2015–16 Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball Team
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The 2015–16 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...
in the
2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 13. The first tournament was the 2K Sports Classic and ended with the Final Four in Houston April 2–4. Practices officially began on October 2. Rule changes The followin ...
. The team played its home games in Lexington, Kentucky for the 40th consecutive season at
Rupp Arena Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Central Bank Center (formerly Lexington Center), a convention and shopping facility o ...
, with a capacity of 23,500. The team was led by John Calipari, in his seventh season. They were a member of the
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...
. They finished the season 27–9, 13–5 in SEC play to win a share of the SEC regular season championship. They defeated
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
, and
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
to be champions of the
SEC tournament The Southeastern Conference (SEC) sponsors nine men's sports and twelve women's sports. This is a list of conference champions for each sport. Also see the list of SEC national champions. Members The SEC was established on December 1932, when t ...
. They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Stony Brook in the first round to advance to the second round where they lost to
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.


Departures


2015–16 newcomers

Isaiah Briscoe, originally from
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.ESPNU. He chose Kentucky over St. John's. He was the nation's consensus top point guard, was ranked the consensus No. 13 overall player by the four main recruiting services
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
,
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. He helped lead Team USA at the 2014 FIBA Americans U18 Championships to a gold medal. He was a McDonald's All-America and
Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Bl ...
game selection.
Skal Labissière Skal Labissière (; born March 18, 1996) is a Haitian professional basketball player for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the NBA G League. He graduated from Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee, before playing one season of col ...
, originally from Haiti, was a consensus top five player in the 2015 class. He moved to
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
from his home country after an earthquake disaster in January 2010. Labissière and Briscoe committed on the same night, minutes apart, on ESPNU. Labissière chose Kentucky over
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
. Calipari has likened Labissière to former Wildcats Anthony Davis and
Nerlens Noel Nerlens Noel (born April 10, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His collegiate basketball career ended in his first season with a tear of his anterior cruciate ...
. Charles Matthews, originally from
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, was the first commitment in the 2015 signing class on February 26, 2014. Once considered a top-15 player in class, Matthews finished in the top-60 recruits on the four recruiting services. Mychal Mulder, originally from
Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the southe ...
, was the first signee after the conclusion of the 2015 season. Mulder helped lead
Vincennes University Vincennes University (VU) is a public college with its main campus in Vincennes, Indiana. Founded in 1801 as Jefferson Academy, VU is the oldest public institution of higher learning in Indiana. VU was chartered in 1806 as the Indiana Terri ...
to a 33-2 record, earned JUCO All-America honors and was rated the 13th-best junior-college prospect in the country by 247Sports.com's composite ranking. He chose Kentucky over Creighton,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, and Wichita State at a press conference on April 28.
Jamal Murray Jamal Murray (born February 23, 1997) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Canadian national team. He played one season of college basketball fo ...
, originally from
Kitchener, Ontario ) , image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_blank_emblem = Logo of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , blank_emblem_type = ...
, was the last signee for the 2016 season. Murray was originally a member of the 2016 recruiting class but
reclassified ''Reclassified'' is the reissue of Australians, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea's debut studio album, ''The New Classic'' (2014). It was released internationally on 21 November 2014 by Virgin EMI Records, and in the United States on 24 November ...
to the 2015 class. Murray was rated a top-15 prospect by nearly every recruiting service and tabbed a consensus five-star recruit. Murray's stock began to soar following a breakout performance at the
Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international men's basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, held once a year since 1995, except from 2001–2003, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of international ...
against the USA Basketball Team. He scored 30 points against the United States prior to a 29-point, 10-assist, eight-rebound effort in the
BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game The BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game is an annual Canadian all-star game featuring high school basketball players. It was founded in 2015 by BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc. and Canada Basketball. Originally a boys basketball game, the event was ...
.


Pre-season


Roster

On April 9 the University of Kentucky held a press conference for all players that intended to declare for the 2015 NBA draft. Seven players declared themselves eligible for the draft: Booker, Cauley-Stein, the Harrison twins (Aaron and Andrew), Johnson, Lyles, and Towns. On April 13, assistant coach
Barry Rohrssen Barry "Slice" Rohrssen (born June 24, 1960) is an American college basketball coach and the former head men's basketball coach at Manhattan College. A native of Brooklyn, New York, he was named the 22nd head coach in Manhattan Jaspers basketball ...
left the team to join the St. John's staff under new head coach
Chris Mullin Christopher Paul Mullin (born July 30, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player, executive and coach. He is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (in 2010 as a memb ...
. On April 23 Poythress announced that he would return to Kentucky for his senior season. On April 28 Mulder announced his decision to attend Kentucky at press conference. On May 22 Tony Barbee, who served as special assistant to Calipari in 2015, was officially announced as Rohrssen's replacement on Calipari's staff. On June 24 Murray announced his decision to Kentucky televised on Canada's TSN, donning a Canadian flag. He chose Kentucky over Oregon. On August 20 it was announced that Humphries would reclassify from the 2016 class to the 2015 class to join the team for the season.


