# 2022–23 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 2022–23 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, founding members of the Southeastern Conference, played their home games at Rupp Arena and were led by John Calipari in his 14th season as head coach. They finished the season 21–10, 12–6 in SEC play to finish in third place. As the No. 3 seed in the SEC tournament, they were upset in the quarterfinal round by Vanderbilt. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, where they defeated Providence in the first round before falling to Kansas State in the second round to finish the season with a final record of 22–12.

## Previous season

The Wildcats finished the 2021–22 season 26–8, 14–4 in SEC play to finish a tie for second place. As the No. 3 seed in the SEC tournament, they defeated Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals before losing to Tennessee in the semifinals. They received an at large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East region. The Wildcats became just the 10th No. 2 seed to lose in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to No. 15-seeded Saint Peter's 85–79 in overtime. It also marked the first time Kentucky had suffered a First Round exit under Calipari.

## Offseason
### Player departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason left |
| Dontaie Allen | 11 | Guard | 6'6" | 205 | Sophomore | Falmouth, KY | Transferred to Western Kentucky |
| Kellan Grady | 31 | Guard | 6'5" | 205 | Senior | Boston, MA | Completed college eligibility |
| Bryce Hopkins | 23 | Power forward | 6'7" | 220 | Freshman | Oak Park, IL | Transferred to Providence |
| Davion Mintz | 10 | Guard | 6'3" | 195 | Senior | Charlotte, NC | Completed college eligibility |
| Keion Brooks Jr. | 12 | Forward | 6'7" | 210 | Junior | Fort Wayne, IN | Transferred to Washington |
| Zan Payne | 20 | Forward | 6'4" | 215 | Junior | Lexington, KY | Transferred to Louisville |
| TyTy Washington Jr. | 13 | Guard | 6'3" | 197 | Freshman | Phoenix, AZ | NBA Draft |
| Shaedon Sharpe | 21 | Guard | 6'6" | 200 | Freshman | London, ON | NBA Draft |

### Class of 2022 signees

The Wildcats signed a four-man class of Chris Livingston, Cason Wallace, Adou Thiero and Ugonna Kingsley. Sharpe enrolled in January to join the 2022 team.
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date CordellCordellCordell |
| Chris Livingston SF | Akron, OH | Oak Hill Academy (VA) | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Nov 10, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 91 ||||||
| Adou Thiero SG / PG | Leetsdale, PA | Quaker Valley (PA) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | May 8, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 ||||||
| Cason Wallace SG / PG | Dallas, TX | Richardson (TX) | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Nov 10, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 92 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 2nd 247Sports: 8th ESPN: 1st ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Kentucky 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021. "2022 Kentucky Basketball Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021. "Kentucky 2022 Basketball Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021. ||||||

### Class of 2023 commitments

On November 20, 2021, Reed Sheppard verbally committed to UK over multiple offers, with Louisville and Virginia among the most active in attempting to recruit him. The son of former UK basketball players Jeff Sheppard and the former Stacey Reed, he was the first commitment to the 2023 recruiting class. At the time of his commitment, he was the #3 ranked combo guard in the 2023 class by 247 Sports. On November 14, 2022, D. J. Wagner, ranked as the top point guard in the class by ESPN and Rivals, committed to the University Of Kentucky, deciding over Louisville.
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Reed Sheppard SG | London, KY | North Laurel (KY) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Nov 20, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Robert Dillingham PG | Simi Valley, CA | Donda Academy (CA) | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Jun 24, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 95 ||||||
| Justin Edwards SF | Philadelphia, PA | Imhotep Institute (PA) | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 25, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 91 ||||||
| Ugonna Kingsley C | Owerri, Nigeria | Putnam Science Academy (CT) | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Aug 1, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Aaron Bradshaw C | Roselle, NJ | Camden, NJ | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Oct 14, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 ||||||
| D. J. Wagner PG | Camden, NJ | Camden (NJ) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Nov 14, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 96 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Kentucky 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 16, 2022. "2023 Kentucky Basketball Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 16, 2022. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 16, 2022. "Kentucky 2023 Basketball Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved August 16, 2022. ||||||

