BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Two Kentucky Wildcats were selected in the top 10 of the 2024 NBA Draft becoming the latest UK men’s basketball players to hear their names called in the opening round. Reed Sheppard went No. 3 overall, while Rob Dillingham was picked at No. 8 on Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Sheppard was the first collegiate player off the board and the third Kentucky guard to be selected in the top five in the last 30 years when the Rockets selected him at third overall. Dillingham was taken just five picks later at No. 8 by San Antonio before his draft rights were traded to Minnesota.

It marked the seventh time in program history that two players were selected within the NBA Draft’s first 10 picks. UK also had multiple top-10 selections in 1949, 1984, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.

With Sheppard’s and Dillingham’s selections in the opening round, UK has now had at least one player taken in the first round in each of the last 15 drafts. That’s the longest streak in the modern draft era (since 1966). In all, the Wildcats have had at least one player taken in 17 straight drafts.

Sheppard was the fifth Wildcats selected by the Rockets and first since Terrence Jones was picked at No. 18 in 2012. Other Houston selections include Pat Riley (1967), Fred Cowan (1981) and Patrick Patterson (2010). Dillingham is just the second UK player chosen by San Antonio, joining Keldon Johnson in 2019.

“I’m super excited,” Sheppard said. “I’m a guy going in who is looking to learn. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win. If it’s not making 3s right away, it’s getting teammates involved. Whatever it takes to win and be on the court, I’m going to do whatever makes the team better.”

Sheppard is UK’s first top-five selection since De’Aaron Fox went No. 5 to Sacramento in 2017. He is the highest pick overall since Karl-Anthony Towns was the top choice in 2015. The London, Kentucky, native is the top overall selection by a Kentucky player who is a native of the Commonwealth since Rex Chapman went No. 8 in 1988 to Charlotte.

He averaged 12.5 points per game and topped double-figure scoring in 21 games en route to winning National Freshman of the Year honors from the National Basketball Coaches Association and the United States Basketball Writers Association. 

The 6-foot-3 guard led the team with 148 assists on the year and was the Southeastern Conference’s Freshman of the Year. His 4.5 per game average ranked fourth in the league. The 148 assists rank as the eighth-most in single-season history by a UK freshman and he is the 28th player in program history to have 148 or more assists in a season.  

Meanwhile, Sheppard was a nemesis defensively racking up 82 steals on the season. Since steals became an official stat in 1979, the 82 steals are the second-most by a UK player in program history trailing only Rajon Rondo (87).

He became the first player in UK history to register five steals in three-consecutive games, collecting five thefts against Ole Miss (Feb. 13), Auburn (Feb. 17) and LSU (Feb. 21). Rondo's 2.559 per game average is UK's single-season leader. No other player averaged at least 2.5 per game in program history. Sheppard ended the season logging 2.485 per game.

Dillingham averaged 15.2 points per game off the bench to become the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year. That mark was second on the team, trailing only Antonio Reeves. Dillingham's points per game off the bench were the most among all players in the SEC and the most by any true freshman off the bench this season.

The Hickory, North Carolina, native poured in a career-high 35 points against Tennessee on Feb. 3. It tied for the most points off the bench by any UK player in the John Calipari era. He was also just the third player to score 35 or more in the Rick Barnes' Tennessee era, joining Mason Jones and Damantas Sabonis as the others.

For the year, Dillingham scored in double figures in 27 games. Against UK's seven ranked opponents this season, Dillingham averaged 17.1 points per game and 3.9 assists. He also connected on 60.0% of his shots from 3-point range and averaged 2.6 made 3s per game in those contests.

Kentucky has had 140 players drafted 142 times in its illustrious history with 62 players selected in the opening round. The 62 opening-round selections are more than any other program in the country. Since the draft moved to two rounds in 1989, the Wildcats lead all schools with 48 first-round picks.

The second round of the 2024 NBA Draft will begin on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball returns to the CBS Sports Classic this December when the Cats face Ohio State at Madison Square Garden, Dec. 21 at 5:30 p.m. in New York City.

The Wildcats and the Buckeyes will be the second leg of the doubleheader, with UCLA and North Carolina getting the action started at 3 p.m.

