# 2023–24 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, who are founding members of the Southeastern Conference, played their home games at Rupp Arena and were led by John Calipari in his 15th and final season as head coach for the Wildcats. The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team drew an average home attendance of 19,928 in 2023-24, the 3rd highest in college basketball.
The Wildcats were ranked as one of the best three-point shooting teams throughout the season. However, they also were ranked as one of the worst defensive teams of the KenPom era, although Alabama had a worse rating in the same season. They reached the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the first round. However, despite the first round exit, this season was notable for the play of Reed Sheppard, who led the SEC in steals.

## Previous season

The Wildcats finished the 2022–23 season finished the season with a record of 21–10, 12–6 in SEC play to finish in third place in the SEC. As the number three seed in the SEC tournament, they would be upset in the quarterfinal round by Vanderbilt. They would go on to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they would go on to defeat Providence in the first round before falling to Kansas State in the second round to finish the season with an overall record of 22–12.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Jacob Toppin | 0 | F | 6'9" | 205 | Senior | Brooklyn, NY | Declared for 2023 NBA draft |
| CJ Fredrick | 1 | F | 6'3" | 185 | RS Senior | Cincinnati, OH | Transferred to Cincinnati |
| Sahvir Wheeler | 2 | G | 5'9" | 180 | Senior | Houston, TX | Transferd to Washington |
| Daimion Collins | 4 | F | 6'9" | 210 | Sophomore | Atlanta, TX | Transferred to LSU |
| Cason Wallace Jr. | 22 | G | 6'4" | 193 | Freshman | Dallas, TX | Declared for 2023 NBA draft |
| Chris Livingston | 24 | F | 6'6" | 220 | Freshman | Akron, OH | Declared for 2023 NBA draft |
| Oscar Tshiebwe | 34 | F | 6'9" | 260 | Senior | Lubumbashi, DR Congo | Declared for 2023 NBA draft |
| Lance Ware | 55 | F | 6'9" | 235 | Junior | Camden, NJ | Transferred to Villanova |

### 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.
College recruiting information :
| 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 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Rob Dillingham PG | Simi Valley, CA | Donda Academy (CA) | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Jun 24, 2022 |
| 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 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 91 ||||||
| Jordan Burks SF | Decatur, AL | Hillcrest Prep (AZ) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jun 12, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| Joey Hart SG | Linton, IN | Linton-Stockton (IN) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jun 17, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 ||||||
| Aaron Bradshaw C | Roselle, NJ | Camden (NJ) | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Oct 14, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 ||||||
| Zvonimir Ivišić C | Vodice, Croatia | SC Derby | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Aug 14, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| D. J. Wagner PG | Camden, NJ | Camden (NJ) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Nov 14, 2022 |
| 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. ||||||

## Schedule and results
### November

The season began on November 6, where Kentucky opened with New Mexico State. After having an 8 point lead at halftime, Kentucky cruised to an 86-46 win. In November 10, Kentucky defeated Texas A&M-Commerce (now East Texas A&M) 81-61, despite trailing 21-8 early in that game. Afterwards, Kentucky took on Kansas in the Champions Classic. After Kentucky led for most of the game, the Jayhawks came back late and ended up winning a close one, 89-84. The Wildcats returned home to take on Stonehill, and came away with a 101-67 victory. The Wildcats escaped a near-upset against St. Joseph’s, winning 96-88 in overtime. Kentucky faced Marshall in their next matchup, winning 118-82. Afterwards, the Wildcats faced Miami in the first-ever ACC-SEC Challenge. Kentucky won convincingly, defeating the Hurricanes 95-73. The Wildcats had a 6-1 record following the month of November.

### December

The Wildcats opened the month of December against UNC Wilmington. Kentucky was upset by the Seahawks at home, by a score of 80-73. Afterwards, Kentucky traveled to Philadelphia to take on Penn. The Wildcats bounced back in an 81-66 win. The team traveled to Atlanta for the CBS Sports Classic to face off against North Carolina. In a back and forth game, the Wildcats defeated the Tar Heels 87-83. Kentucky ended the month of December with victories over rival Louisville, as well as Illinois State, in which Kentucky won convincingly in both games. The Cats finished the month of December with a record of 4-1, and their overall record stood at 10-2.

