Tyrese Maxey – All-SEC Second Team, SEC All-Freshman Team

0

Maxey has shown a penchant for playing his best on the game’s biggest stage.

Highlighted by a career-high 27-point performance in the victory over No. 3/4 Louisville, Maxey is averaging a team-high 19.0 points to go along with 5.3 rebounds in UK’s six games vs. Associated Press Top 25 foes. In true road games, Maxey ranked second on the team with an average of 14.4 points. He also added 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game in hostile territory.

Maxey’s 26 points in the 1-2 matchup vs. Michigan State topped Terrence Jones’ 25 points against East Tennessee State in 2010 for the most points by a freshman in his debut as a Wildcat. In that game, Maxey’s first points didn’t come until just after the midway point of the first half, but he scored seven straight points to help Kentucky earn an 11-point halftime lead. From the 10:03 mark of the second half until a pair of Ashton Hagans’ free throws with 37 seconds to play, Maxey scored or assisted on 14 straight UK points to hold off the Michigan State rally, including the game-clinching shot with just over a minute to play from well behind the 3-point line.

Against Louisville, he made a career-high nine field goals (on 14 shots), sunk a career-best four 3-pointers and tied a career high with seven rebounds. His 27 points were the most by a UK freshman vs. Louisville and the most by a Wildcat in the rivalry since Jodie Meeks score 28 on Jan. 4, 2009.

Highlighted by six 20-point performances, Maxey — a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week selection — is averaging 14.0 points per game. He’s scored in double figures in 22 games.

The Texas native has played particularly well of late. He’s averaging 15.5 points per game on 42.9% shooting over the last 12 games. He’s scored in double figures in 10 of those. Included in that stretch, Maxey had 10 second-half points to lead a double-digit comeback effort at home against Vanderbilt. It was Maxey once again to help lead the charge in another double-digit deficit against the Commodores on the road on Feb. 11. He led the Wildcats with 25 points, 15 coming in the second half as UK rebounded from a 14-point first-half hole for a 78-64 win. Maxey posted 17 points vs. 15th-ranked Auburn to help the Wildcats to the SEC regular-season title.