Fans interested in attending the event can register to receive direct email alerts regarding ticket news and other event details at www.cbssportsclassic.com/tickets. Fans who register for these alerts will receive key information on travel package sales and will also be eligible for an exclusive ticket presale.

“As we enter our 11th year of the CBS Sports Classic, we’re thrilled to return to the iconic venue at Madison Square Garden featuring some of the nation’s most elite men’s basketball programs,” said Dan Weinberg, EVP Programming, CBS Sports. “Throughout our more than four decades of college basketball coverage, we have showcased the game at the highest level, from the first tip of the season through the final buzzer in April, and the CBS Sports Classic is a prime example of our commitment to highlighting the best in college basketball.”

Madison Square Garden is the seventh different venue to play host to the CBS Sports Classic, having already done so in 2022. Throughout the 10-year history of the CBS Sports Classic, the United Center in Chicago (2014, 2018), Barclays Center in Brooklyn (2015), T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (2016, 2019, 2021), Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (2017), Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland (2020) and State Farm Arena in Atlanta (2023), have also hosted the event.

The CBS Sports Classic annually brings together four of the nation’s most successful college basketball programs. The quartet owns a combined 26 national championships, with UCLA (11), Kentucky (8) and North Carolina (6) ranking first, second and third, respectively, in NCAA history. Additionally, all four programs rank in the top six in all time Final Four berths, compiling 66 total appearances between them (North Carolina, 21; UCLA, 18; Kentucky, 17; Ohio State, 10). They are among college basketball’s all-time winningest programs, combining for more than 8,500 victories, while Kentucky (970), North Carolina (957) and UCLA (737), are ranked first, second and fifth, respectively, in all time AP Top-25 appearances, while all four programs rank in the top eight in all time AP Top-Five appearances (Kentucky, first; North Carolina, second; UCLA, fifth; Ohio State, eighth).

Kentucky is 5-5 in the CBS Sports Classic, North Carolina is 6-4, Ohio State is 5-4 and UCLA is 3-6.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope and his staff have put together a dynamic roster for the 2024-25 season that features a mix of six fifth-year players, one senior, one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen.

UK’s veterans have combined to play in 845 collegiate games and have scored nearly 8,000 career points. Ansley Almonor, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams are all 1,000-point scorers. The group has also drained 1,033 career 3-pointers at a 37.0% rate.

Butler and Williams were named their league’s defensive player of the year, while Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson have been tabbed a conference’s sixth man of the year in their career and Almonor was a most improved selection. Brandon Garrison is a former McDonald’s All-American. Kerr Kriisa has played in 99 career games and has made 238 3-pointers, while Otega Oweh has seen action in 60 games and was Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer a season ago.

Kentucky’s freshmen group includes Travis Perry and Trent Noah from the state of Kentucky and Collin Chandler, a former top-35 signee in the class of 2022. Perry is the state’s all-time leading scorer, while Noah broke the Sweet 16 state record for most 3-pointers drained in a single run with 19 this season.

Those interested in season tickets are encouraged to enter the season-ticket lottery. Due to the extremely high renewal rate of men’s basketball season tickets, only a limited number of upper-level tickets are available each year through the lottery.

A limited number of new lower-level season tickets are available with a capital pledge commitment, as are memberships in Rupp Arena’s newest hospitality space, the Champions Club. For more information on premium options, please contact the K Fund Office at (859) 257-6300. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The third installment of a six-year series between Kentucky and Gonzaga will take place on Dec. 7, 2024, in Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. A game time and television network will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for this year’s matchup go on sale to the public on June 28 at 1 p.m. ET at climatepledgearena.com.

The teams will meet in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena during the 2025-26 season.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope and his staff have put together a dynamic roster for the 2024-25 season that features a mix of six fifth-year players, one senior, one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen.

UK’s veterans have combined to play in 845 collegiate games and have scored nearly 8,000 career points. Ansley Almonor, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams are all 1,000-point scorers. The group has also drained 1,033 career 3-pointers at a 37.0% rate.

Butler and Williams were named their league’s defensive player of the year, while Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson have been tabbed a conference’s sixth man of the year in their career and Almonor was a most improved selection. Brandon Garrison is a former McDonald’s All-American. Kerr Kriisa has played in 99 career games and has made 238 3-pointers, while Otega Oweh has seen action in 60 games and was Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer a season ago.

