2015–16 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

2015–16 season of University of Kentucky men's basketball team March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 2015–16 Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats logo.svg Southeastern Conference SEC 16 10 27–9 13–5 John Calipari 7th John Robic 7th Kenny Payne 6th Tony Barbee 2nd Rupp Arena SEC tournament championsSEC regular season co-champions NCAA tournament Second Round The 2015–16 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in Lexington, Kentucky for the 40th consecutive season at Rupp Arena, 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. They finished the season 27–9, 13–5 in SEC play to win a share of the SEC regular season championship. They defeated Alabama, Georgia, and Texas A&M to be champions of the SEC tournament. 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. Departures Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes Devin Booker 1 Guard 78 6'6" 206 1 Freshman Grand Rapids, Michigan Entered 2015 NBA draft Aaron Harrison 2 Guard 78 6'6" 212 2 Sophomore Fort Bend, Texas Entered 2015 NBA draft Andrew Harrison basketball 5 Guard 78 6'6" 212 2 Sophomore Fort Bend, Texas Entered 2015 NBA draft Karl-Anthony Towns 12 Forward 78 6'11" 250 1 Freshman Piscataway, New Jersey Entered 2015 NBA draft Sam Malone 1 13 Guard 78 5'11" 185 4 Senior Scituate, Massachusetts Graduated Willie Cauley-Stein 15 Center 78 7'0" 240 3 Junior Olathe, Kansas Entered 2015 NBA draft Tod Lanter 1 21 Guard 78 6'2" 190 4 Senior Lexington, Kentucky Graduated Brian Long 1 32 Guard 78 5'9" 155 4 Senior Dumont, New Jersey Graduated Trey Lyles 41 Forward 78 6'10" 235 1 Freshman Indianapolis, Indiana Entered 2015 NBA draft Dakari Johnson 44 Center 78 7'0" 255 2 Sophomore Brooklyn, New York Entered 2015 NBA draft 2015–16 newcomers thumb|Recruit Isaiah Briscoe at the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game Isaiah Briscoe, originally from Newark, New Jersey, was the third highest rated point guard that Calipari had signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 13, live on ESPNU.https://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/11871615/skal-labissiere-isaiah-briscoe-commit-kentucky-wildcats Kentucky gains 2015's top class 2015-04-06 2014-11-13 ESPN.com 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, ESPN, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. He helped lead Team USA at the 2014 FIBA Americans U18 Championships to a gold medal.http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111414aaa.html Kentucky Adds Three for 2015 2015-04-06 2014-11-14 University of Kentucky https://web.archive.org/web/20150412181802/http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111414aaa.html 2015-04-12 dead He was a McDonald's All-America and Jordan Brand Classic game selection.http://www.kentucky.com/2015/01/28/3665975/uk-signee-briscoe-named-mcdonalds.html UK signees Briscoe, Murray named McDonald's All-Americans 2015-04-06 2015-01-28 Lexington Herald-Leaderhttp://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/recruiting/2015/03/05/jordan-games-uk-signees/24428427/ Four UK signees chosen to Jordan Brand Classic 2015-04-06 2015-03-05 The Courier-Journal Skal Labissière, originally from Haiti, was a consensus top five player in the 2015 class. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee from his home country after an earthquake disaster in January 2010.https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2014/10/27/7081065/skal-labissiere-recruiting-memphis-kentucky Top recruit Skal Labissiere says he's playing for a prep school that might not exist 2015-04-06 2014-10-27 SB Nation Labissière and Briscoe committed on the same night, minutes apart, on ESPNU. Labissière chose Kentucky over Memphis. Calipari has likened Labissière to former Wildcats Anthony Davis and Nerlens Noel. Charles Matthews, originally from Chicago, Illinois, was the first commitment in the 2015 signing class on February 26, 2014.https://www.espn.com/chicago/story/_/id/10520316/charles-matthews-chicago-st-rita-commits-kentucky-wildcats Charles Matthews commits to UK 2015-04-06 2014-02-26 The Courier-Journal 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, was the first signee after the conclusion of the 2015 season. Mulder helped lead Vincennes University 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, and Wichita State at a press conference on April 28.http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2015/04/28/four-star-juco-guard-mulder-picks-kentucky/26526735/ Four-star JUCO guard Mulder picks Kentucky 2015-04-28 2015-04-29 Courier-Journal Tucker, Kylehttp://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2015/04/28/mychal-mulder-juco-kentucky-indiana-vincennes/26505009/ Vincennes guard also considered Wichita State and Creighton 2015-04-29 2015-04-29 Lexington Herald-Leader Roberts, Ben Jamal Murray, originally from Kitchener, Ontario, was the last signee for the 2016 season. Murray was originally a member of the 2016 recruiting class but reclassified 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 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/062515aac.html