Kentucky players stepping into new territory with NCAA Tournament

Of Kentucky’s 11 available scholarship players, only two of them have ever experienced the nerves and simultaneous adrenaline rush of playing in the NCAA Tournament. Sixth-year graduate student Davion Mintz took two trips to March Madness during his time at Creighton while fifth-year graduate student Kellan Grady visited once during his freshman season at Davidson. Both players failed to earn a win in the tourney, with Grady even falling to UK back in 2018.

Everyone else — from transfers Sahvir Wheeler and Oscar Tshiebwe to longstanding veterans Wildcat Keion Brooks Jr. and Dontaie Allen — has yet to make an appearance in the Big Dance. That’ll change on Thursday though when Kentucky takes on the 15-seeded Saint Peter’s Peacocks up in Indianapolis. Luckily, Kentucky’s head coach has plenty of experience in March, and he made sure his players knew that before leaving Lexington.

“I have reminded them a couple times please listen to what I’m saying because I’ve done this a few times, how many of you have, so please listen to what I’m saying,” Calipari said during Wednesday’s pre-tournament press conference. “They’re locked in.”

Kentucky’s entire rotation will have played a combined total of 83 minutes in the NCAA Tournament, with none going to Wheeler, Tshiebwe, Brooks, Allen, Jacob Toppin, or Lance Ware, and obviously not to the trio of freshman: TyTy Washington Jr., Daimion Collins, and Bryce Hopkins.

For Wheeler, the team’s engine and “head of the snake” as Grady referred to him on Wednesday, it’s all about embracing the opportunity.

“For me, just being my first experience, this is something I’m super grateful for,” Wheeler said. “Because as a kid, every basketball player’s dream is to be here and get to the Big Dance. Even at the end of it, you’re watching that one shining moment. So it’s all surreal. I’m taking it in day by day. But obviously I came here to win, compete at the highest level. But it is a blessing. I’m having fun, going to continue to have fun and continue to win as well.”

Looking at Grady, he’s been in this situation before, but under entirely different circumstances. He was new to the college scene and playing for the underdog in Davidson during his first postseason appearance. Now with Kentucky, a two-seed in the field of 68, the pressure to succeed is even more daunting. But at the same time, it brings a refreshing sense of excitement knowing that he’s legitimately competing for a national title.

“For me, it’s a new level of excitement because I’m with a different team,” Grady said Wednesday. “And we’ve gone through adversity, and we’ve gone through an entire season together. It was a new level of excitement to go through this and be on Kentucky. It was amazing for us to get to March Madness and play Kentucky when I was at
Davidson. But I’m excited to embrace this challenge with our team and try our best to take care of business.”

The lack of overall experience might cause some early-minute nerves, which is to be expected. Calipari was not-so-subtly thrilled to get knocked out of the SEC Tournament a round early so his team had an extra day to prepare for the real deal. Even though he has plenty of veterans on the roster, you can’t teach what the nerves of March Madness will do to one’s psyche — you can only hope to be prepared for it.