Kentucky’s freshmen group includes Travis Perry and Trent Noah from the state of Kentucky and Collin Chandler, a former top-35 signee in the class of 2022. Perry is the state’s all-time leading scorer, while Noah broke the Sweet 16 state record for most 3-pointers drained in a single run with 19 this season.

Those interested in season tickets are encouraged to enter the season-ticket lottery. Due to the extremely high renewal rate of men’s basketball season tickets, only a limited number of upper-level tickets are available each year through the lottery.

A limited number of new lower-level season tickets are available with a capital pledge commitment, as are memberships in Rupp Arena’s newest hospitality space, the Champions Club. For more information on premium options, please contact the K Fund Office at (859) 257-6300. 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kentucky will travel to Clemson, for the second installment of the SEC/ACC Challenge on Dec. 3 at Littlejohn Coliseum the leagues announced Wednesday. A TV designation and tip time will be announced at a later date.

UK owns an all-time mark of 12-4 against Clemson, but the two teams have not met since Nov. 29, 1997. The Wildcats claimed a 76-61 win over the Tigers as part of the Premier Classic in Phoenix during its 1998 National Championship season during the last edition of the series. With the 2024-25 matchup set, Kentucky will renew a series that was prominent during its early stages as a program. UK has played at Clemson four times, leading the series 3-1, but has not traveled to South Carolina since the 1933-34 season.

Last year the Wildcats knocked off No. 8 Miami inside of Rupp Arena by a 95-73 score in the opening year of the challenge. The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference tied with both leagues winning seven matchups in the 14-game event. With both conferences expanding in 2024-25, the event will increase to 16 games.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope’s inaugural schedule continues to take shape with the announcement of the road date at Clemson. In May, the SEC unveiled home and away designations for its 18-game slate.

The Wildcats will also continue their appearance in the Champions Classic on Nov. 12 with a matchup against Duke in Atlanta at State Farm Arena. A tip time will be released at a later date.

Pope and his staff have put together a dynamic roster for the 2024-25 season that features a mix of six fifth-year players, one senior, one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen.

UK’s veterans have combined to play in 845 collegiate games and have scored nearly 8,000 career points. Ansley Almonor, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams are all 1,000-point scorers. The group has also drained 1,033 career 3-pointers at a 37.0% rate.

Butler and Williams were named their league’s defensive player of the year, while Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson have been tabbed a conference’s sixth man of the year in their career and Almonor was a most improved selection. Brandon Garrison is a former McDonald’s All-American. Kerr Kriisa has played in 99 career games and has made 238 3-pointers, while Otega Oweh has seen action in 60 games and was Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer a season ago.

Kentucky’s freshmen group includes Travis Perry and Trent Noah from the state of Kentucky and Collin Chandler, a former top-35 signee in the class of 2022. Perry is the state’s all-time leading scorer, while Noah broke the Sweet 16 state record for most 3-pointers drained in a single run with 19 this season.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – At 12:33 a.m. on a cool June night in Lexington, the Kentucky baseball program accomplished a goal more than 100 years in the making, defeating Oregon State 3-2 in front of a delirious Kentucky Proud Park record crowd to seal a trip to college baseball’s mecca.

The Wildcats are headed to Omaha.

Reliever Johnny Hummel dropped in a perfectly bended breaking ball, stranding the tying run 90 feet away and sending a dugout full of blue-clad players streaming onto the turf as gloves and caps rained down.

And in true Kentucky baseball fashion the game-winning run came on a hair-on-fire dash from Nolan McCarthy, the edgy centerfielder who has never met a moment he wasn’t ready to try and turn into something memorable.

Now, for eternity, his name will be synonymous with one of the most historical moments in the school’s athletics history. He drove in two of the three runs, scored the winner and smoked a pair of doubles that had his teammates telling assembled media he was “crazy.”

But McCarthy’s scramble and Superman slide into home only mattered because pitching coach Dan Roszel’s staff allowed just three hits in two games against one of the nation’s top offenses. Both of Oregon State’s runs came on bases loaded walks.

