In a highly competitive game that saw numerous lead changes and ties, No. 1/1 Kansas emerged victorious over No. 17/16 Kentucky with a final score of 89-84 in the Champions Classic held in Chicago. Despite the loss, Kentucky still holds a 24-12 advantage in the all-time series against Kansas. The Wildcats now have a 2-1 record for the season, while Kansas remains unbeaten at 3-0.
Kentucky will look to bounce back in their next game against Stonehill, which will take place on Friday at home as part of the Wildcat Challenge. This game will be televised on SEC Network+.
The Wildcats had a strong performance, with only eight turnovers throughout the fast-paced game. This marks the third consecutive game this season in which Kentucky has managed to keep their turnovers in single digits. Additionally, Kentucky recorded the highest number of three-point attempts in the Calipari era, with 12 successful shots out of 38 attempts.
Leading the charge for Kentucky was Antonio Reeves, who contributed 24 points, marking back-to-back 20-point performances. Rob Dillingham also had an impressive outing with a season-high of 18 points, maintaining his double-digit scoring streak for all three games. Adou Thiero, who missed the previous game due to concussion protocol, posted his first career double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Reed Sheppard also made a notable impact with 15 points and four steals.
Looking at the coaching aspect, John Calipari’s record now stands at an impressive 834-254 overall and 389-114 at Kentucky. Calipari holds a 69-50 record at UK against ranked competition and a 6-5 record against No. 1-ranked teams in his career, including a 3-3 record while at Kentucky.
In the first half, Kentucky started with D.J. Wagner, Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards, Adou Thiero, and Tre Mitchell. Kansas took an early 9-0 lead before Thiero made a three-pointer at the 16:57 mark. Kentucky managed to tie the game at 11 with an 8-0 run, and then took a 17-16 lead with two three-pointers from Reed Sheppard. The Wildcats extended their lead to 48-36, their largest of the half, but Kansas closed the gap to 48-41 by halftime. This first-half performance marked the most points Kentucky has ever scored in the opening half against a No. 1-ranked team. Adou Thiero had an exceptional first-half performance with 13 points and nine rebounds.
In the second half, Kentucky started with the same lineup as in the first half. They built a 58-44 lead, their largest of the game, with 15:14 remaining. However, Kansas staged a comeback and took the lead at 65-62 with 10:53 left on the clock. Kentucky responded and regained the lead at 78-72 with 5:43 remaining after a putback by Thiero, a fastbreak basket-and-one by Reeves, and a driving layup by Sheppard. Despite holding an 83-78 lead with 3:12 left to play, Kentucky was ultimately unable to hold on as Kansas closed the game with an 11-1 run to secure the victory.
