The University of Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team is off to a strong start this season and has been picked by the media to win the SEC regular-season title. This would be the team’s 50th all-time regular-season SEC crown and their seventh under head coach John Calipari.
One of the keys to the Wildcats’ success has been their shooting ability, particularly from long range. The team is shooting 39.0% from deep, leading the SEC, and hitting 43.1% of their shots from long range in Rupp Arena.
Oscar Tshiebwe has been a force for the Wildcats, with a conference-leading seven double-doubles so far this season. In his career with Kentucky, he has produced 35 double-doubles in 45 games.
He has had a number of impressive performances for the Wildcats. His 23-point, 19-rebound game against Missouri was the fourth such contest of his career at UK. He now has four of the seven 20 or more point, 18 rebound games by an SEC player in the last 10 seasons, with no other player having more than one. Tshiebwe has also had three 20-point, 15-rebound games this season and six over the last two seasons. He has 10 of the 52 20-point, 15-rebound contests by SEC players in the last 10 seasons.
Freshman Cason Wallace was recognized for his strong play, being named the SEC Freshman of the Week on December 27th after scoring 27 points, dishing out nine assists, and recording four steals in the team’s win over Florida A&M.
Point guard Sahvir Wheeler is leading the conference in assists per game with 6.7, while Wallace is third with 3.9 helpers per contest. Tshiebwe is currently leading the country in rebounds per game with 13.6, and is also tops in the nation in offensive rebounds per game with an average of 5.64.
The University of Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team has some standout players that have made an impact on the court this season. Sahvir Wheeler leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally with 6.7 assists per game. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, Wheeler’s 619 total assists have ranked second nationally, only behind Yuri Collins of Saint Louis.
Freshman Cason Wallace is making a name for himself as well, ranking third in the SEC and 15th nationally with 2.46 steals per game. These steals per contest are the most in the country among freshmen. Wallace is also the only freshman in the country averaging at least 12.0 points, 3.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game.
Tshiebwe is one of only two players in the NCAA this season averaging more than 15 points and 13 rebounds per game, along with Zach Edey of Purdue. He leads the country with 13.6 rebounds per game and is also first in the nation with 5.64 offensive rebounds per game and seventh with 8.00 defensive boards per contest. Tshiebwe has amassed 1,205 points and 1,030 boards, making him one of only two players nationally to total at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds over the last four seasons, along with North Carolina’s Armando Bacot.
With strong performances from these players and the rest of the team, the Wildcats will be a formidable opponent in the SEC and will be looking to bring home the regular-season title.