Off-season rankings

The earliest preseason predictions were made the day after the
2015 NCAA tournament The 2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. The 77th edition of the tournament began on March ...
on April 7, before final decisions by college players about declaring for the 2015 NBA draft and before many high-school players signed a National Letter of Intent about their 2015 seasons. Despite the speculation that most of the 2015 roster would declare for the NBA draft, ESPN ranked Kentucky as its top ranked team for the 2015-16 season. '' Sporting News'' projected that Kentucky would be one of the top five teams. CBSSports.com ranked Kentucky as their number three team in their initial rankings.


Accolades and rankings

The
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...
preseason media poll was released at the SEC Media Days in October, it predicted that Kentucky would win the championship.
Skal Labissière Skal Labissière (; born March 18, 1996) is a Haitian professional basketball player for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the NBA G League. He graduated from Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee, before playing one season of col ...
and
Tyler Ulis Tyler Ulis (born January 5, 1996) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. At Kentucky in 2015, he led his team in ass ...
were named to the All-SEC First Team. ''USA Today'' announced its initial coaches poll on October 15 with Kentucky ranked as No. 1 in the country, which was also shared with
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
announced on October 31 that Kentucky was ranked No. 2 to start the season in its initial poll of the season.


Events

On May 21 Kentucky released the non-conference portion of its schedule. The schedule is highlighted by marquee match-ups at Rupp Arena and across the country. Kentucky will travel to Chicago to play defending National Champion Duke in the annual Champions Classic, to Los Angeles to play UCLA for its first ever game at
Pauley Pavilion Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams. The ...
, to Miami to play South Florida and former assistant Orlando Antigua, and to Brooklyn to play against Ohio State in the annual
CBS Sports Classic CBS Sports Classic is an annual American men's college basketball event that began in 2014. Four teams participate: Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State, and UCLA. Each team has played one game each year, with the four teams completing a double-he ...
. Kentucky will also host Arizona State and in-state rival Louisville. On August 19 the SEC released its schedule for the upcoming season. Tickets for Big Blue Madness, Kentucky's version of Midnight Madness went on sale and sold out on October 2. Big Blue Madness took place on October 16. The event debuted the team for the 2015-16 season. It included player introductions, a speech by Calipari, and a scrimmage. The Blue-White scrimmage was the first live game for the team. It occurred at Rupp Arena on October 27. Tyler Ulis scored 10 points and added 15 assists as the White squad defeated the Blue squad 74 to 66.


2016–17 commitments and signees

Bam Adebayo, originally from
Pinetown, North Carolina Pinetown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 155. The community is located in northern Beaufort County in the Coastal ...
, was a consensus top 15 player in his class. He committed to Kentucky on November 17, live on ESPN's
Mike & Mike ''Mike & Mike'' (formerly ''Mike and Mike in the Morning'') was an American sports-talk radio show that was hosted by Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic on ESPN networks from 2000–2017. The show aired on ESPN Radio, and was simulcast on televis ...
simulcast radio show. He chose Kentucky over
NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
and Auburn. He is ranked in the top 10 by
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
(No. 6) and
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
(No. 6). 247Sports (No. 14) and Scout (No. 15) tab him as a top-15 prospect in the 2016 class. He has prior USA Basketball experience and was named a
MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including b ...
All-American in 2013. De'Aaron Fox, originally from
Katy, Texas Katy is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Greater Katy area, itself forming the western part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Homes and businesses may have Katy postal addresses without being in the City of Katy. The city o ...
, was the second highest rated point guard that Calipari had signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 12, live on ESPNU. He chose Kentucky over
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
,
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
, and
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
. He was the nation's consensus top point guard, was ranked the consensus No. 3 overall player by the four main recruiting services
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
,
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. Wenyen Gabriel, originally from
Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644. Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Ha ...
, was the third commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on October 1, live on the radio. He chose Kentucky over
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
,
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
, and
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 17 overall player by the four main recruiting services
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
,
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. Sacha Killeya-Jones, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was the second commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on October 1, live on the radio. He chose Kentucky over
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
, and
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. He was a consensus four star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 36 overall player by the four main recruiting services
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
,
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. Malik Monk, originally from
Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is the tenth-largest city in Arkansas, United States and the county seat of Benton County. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers adjacent to the east. The city is the birthplace of and world headquarters locatio ...
, was the second highest rated shooting guard that Calipari signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 18. He chose Kentucky over
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
where his brother, Marcus Monk, played college basketball and football. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 5 overall player by the four main recruiting services
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
,
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
, Scout, and 24/7 Sports.
Tai Wynyard Tai Hikuroa Wynyard (born 5 February 1998) is a New Zealand professional basketball player who last played for the Taranaki Airs of the National Basketball League (NZNBL). He began his career playing in his home country for the New Zealand Bre ...
, originally from
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
,
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, was the first commitment in the 2016 class. Wynyard committed to Kentucky on January 25. He was a consensus four star prospect, and enrolled in December 2015 to join the team in the spring.