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School | Years Eligible | Date Eligible |
| Antonio Reeves | 12 | SG | 6'6" | 185 | Senior | Chicago, IL | Illinois State | 2 | October 1, 2022 |
* ↑ Due to a special NCAA ruling, the 2020–21 season does not count against the eligibility of players in all NCAA winter sports, including basketball.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Big Blue Bahamas exhibition trip |||||||||
| August 10, 2022* 7:00 p.m., SECN | | vs. Dominican Republic National Select Team | W 108–56 | | 17 – Tshiebwe | 8 – Livingston | 5 – Collins | Baha Mar Convention Center (1,200) Nassau, BAH |
| August 11, 2022* 7:00 p.m., SECN | | vs. Tec De Monterrey | W 102–40 | | 14 – Tie | 14 – Tshiebwe | 10 – Wheeler | Baha Mar Convention Center (1,200) Nassau, BAH |
| August 13, 2022* 6:00 p.m., SECN | | vs. Carleton University | W 118–56 | | 27 – Toppin | 13 – Tshiebwe | 6 – Tie | Baha Mar Convention Center (1,200) Nassau, BAH |
| August 14, 2022* 12:00 p.m., SECN | | vs. The Bahamas National Select Team | W 98–74 | | 22 – Reeves | 12 – Tshiebwe | 5 – Wallace | Baha Mar Convention Center (1,200) Nassau, BAH |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 30, 2022* 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 4 | Missouri Western | W 56–38 | | 15 – Fredrick | 7 – Wallace | 2 – Toppin | Rupp Arena (17,735) Lexington, KY |
| November 3, 2022* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 4 | Kentucky State | W 111–53 | | 23 – Reeves | 11 – Onyenso | 6 – Fredrick | Rupp Arena (18,413) Lexington, KY |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 7, 2022* 6:30 p.m., SECN | No. 4 | Howard | W 95–63 | 1–0 | 22 – Reeves | 11 – Toppin | 9 – Wallace | Rupp Arena (18,750) Lexington, KY |
| November 11, 2022* 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 4 | Duquesne Tribute Classic | W 77–52 | 2–0 | 18 – Reeves | 10 – Onyenso | 11 – Wheeler | Rupp Arena (20,014) Lexington, KY |
| November 15, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 4 | vs. Michigan State Champions Classic | L 77–86 $^{2OT}$ | 2–1 | 22 – Tshiebwe | 18 – Tshiebwe | 8 – Wheeler | Gainbridge Fieldhouse (17,923) Indianapolis, IN |
| November 17, 2022* 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 4 | South Carolina State Tribute Classic | W 106–63 | 3–1 | 17 – Fredrick | 9 – Toppin | 10 – Wheeler | Rupp Arena (18,885) Lexington, KY |
| November 20, 2022* 7:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 4 | vs. No. 2 Gonzaga | L 72–88 | 3–2 | 20 – Tshiebwe | 15 – Tshiebwe | 4 – Wheeler | Spokane Arena (12,333) Spokane, WA |
| November 23, 2022* 4:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 15 | North Florida Tribute Classic | W 96–56 | 4–2 | 20 – Tie | 15 – Tshiebwe | 6 – Wallace | Rupp Arena (19,763) Lexington, KY |
| November 29, 2022* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 19 | Bellarmine | W 60–41 | 5–2 | 18 – Reeves | 12 – Tshiebwe | 6 – Wheeler | Rupp Arena (19,092) Lexington, KY |
| December 4, 2022* 1:00 p.m., ABC | No. 19 | vs. Michigan Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase | W 73–69 | 6–2 | 14 – Tie | 14 – Tshiebwe | 7 – Wheeler | The O2 Arena (8,242) London, England |
| December 10, 2022* 1:00 p.m., SECN | No. 16 | Yale | W 69–59 | 7–2 | 28 – Tshiebwe | 12 – Tshiebwe | 4 – Toppin | Rupp Arena (20,264) Lexington, KY |
| December 17, 2022* 5:15 p.m., CBS | No. 13 | vs. No. 16 UCLA CBS Sports Classic | L 53–63 | 7–3 | 14 – Livingston | 16 – Tshiebwe | 6 – Wheeler | Madison Square Garden (20,261) New York City, NY |
| December 21, 2022* 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 19 | Florida A&M | W 88–68 | 8–3 | 27 – Wallace | 8 – Tshiebwe | 9 – Wallace | Rupp Arena (20,226) Lexington, KY |
| December 28, 2022 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 19 | at Missouri | L 75–89 | 8–4 (0–1) | 23 – Tshiebwe | 19 – Tshiebwe | 8 – Wheeler | Mizzou Arena (15,061) Columbia, MO |
| December 31, 2022* 12:00 p.m., CBS | No. 19 | Louisville Rivalry | W 86–63 | 9–4 | 24 – Tie | 14 – Tshiebwe | 9 – Wheeler | Rupp Arena (20,934) Lexington, KY |