### January

Kentucky opened up SEC play on January 6, against the Florida Gators. In a tight game, in which Florida had the lead for most of the game, Kentucky came back, and got a close 87-85 victory. Afterwards, Kentucky defeated Missouri by a score of 90-77. The Wildcats took their first loss in conference play when they lost to Texas A&M by a score of 97-92 in overtime. The Wildcats bounced back to defeat Mississippi State by a score of 90-77. Kentucky also went on to defeat Georgia 105-96, in the debut of Kentucky center Zvonimir Ivišić. However, Kentucky would lose two of their final three games of the month. The Wildcats would get blown out on the road at South Carolina by a score of 79-62. The Wildcats would also lose to Florida at home 94-91 in overtime. However, the Wildcats would beat Arkansas by a score of 63-57 in between those two games. The Wildcats finished the month of January with a record of 5-3, which brought their record to 15-5 overall.

### February

The Wildcats opened the month of February at home against rival Tennessee. Kentucky would lose to the Volunteers by a score of 103-92. Kentucky bounced back on the road against Vanderbilt, winning convincingly, 109-77. Afterwards, Kentucky returned home for a non-conference game against Gonzaga. In a back and forth game, the Wildcats fell short 89-85. This was their 3rd straight loss at home, which was the first time this had occurred for Kentucky in the history of Rupp Arena. Kentucky broke the home losing streak the next game, however, as the Wildcats defeated Ole Miss, by a score of 75-63. Afterwards, Kentucky got a huge road win at Auburn, winning 70-59. The Wildcats would drop the next game, however, on the road to LSU. In a back and forth game, the Wildcats lost 75-74 on a buzzer beater by Tyrell Ward. The Wildcats rolled against Alabama, winning convincingly 117-95. The Wildcats ended the month with a 91-89 win over Mississippi State, off of a buzzer beater by Reed Sheppard. The Wildcats finished the month with a record of 5-3. The Wildcats had a conference record of 10-5 and an overall record of 20-8.

### March

Kentucky opened up the month of March with a 111-102 home win over Arkansas in a back and forth game. The Wildcats closed out their home slate with a senior night win over Vanderbilt, 93-77. The Wildcats ended the regular season with an 85-81 win on the road at rival Tennessee. The Wildcats finished the regular season with an overall record of 23-8, and a conference record of 13-5.

### Postseason

Kentucky entered the SEC Tournament as the #2 seed. They faced #7 Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals. The Aggies once again defeated Kentucky, this time by a score of 97-87. On Selection Sunday, Kentucky got the #3 seed in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament. The region had Houston as the #1 seed and Marquette as the #2 seed. Kentucky’s first round matchup was against #14 Oakland in the first round. Kentucky was upset by Oakland, 80-76. This was Kentucky’s second loss to a double digit seed in a span of 3 years.