Roster

* Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.


Depth chart


Schedule


November

The season officially began on November 13 with a 78–65 victory over Albany in the first game of the HoopHall Invitational at
Rupp Arena Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Central Bank Center (formerly Lexington Center), a convention and shopping facility o ...
. The following night Kentucky defeated
NJIT {{Infobox university , name = {{nowrap, New Jersey Institute of Technology , image = New Jersey IT seal.svg , image_upright = 0.9 , former_names = Newark College of Engineering (1930–1975)Ne ...
87–57 behind 26 points from Labissiere. Three nights later the team traveled to
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
for the Champions Classic to play No. 5
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
. The Cats defeated the Blue Devils 74–63 which was Kentucky's first victory over Duke since the 1998 NCAA tournament Kentucky returned home on November 20 to defeat Wright State 78–63. Ulis led the team with 21 points and 5 assists. Kentucky entered its game against Boston U. on November 24 ranked number one in the country for the first time this season. The Cats defeated the Terriers 82–62. The night after Thanksgiving, on November 27, Kentucky traveled to
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
to play South Florida in the Hoops Hall Invitational. Kentucky defeated the Bulls 84–63 despite losing Ulis in the first half to a hyper-extended elbow. On November 30 Kentucky returned home to defeat
Illinois State Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...
75–63 behind 16 points from Murray.


December

On December 3 Kentucky traveled to Los Angeles to play
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
for their first meeting ever in
Pauley Pavilion Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams. The ...
. UCLA defeated Kentucky 87–77 which was Kentucky's first regular season loss since March 8, 2014 at Florida. Kentucky returned home on December 9 to defeat
Eastern Kentucky Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...
88–67 behind 22 points and 13 rebounds from Poythress. On December 12 Kentucky hosted
Arizona State Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
and defeated the Sun Devils 72–58 behind 14 points and 7 rebounds from Lee. On December 19 Kentucky traveled to
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
to play in the annual
CBS Sports Classic CBS Sports Classic is an annual American men's college basketball event that began in 2014. Four teams participate: Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State, and UCLA. Each team has played one game each year, with the four teams completing a double-he ...
against
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. Despite 33 points from Murray, the Buckeyes defeated UK 67–74. On December 26 Kentucky returned home to play in the annual Battle for the Bluegrass against
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
. For the second consecutive year Ulis was named MVP of the game after a 21 points, 8 assist performance to lead Kentucky to a 75–73 victory. The win marked the seventh victory out of the last eight.


January

Kentucky opened conference play against Ole Miss on January 2 at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated the Rebels 83–61 behind 20 points and 10 assists from Ulis. On January 5 Kentucky traveled to Baton Rouge to face
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
. LSU defeated Kentucky 61–83 giving Kentucky its first SEC regular season loss since March 2014. Coming off the loss to LSU the team traveled to
Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of ...
to face off against
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
. Behind a career high from Poythress (25) Kentucky defeated the Tide 77–61. On January 12 Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena defeat
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
80–74 behind 22 points from Murray. On January 16 Kentucky traveled to Auburn to play Auburn. Despite a 12-point second half lead, Kentucky lost to the Tigers for the first time in the last nineteen games 70–75. On January 21 Kentucky traveled to Fayetteville to play
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
. Behind a career-high 24 points from Ulis, Kentucky defeated Arkansas 80–66. The victory gave Calipari a victory in every SEC arena since becoming Kentucky's head coach in 2009–10. Two days later Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena to defeat Vanderbilt 76–57 behind 21 points from Ulis. On January 28 Kentucky hosted
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
before their last non-conference game of the season. Kentucky defeated the Tigers 88–54 behind 20 points from Ulis and 18 points from Willis. For their last non-conference regular season game of the season Kentucky traveled to
Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...
to face #4
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Wildcats came up short against the Jayhawks with an 84–90 overtime loss in one of the toughest venues in all of college basketball.