More than two hours after the game, both McCarthy and catcher Devin Burkes, the heart and soul of the Wildcats, smiled broadly and said the first trip came the only way it could – with the Cats kicking the door down.

NOTES

• Kentucky now is 45-14 in 2024.
• 45 wins ties for the most in school history (2012).
• Kentucky is 19-3 in night games.
• Kentucky is 26-6 at home.
• The crowd of 7,558 set a new all-time Kentucky record, previously set in Game One (7,448).
• Kentucky is 5-0 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• Kentucky won its first-ever Super Regional.
• Kentucky’s pitchers have allowed four run over the last 39 innings.
• Kentucky now has won 17 games this season vs. ranked opponents.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 261-164 career record.
• Mingione now is the second-winningest coach in school history.
• UK is 13-6 in the NCAA Tournament under Mingione.
• UK is 2-4 in NCAA Super Regional action.

Junior Mason Moore did not allow a hit in 3.1 innings but gave up two runs on bases loaded walks.

ON DECK

Kentucky advances to the College World Series and will face the winner of Monday’s Georgia/NC State game.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball head coach Mark Pope announced two additions to the team’s staff on Monday, with Nick Robinson joining as director of operations and Randy Towner coming aboard as head strength coach.

Robinson comes to Lexington after serving as an assistant coach at BYU from 2019-2024, while Towner arrives on campus after most recently working in the Milwaukee Bucks organization.

Working alongside Pope at BYU, the Cougars amounted a 110-51 record during Robinson’s time in Provo, Utah, making two NCAA Tournament appearances, including one as a No. 6 seed this past March.

“Nick Robinson has worked in college basketball in every capacity from being a special assistant to the head coach to the head coach himself,” Pope said. “He’s had incredible success, worked in every area of the country, has a great track record and an incredible future in front of him. Along with being a terrific coach, he was a great player in his own right, hitting one of the most famous shots in the history of the Pac-12. As a Stanford grad, he’s incredibly intelligent and has boundless energy and intensity. Nick is meticulously organized and extremely passionate about building a high-level program. We’re happy to have him on staff.”

“What a privilege to be joining the Kentucky basketball family,” Robinson said. “I’m grateful to Mitch Barnhart and Coach Pope for the opportunity to work with incredible people who strive for excellence in every aspect of the program. The best fans in the country, my family and I are excited to represent BBN and our amazing players.”

Before his arrival in Provo, Robinson was an assistant coach at Seattle from 2017-19 and the head coach at Southern Utah from 2012-16. He spent three seasons in the Southeastern Conference at LSU where he served in a variety of roles including assistant Coach, director of basketball operations and executive assistant to the head coach. Prior to that, Robinson was an assistant coach at William Jewell College in 2008-09 and both an assistant coach and director of operations at his alma mater, Stanford, from 2006-08.   

Robinson played college basketball in Palo Alto from 2001-05, helping the Cardinal to a 92-34 record, Pac-10 regular-season and tournament championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances. His legacy includes hitting one of the most famous shots in Stanford program history when he connected on a running 35-footer at the buzzer to send the No. 2 Cardinal past No. 12 Arizona in 2004. He graduated from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in sociology.

The Wildcats also welcomed Towner, experienced in both the college and professional ranks, to Pope’s inaugural staff in Lexington.

“Randy Towner is one of the elite strength and conditioning coaches in all of basketball,” Pope said. “He spent time in the college ranks before moving on to one of the best staffs in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks. Our guys are blessed to have him here. He has a ton of juice, a wealth of expertise and will embrace what Kentucky basketball is all about.”

Towner worked with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2022-24. Prior to that, he was involved with several college basketball programs, including UTSA, Utah, UAB and Utah Valley, where he worked alongside Pope during the coach’s time with the Wolverines.

“I could not be more excited to join Coach Pope’s staff again,” Towner said. “We had a great experience working together at Utah Valley and I’m excited for the chance to work with him again here at Kentucky. We want to step in and be the best performance staff in the country and help this program win a national championship. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but we are up for the challenge.”

Towner earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science from Utah in 2016. He went on to earn a master’s in sport conditioning and performance from Southern Utah in 2021.

He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA) and a specialist in functional range conditioning movement, performance enhancement and corrective exercise.