### Calipari’s Departure

Immediately following the season, there were questions as to whether or not John Calipari would remain Kentucky’s head coach. Calipari had been criticized in recent years for his losses in the NCAA Tournament, specifically to St. Peter’s and Oakland. In early April, rumors spread that Calipari was going to leave Kentucky to take the job at Arkansas, which was open since Eric Musselman left Arkansas to take the job at USC. On April 8, it was announced that John Calipari would be leaving Kentucky after 15 years to become the new head coach of Arkansas. After about a week of a coaching search, Kentucky hired Mark Pope to become their next head coach.
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| July 12, 2023* 1:30 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Germany | W 81–73 | – | 24 – Reeves | 9 – Edwards | 6 – Tied | Mattamy Athletic Centre Toronto, Ontario |
| July 13, 2023* 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Canada | W 93–69 | – | 23 – Reeves | 6 – Tied | 9 – Dillingham | Mattamy Athletic Centre Toronto, Ontario |
| July 15, 2023* 1:30 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Africa | W 104–92 | – | 27 – Reeves | 8 – Mitchell | 8 – Sheppard | Mattamy Athletic Centre Toronto, Ontario |
| July 16, 2023* 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Canada Gold Medal game | W 89–72 | – | 23 – Edwards | 11 – Mitchell | 6 – Wagner | Mattamy Athletic Centre Toronto, Ontario |
| October 27, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 16 | Georgetown (KY) | W 92–69 | – | 22 – Mitchell | 9 – Mitchell | 5 – Dillingham | Rupp Arena (18,454) Lexington, KY |
| November 2, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 16 | Kentucky State | W 99–53 | – | 20 – Reeves | 10 – Mitchell | 7 – Wagner | Rupp Arena (18,739) Lexington, KY |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2023* 8:00 p.m., SECN | No. 16 | New Mexico State | W 86–46 | 1–0 | 17 – Dillingham | 9 – Mitchell | 5 – Mitchell | Rupp Arena (18,438) Lexington, KY |
| November 10, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 16 | Texas A&M–Commerce Wildcat Challenge | W 81–61 | 2–0 | 21 – Reeves | 8 – Mitchell | 4 – Dillingham | Rupp Arena (19,646) Lexington, KY |
| November 14, 2023* 9:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 17 | vs. No. 1 Kansas Champions Classic | L 84–89 | 2–1 | 24 – Reeves | 12 – Thiero | 3 – Tied | United Center (18,780) Chicago, IL |
| November 17, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 17 | Stonehill Wildcat Challenge | W 101–67 | 3–1 | 25 – Sheppard | 5 – Tied | 7 – Tied | Rupp Arena (18,960) Lexington, KY |
| November 20, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 16 | Saint Joseph's Wildcat Challenge | W 96–88 $^{OT}$ | 4–1 | 22 – Tied | 6 – Mitchell | 6 – Tied | Rupp Arena (18,680) Lexington, KY |
| November 24, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 16 | Marshall | W 118–82 | 5–1 | 28 – Wagner | 7 – Tied | 8 – Dillingham | Rupp Arena (20,246) Lexington, KY |
| November 28, 2023* 7:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 12 | No. 8 Miami (FL) ACC–SEC Challenge | W 95–73 | 6–1 | 21 – Sheppard | 6 – Thiero | 9 – Dillingham | Rupp Arena (20,119) Lexington, KY |
| December 2, 2023* 4:00 p.m., SECN | No. 12 | UNC Wilmington | L 73–80 | 6–2 | 25 – Sheppard | 9 – Sheppard | 6 – Sheppard | Rupp Arena (19,990) Lexington, KY |
| December 9, 2023* 12:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 16 | vs. Penn Malone's Classic | W 81–66 | 7–2 | 17 – Tied | 11 – Bradshaw | 7 – Wagner | Wells Fargo Center (9,007) Philadelphia, PA |
| December 16, 2023* 5:30 p.m., CBS | No. 14 | vs. No. 9 North Carolina CBS Sports Classic/Rivalry | W 87–83 | 8–2 | 17 – Dillingham | 6 – Tied | 5 – Wagner | State Farm Arena (17,058) Atlanta, GA |
| December 21, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 9 | at Louisville Rivalry | W 95–76 | 9–2 | 30 – Reeves | 12 – Mitchell | 11 – Sheppard | KFC Yum! Center (17,293) Louisville, KY |
| December 29, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 8 | Illinois State | W 96–70 | 10–2 | 27 – Reeves | 11 – Mitchell | 7 – Dillingham | Rupp Arena (20,659) Lexington, KY |