February

On February 2 Kentucky traveled to
Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...
to face
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. Despite having a 21-point lead in the first half, the Wildcats fell to the Volunteers 77–84. This was the largest lead that was lost in the John Calipari era at Kentucky. On February 6 Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena to host
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. The Wildcats defeated the Gators 80–61 behind a career-high from Murray (35). Murray's 35 points ties for the most by a freshman in Kentucky history. On February 6 Kentucky defeated
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
82–48 behind 24 points from Murray. Kentucky held the Bulldogs without a made field goal for over 17 minutes. On February 13 Kentucky traveled to Columbia to face
South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
. Despite Calipari being ejected with two technicals in the first minutes of the game, Kentucky dominated the Gamecocks 89–62. On February 18 Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena for a rematch with Tennessee. The Wildcats got revenge over the Volunteers with an 80–70 victory, their fourth in a row. On February 20 Kentucky traveled to College Station to face
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
. The Wildcats fell to the Aggies in overtime 77–79 after a buzzer beating lay-up by A&M. On February 23 Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena for their second contest with Alabama. The Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide 78–53 behind 23 points from Murray. On February 27 Kentucky traveled to Nashville to face Vanderbilt in their second contest of the season. The Commodores defeated Kentucky 62–74 despite 33 points from Murray.


March

On March 1 Kentucky traveled to Gainesville for their second contest against Florida. In their last road game of the season Kentucky defeated the Gators 88–79 behind 20 points from Murray, his seventh straight game of 20 or more points. The game also saw the reemergence of Labissiere, who made the most of his first start since December 12 by chipping in 11 points and eight rebounds. On March 5 Kentucky hosted LSU for their second contest against the Tigers. In their last regular season game of the season Kentucky defeated the Bayou Bengals 94–77 to claim a share of their 47th SEC regular-season title. Willis returned for his first game since February 20 due to a sprained right ankle. Murray scored 22 points, Labissiere added 18 and Poythress scored 12 in his last game at Rupp Arena.


SEC Tournament


Schedule

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Honors


Watch lists

On January 13 Murray and Ulis were two of three SEC players (with Ben Simmons) named to the 25-man
John R. Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...
midseason watchlist. On February 29 Ulis was named one of eleven finalists for the
Oscar Robertson Trophy The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 195 ...
by the USBWA. Also on February 29 Murray was named one of five finalists for the Wayman Tisdale Award by the USBWA. On March 5 Ulis was one of fourteen players named as a Wooden Award finalist by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.


Weekly awards

On November 16 Labissiere was named SEC Freshman of the Week following a 26-point career-high against NJIT. On November 23 Ulis was named SEC Player of the Week following a victory over Duke. On December 7 Briscoe was named SEC Freshman of the Week after scoring 19 points in games against Illinois State and UCLA. On December 14 Murray was named SEC Freshman of the Week after 16.5 points, a guard-best 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in wins over Eastern Kentucky and Arizona State. On December 28 Ulis was named the SEC Player of the Week after his performance against Louisville.


SEC Awards

Ulis was named SEC Player of the Year, the first Kentucky player since Anthony Davis in 2012. Ulis was also named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Murray and Ulis were unanimous first-team All-SEC selections by coaches and the media. Murray was also named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Following the victory over Texas A&M in the SEC Championship, Ulis was named MVP of the SEC Tournament.


National district awards


All-American and national awards

Ulis was a consensus first-team All-American. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
named Ulis as a first-team All-American, and Murray as a third-team All-American. The
USBWA The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...
named Ulis a second-team All-American. The NABC named Ulis a second-team All-American. The '' Sporting News'' named Ulis a first-team All-American.


2016 NBA draft

On April 1 the University of Kentucky held a press conference for Murray as he declared himself eligible for the 2016 NBA draft, and would forgo his remaining eligibility by signing with an agent. On April 5 Labissiere declared himself eligible for the draft, and would forgo his remaining eligibility by signing with an agent. On April 6 the University of Kentucky held a press conference for Ulis as he declared himself eligible for the draft, and would forgo his remaining eligibility by signing with an agent. In the draft Murray was selected No. 7 by Denver. He was followed by Labissiere, who went to the Phoenix Suns at No. 28 and traded to the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
; In the second round Ulis was taken No. 34 by the Suns.


NBA draft selections


See also

* 2015–16 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2015-16 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball seasons
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...