Impressive Notes and Numbers from the Kentucky Win over Miami

The first game in the ACC/SEC Challenge served as a celebration for the Big Blue Nation and a warning shot for the rest of the college basketball world. These Kentucky Wildcats are for real.

It’s one thing to completely dominate a top ten team. Kentucky did it with a style that’s visually appealing, yet difficult to quantify. Let’s do our best to quantify the impressive play from John Calipari’s Cats seven games into the 2023-24 season.

A Rare Top 10 Win

— The 95-73 win over No. 8 Miami is the largest margin of victory for the Wildcats against a Top 10 team at Rupp Arena. The previous record was a 21-point win over No. 6 Louisville in 1983, sweet revenge following a loss in the Dream Game.

— Speaking of Louisville, the Kentucky football team celebrated the Governor’s Cup win at center court following the first media timeout. This is the first time in school history the Kentucky basketball and football teams have defeated Top 10 teams in the same week.

Have these guys stopped putting their L’s down long enough to sleep or eat? pic.twitter.com/4dDetDehpB

— Drew Franklin (@DrewFranklinKSR) November 29, 2023

Kentucky is One of the Highest Scoring Teams in America

— Kentucky averages 94.4 points per game, the third-most in college basketball. Over the last three they’re scoring 103 points per game. Kentucky has scored at least 95 points in four straight games for the first time since Pitino’s Bombinos in 1989.

— Kentucky has scored 81 points or more in its first seven games of the season. The Cats have not not started a season that hot since 1970-71 when Adolph Rupp was on the sidelines.

— The victory over Miami moved Kentucky up to No. 3 in KenPom‘s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency rankings.

— Kentucky ranks No. 7 in field goal percentage (51.8%) and No. 4 in three-point shooting percentage (42.6%). The three-point shooting percentage is even more impressive when you consider the Cats rank No. 21 in three-pointers attempted per game (27.9).

— Reed Sheppard is 19-of-30 from behind the three-point line. He’s knocking down 63.3% of his attempts. That’s just stupid.

— Antonio Reeves has made a three-pointer in 18 straight games. Kentucky’s leading scorer (18.9 points per game) ranks fourth in the SEC. Only 13 college basketball players have made more threes than Reeves (22).

Lots of Assists, Few Turnovers

— Kentucky tallied 26 assists on 64 made field goals. It’s the fourth straight game the Cats have recorded art least 24 assists.

— The Wildcats are tied for second in turnovers per game (8.1) and rank seventh in assists per game (20.9). Put those two together, and you have the best assist to turnover ratio in college basketball at 2.561.

— Sheppard contributes to each of those categories with at least two steals in every game. However, he does not lead the Cats in assists. That would be Rob Dillingham. The freshman phenom had nine assists and zero turnovers against Miami. He averages 5.71 assists per game. It’s the most in the SEC and is tied for No. 26 in all of college basketball.

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