| January 6, 2024 12:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | at Florida Rivalry | W 87–85 | 11–2 (1–0) | 19 – Reeves | 10 – Mitchell | 3 – Wagner | O'Connell Center (10,106) Gainesville, FL |
| January 9, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | Missouri | W 90–77 | 12–2 (2–0) | 23 – Dillingham | 14 – Mitchell | 4 – Sheppard | Rupp Arena (20,086) Lexington, KY |
| January 13, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | at Texas A&M | L 92–97 $^{OT}$ | 12–3 (2–1) | 22 – Reeves | 13 – Mitchell | 6 – Mitchell | Reed Arena (9,540) College Station, TX |
| January 17, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 8 | Mississippi State | W 90–77 | 13–3 (3–1) | 27 – Reeves | 6 – Tied | 6 – Sheppard | Rupp Arena (20,016) Lexington, KY |
| January 20, 2024 6:00 p.m., SECN | No. 8 | Georgia | W 105–96 | 14–3 (4–1) | 23 – Mitchell | 5 – Tied | 10 – Wagner | Rupp Arena (20,283) Lexington, KY |
| January 23, 2024 7:00 p.m., SECN | No. 6 | at South Carolina | L 62–79 | 14–4 (4–2) | 16 – Dillingham | 8 – Bradshaw | 3 – Wagner | Colonial Life Arena (18,000) Columbia, SC |
| January 27, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | at Arkansas College GameDay | W 63–57 | 15–4 (5–2) | 24 – Reeves | 11 – Mitchell | 5 – Sheppard | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| January 31, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 10 | Florida Rivalry | L 91–94 $^{OT}$ | 15–5 (5–3) | 24 – Sheppard | 16 – Onyenso | 6 – Sheppard | Rupp Arena (20,068) Lexington, KY |
| February 3, 2024 8:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 10 | No. 5 Tennessee Rivalry | L 92–103 | 15–6 (5–4) | 35 – Dillingham | 6 – Tied | 6 – Sheppard | Rupp Arena (20,265) Lexington, KY |
| February 6, 2024 8:30 p.m., SECN | No. 17 | at Vanderbilt | W 109–77 | 16–6 (6–4) | 24 – Reeves | 7 – Tied | 9 – Dillingham | Memorial Gymnasium (11,678) Nashville, TN |
| February 10, 2024* 4:00 p.m., CBS | No. 17 | Gonzaga | L 85–89 | 16–7 | 21 – Sheppard | 5 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Rupp Arena (20,186) Lexington, KY |
| February 13, 2024 9:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 22 | Ole Miss | W 75–63 | 17–7 (7–4) | 15 – Reeves | 7 – Reeves | 5 – Sheppard | Rupp Arena (20,064) Lexington, KY |
| February 17, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 22 | at No. 13 Auburn College GameDay | W 70–59 | 18–7 (8–4) | 22 – Reeves | 11 – Onyenso | 3 – Tied | Neville Arena (9,121) Auburn, AL |
| February 21, 2024 9:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 17 | at LSU | L 74–75 | 18–8 (8–5) | 25 – Reeves | 9 – Thiero | 2 – Tied | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,493) Baton Rouge, LA |
| February 24, 2024 4:00 p.m., CBS | No. 17 | No. 13 Alabama | W 117–95 | 19–8 (9–5) | 28 – Edwards | 6 – Sheppard | 6 – Sheppard | Rupp Arena (20,342) Lexington, KY |
| February 27, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 16 | at Mississippi State | W 91–89 | 20–8 (10–5) | 32 – Sheppard | 5 – Sheppard | 7 – Sheppard | Humphrey Coliseum (9,266) Starkville, MS |
| March 2, 2024 1:30 p.m., CBS | No. 16 | Arkansas | W 111–102 | 21–8 (11–5) | 22 – Reeves | 9 – Ivisic | 5 – Tied | Rupp Arena (20,322) Lexington, KY |
| March 6, 2024 9:00 p.m., SECN | No. 15 | Vanderbilt | W 93–77 | 22–8 (12–5) | 23 – Dillingham | 6 – Tied | 11 – Sheppard | Rupp Arena (20,332) Lexington, KY |
| March 9, 2024 4:00 p.m., CBS | No. 15 | at No. 4 Tennessee Rivalry | W 85–81 | 23–8 (13–5) | 27 – Tied | 7 – Reeves | 5 – Sheppard | Thompson–Boling Arena (22,206) Knoxville, TN |
| SEC tournament |||||||||
| March 15, 2024 7:00 p.m., SECN | (2) No. 9 | vs. (7) Texas A&M Quarterfinals | L 87–97 | 23–9 | 27 – Dillingham | 9 – Mitchell | 7 – Dillingham | Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 21, 2024* 7:10 pm, CBS | (3 S) No. 12 | vs. (14 S) Oakland First Round | L 76–80 | 23–10 | 27 – Reeves | 13 – Mitchell | 4 – Sheppard | PPG Paints Arena Pittsburgh, PA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South region. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Sources:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 16 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 20 |
| Coaches | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6т | 8 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 19 |