| January 3, 2023 8:00 p.m., ESPN | | LSU | W 74–71 | 10–4 (1–1) | 21 – Toppin | 16 – Tshiebwe | 9 – Wheeler | Rupp Arena (19,610) Lexington, KY |
| January 7, 2023 1:00 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 7 Alabama | L 52–78 | 10–5 (1–2) | 20 – Reeves | 6 – Tie | 3 – Tie | Coleman Coliseum (13,747) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| January 10, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | South Carolina | L 68–71 | 10–6 (1–3) | 19 – Tshiebwe | 12 – Tshiebwe | 3 – Wheeler | Rupp Arena (19,393) Lexington, KY |
| January 14, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 5 Tennessee Rivalry | W 63–56 | 11–6 (2–3) | 18 – Reeves | 13 – Tshiebwe | 6 – Wallace | Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678) Knoxville, TN |
| January 17, 2023 9:00 p.m., ESPN | | Georgia | W 85–71 | 12–6 (3–3) | 37 – Tshiebwe | 24 – Tshiebwe | 4 – Toppin | Rupp Arena (19,171) Lexington, KY |
| January 21, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN | | Texas A&M | W 76–67 | 13–6 (4–3) | 23 – Reeves | 17 – Tshiebwe | 4 – Wallace | Rupp Arena (20,017) Lexington, KY |
| January 24, 2023 9:00 p.m., SECN | | at Vanderbilt | W 69–53 | 14–6 (5–3) | 16 – Reeves | 13 – Tshiebwe | 5 – Tie | Memorial Gymnasium (10,238) Nashville, TN |
| January 28, 2023* 8:00 p.m., ESPN | | No. 9 Kansas Big 12/SEC Challenge | L 68–77 | 14–7 | 18 – Tshiebwe | 9 – Tshiebwe | 5 – Wallace | Rupp Arena (20,418) Lexington, KY |
| January 31, 2023 9:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Ole Miss | W 75–66 | 15–7 (6–3) | 27 – Reeves | 11 – Tshiebwe | 9 – Wheeler | SJB Pavilion Oxford, MS |
| February 4, 2023 8:30 p.m., ESPN | | Florida Rivalry | W 72–67 | 16–7 (7–3) | 20 – Wallace | 15 – Tshiebwe | 3 – Tie | Rupp Arena (20,315) Lexington, KY |
| February 7, 2023 9:00 p.m., ESPN | | Arkansas | L 73–88 | 16–8 (7–4) | 24 – Wallace | 8 – Toppin | 5 – Wallace | Rupp Arena (19,855) Lexington, KY |
| February 11, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Georgia | L 68–75 | 16–9 (7–5) | 20 – Tie | 14 – Tshiebwe | 6 – Wallace | Stegeman Coliseum (10,376) Athens, GA |
| February 15, 2023 8:30 p.m., SECN | | at Mississippi State | W 71–68 | 17–9 (8–5) | 18 – Tshiebwe | 11 – Tshiebwe | 11 – Wallace | Humphrey Coliseum (9,297) Starkville, MS |
| February 18, 2023 1:00 p.m., CBS | | No. 10 Tennessee Rivalry | W 66–54 | 18–9 (9–5) | 16 – Tie | 10 – Livingston | 6 – Wallace | Rupp Arena (20,323) Lexington, KY |
| February 22, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Florida Rivalry | W 82–74 | 19–9 (10–5) | 25 – Tshiebwe | 15 – Livingston | 6 – Wallace | O'Connell Center (9,540) Gainesville, FL |
| February 25, 2023 4:00 p.m., CBS | | Auburn | W 86–54 | 20–9 (11–5) | 22 – Tshiebwe | 17 – Tshiebwe | 9 – Wallace | Rupp Arena (20,353) Lexington, KY |
| March 1, 2023 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 23 | Vanderbilt | L 66–68 | 20–10 (11–6) | 21 – Tshiebwe | 20 – Tshiebwe | 2 – Tie | Rupp Arena (20,337) Lexington, KY |
| March 4, 2023 2:00 p.m., CBS | No. 23 | at Arkansas | W 88–79 | 21–10 (12–6) | 37 – Reeves | 13 – Tshiebwe | 4 – Fredrick | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| SEC Tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2023* 9:00 p.m., SECN | (3) No. 23 | vs. (6) Vanderbilt Quarterfinals | L 73–80 | 21–11 | 22 – Reeves | 15 – Tshiebwe | 5 – Wallace | Bridgestone Arena (17,989) Nashville, TN |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2023* 7:10 pm, CBS | (6 E) | vs. (11 E) Providence First Round | W 61–53 | 22–11 | 22 – Reeves | 25 – Tshiebwe | 5 – Wallace | Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, NC |
| March 19, 2023* 2:40 p.m., CBS | (6 E) | vs. (3 E) No. 15 Kansas State Second Round | L 69–75 | 22–12 | 25 – Tshiebwe | 18 – Tshiebwe | 4 – Wallace | Greensboro Coliseum (16,517) Greensboro, NC |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
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