 Virginia 8-1 1,121 10 Baylor 8-1 1,062 11 Memphis 9-1 960 12 Auburn 9-0 939 13 Dayton 8-1 879 14 Michigan 8-3 723 15 Michigan State 7-3 656 16 Arizona 10-2 631 17 Butler 10-1 553 18 Villanova 8-2 496 19 Florida State 8-2 449 20 San Diego State 10-0 431 21 Tennessee 7-2 367 22 Washington 7-2 213 23 Penn State 9-2 182 24 Texas Tech 6-3 115 25 West Virginia 9-1 76Time to Hone In After a fast and furious start to open the season, the game schedule eases up in De- cember, giving way to an important opportu- nity for more time on the practice court. After playing six games in 20 days to be- gin the season, the Wildcats are in a stretch where they are playing just six games in a 40-day period. What does that all mean? More practice opportunities and more time for John Calipa- ri to really get his hands on this team. This is usually the time of the season when Cali- pari's teams make the biggest development because Calipari particularly enjoys being able to work in practice for a week, play a game, evaluate, and then return to practice for a week to continue to build. "We have time now," Calipari said after the Lamar game. "... I've got practice days. I can get them in there. We can scrimmage and talk through all the things that we're try- ing to do on the run." Learning will be at its peak near the end of December with the start of what Calipari likes to call "Camp Cal." During this time peri- od, when there are no restrictions on practice hours and the players are free of academic re- sponsibilities, the Wildcats often practice two times a day and sometimes even three if one includes a workout session with strength and conditioning coach Robert Harris. With no re- sponsibilities outside of practice, Calipari likes the team to be together focusing on basketball for as much of the break as possible. In between practices, Calipari will some- times have the players over to his house to eat and rest. In the evenings, the team will go out together to eat most nights. The team will basically eat, sleep and drink basketball during Camp Cal. That will begin once finals end the week of Dec. 16 and the team returns from its trip to Las Vegas and a few days at home for the holidays. The season-ending results clearly show the improvement of Calipari's teams in De- cember. As successful as Calipari's teams have been in the nonconference portion of their schedule every season, UK has won five regular-season Southeastern Conference ti- tles in 10 seasons under Calipari and another six SEC Tournament championships. Dynamic Hagans Stuffing the Stat Sheet Ashton Hagans certainly has the confi- dence of his head coach in year two as Ken- tucky's starting point guard. "We could say there are better point guards in the country, but you got to tell me who you're talking about," John Calipari said after the UAB game. With the way Hagans is playing this season, there are few rebuttals. Hagans has been the consummate point guard in his sophomore season, doing a little bit of everything to af- fect the game. He is averaging 13.7 points, 7.0 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while grabbing the leadership reins of a talented but once again young team. The Cartersville, Georgia, native has boasted double-figure scoring in seven of nine games, including a ca- reer-high 26-point performance in the win over Utah Valley. He's dished out three or more assists in all nine games and has five or more in seven of the last eight, including a career-high-ty- ing 12 vs. UAB. His streak of six games with five or more assists is the best run by a Wildcat since De'Aaron Fox dished out five or more assists in seven straight games from Nov. 15, 2016, to Dec. 7, 2016. Over the last six games, Hagans is averag- ing 16.3 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 58.3% shooting. With 52 assists and 22 turn- overs over that stretch, his 1.97 assist-to-turn- over ratio has vaulted him to third in the con- ference (through games on Dec. 14). Hagans nearly had a triple-double against Mount St. Mary's with 16 points, seven assists and a career-high-tying seven rebounds, and he followed that vs. Lamar with 15 points, nine assists and a career-high three 3-point- ers. He posted the second double-double of his career and first this season with 11 points and 11 assists vs. Fairleigh Dickinson. He again narrowly missed on a triple-dou- ble with 21 points, seven assists and seven boards against Georgia Tech. The reigning Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year remains UK's best onball defender with a team-high 16 steals, and though his steals per game are down, it's important to note he was dealing with a lower-leg injury over the first several games of the season. Where he's made the biggest improve- ment: reading the defense, taking what he can get and getting to the free-throw line. He's drained 43 of 49 on the season, good for an 87.8% clip. He had a stretch of 23 straight makes until missing a par vs. UAB. Hagans was 12 of 12 from the line against Utah Valley, becoming the first Wildcat to make at least 12 perfectly since Jodie Meeks, who was 14 of 14 at Ten- nessee on Jan. 13, 2009 (his UK single-game record 54-point night). Brooks Breaking Through With Fight Heading into a particularly important De- cember stretch of practice, head coach John Calipari has repeated two things in particular that he's looking for from his guys: “All I’m focused on these next two weeks are fight … and finish.” Brooks heard that message loud and clear and has broken through the last couple of games. Since the calendar flipped to December, Brooks has enjoyed easily the two most pro- ductive games of his career while his minutes have increased. His stat line has improved to 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game in wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Georgia Tech. He's also shooting at a 55.6% clip (10 of 18) and made all four of his free throws in 21.0 min- utes per game. In the prior seven games, Brooks was av- eraging 5.4 points, 4.0 boards, 0.4 assists, 0.1 steals and had yet to register a block. From Press Row 16 @KentuckyMBB 90785_BHLX_Cyberknife_8_375x10_875c.indd 110/13/16 1:17 PM2019-20 Basketball Schedule 18 @KentuckyMBB n Won, 69-58 Florida Gainesville, Fla. 1 p.m. Saturday March 7 Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas Big 12/SEC Challenge | 6 p.m. Saturday January 25 UAB Lexington, Ky. Friday November 29 Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn. 1 p.m. Saturday February 8 Georgetown (Ky.) Lexington, Ky. Exhibition Sunday October 27 TM Ohio State Las Vegas CBS Sports Classic | 5:15 p.m. Saturday December 21 n Won, 80-53 Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. 7 p.m. Tuesday February 11 Louisville Lexington, Ky. 3:45 p.m. Saturday December 28 Kentucky State Lexington, Ky. Exhibition Friday November 1 n Won, 83-51 Ole Miss Lexington, Ky. 2 p.m. Saturday February 15 Missouri Lexington, Ky. 2 p.m. Saturday January 4 Michigan State New York Champions Classic Tuesday November 5 n Won, 69-62 LSU Baton Rouge, La. 9 p.m. Tuesday February 18 Georgia Athens, Ga. 9 p.m. Tuesday January 7 Eastern Kentucky Lexington, Ky. Friday November 8 n Won, 91-49 Florida Lexington, Ky. 6/8 p.m. Saturday February 22 Alabama Lexington, Ky. Noon Saturday January 11 Evansville Lexington, Ky. Tuesday November 12 n Lost, 64-67 Texas A&M College Station, Texas 7 p.m. Tuesday February 25 South Carolina Columbia, S.C. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday January 15 Utah Valley Lexington, Ky. Monday November 18 n Won, 82-74 Auburn Lexington, Ky. 3:45 p.m. Saturday February 29 Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 4 p.m. Saturday January 18 Mt. St. Mary's (Md.) Lexington, Ky. Friday November 22 n Won, 82-62 Tennessee Lexington, Ky. 9 p.m. Tuesday March 3 Georgia Lexington, Ky. 7 p.m. Tuesday January 21 Lamar Lexington, Ky. Sunday November 24 n Won, 81-56 SEC Tournament Nashville, Tenn. TBA Wed.-Sun. March 11-15 Vanderbilt Lexington, Ky. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday January 29 Fairleigh Dickinson Lexington, Ky. Saturday December 7 n Won, 83-52 NCAA Tournament Final Four® Atlanta | TBA March- April 17-6 Auburn Auburn, Ala. 6/8 p.m. Saturday February 1 Georgia Tech Lexington, Ky. Saturday December 14 n Won, 67-53 Mississippi State Lexington, Ky. 9 p.m. Tuesday February 4 Utah Las Vegas 11 p.m. Wednesday December 18 Home Away/NeutralNext >