Five-Star Recruit Murray Signs with Kentucky Men's Basketball 2015-06-25 2015-06-25 CBS Interactive UKAthletics https://web.archive.org/web/20150626124358/http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/062515aac.html 2015-06-26 dead no no 2015 Isaiah Briscoe PG Newark, New Jersey Roselle Catholic 6 3 200 2014-11-13 5 5 5 5 Isaac Humphries C Sydney, Australia La Lumiere School 7 0 260 2015-08-20 4 4 4 4 Skal Labissière C Port-au-Prince, Haiti Lausanne Collegiate School 6 11 210 2014-11-13 5 5 5 5 Charles Matthews SG Chicago, Illinois St. Rita 6 5 175 2014-02-26 4 4 4 4 Mychal Mulder SG Windsor, Ontario Vincennes University (IN) 6 4 185 2015-04-28 3 3 4 3 Jamal Murray SG Kitchener, Ontario Athlete Institute 6 5 195 2015-06-24 5 5 5 5 2015 Kentucky 2015 Basketball Commitments 2015 Kentucky Basketball Commits ESPN kentucky 48 96 2 2 2 1 2015-04-06 yes 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040915aaa.html Seven Wildcats Declare for NBA Draft 2015-04-09 2015-04-09 CBS Interactive UKAthletics https://web.archive.org/web/20150411222014/http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040915aaa.html 2015-04-11 deadhttps://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/record-kentucky-players-intend-enter-nba-draft-30201799 Seven Wildcats Declare for NBA Draft 2015-04-09 2015-04-09 Associated Press Graves, Gary On April 13, assistant coach Barry Rohrssen left the team to join the St. John's staff under new head coach Chris Mullin.https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2015/04/12/kentucky-barry-rohrssen-st-johns-chris-mullin Reports: Kentucky assistant Barry Rohrssen to join St. John's staff 2015-04-13 2015-04-13 Sports Illustrated Gartland, Dan On April 23 Poythress announced that he would return to Kentucky for his senior season.http://www.coachcal.com/34580/2015/04/poythress-announces-return-on-twitter/ Poythress announces return on Twitter 2015-04-23 2015-04-23 CoachCal.com Camfield, Metz https://web.archive.org/web/20150626125013/http://www.coachcal.com/34580/2015/04/poythress-announces-return-on-twitter/ 2015-06-26 deadhttp://www.kentucky.com/2015/04/23/3815956/jerry-tipton-cal-poythress-to.html With Poythress back and Lee stepping up, Calipari likes where Cats will be next season 2015-04-23 2015-04-23 Lexington Herald-Leader Tipton, Jerry 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/052215aaa.html Barbee Elevated to Assistant Coach 2015-05-22 2015-05-22 CBS Interactive UKAthletics https://web.archive.org/web/20150525052557/http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/052215aaa.html 2015-05-25 deadhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2015/05/22/calipari-promotes-tony-barbee-to-wildcats-assistant-coach/27776131/ Calipari promotes Tony Barbee to Wildcats assistant coach 2015-05-22 2015-05-22 USA Today AP On June 24 Murray announced his decision to Kentucky televised on Canada's TSN, donning a Canadian flag. He chose Kentucky over Oregon.https://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/13144040/five-star-guard-jamal-murray-commits-kentucky-wildcats-reclassify-2015-class 5-star Murray picks Kentucky 2015-06-24 2015-06-24 Courier-Journal Tucker, Kylehttps://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/2015/06/24/canadian-hoops-phenom-jamal-murray-chooses-university-of-kentucky.html Canadian hoops phenom Jamal Murray chooses University of Kentucky 2015-06-24 2015-06-24 Toronto Star 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 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.https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12623594/kentucky-wildcats-headline-early-top-25-ranking-2015-16-men-college-basketball-season Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2015-16 2015-04-06 2015-04-06 ESPN Brennan, Eamonn Sporting News projected that Kentucky would be one of the top five teams.http://www.sportingnews.com/list/4640881-top-25-ranking-2015-16-way-too-early-virginia-arizona-north-carolina-unc-kentucky-kans Forecasting the NCAA basketball top 25 in 2015-16 2015-04-06 2015-04-06 Sporting News CBSSports.com ranked Kentucky as their number three team in their initial rankings.http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25138457/virginia-headlines-ridiculously-early-preseason-top-25-and-one Virginia Cavs headline Ridiculously Early Preseason Top 25 (and one) 2015-04-06 2015-04-06 CBSSports.com Accolades and rankings The Southeastern Conference preseason media poll was released at the SEC Media Days in October, it predicted that Kentucky would win the championship.http://www.secsports.com/article/13926979/media-picks-kentucky-win-sec Media picks Kentucky to win SEC Southeastern Conference October 22, 2014 October 21, 2015 Skal Labissière and Tyler Ulis 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.http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/basketball-men/polls/coaches-poll/2015/1/ Top 25 Teams, Week 1 USA Today October 15, 2015 The Associated Press announced on October 31 that Kentucky was ranked No. 2 to start the season in its initial poll of the season.http://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll/2016/1 The AP Top 25 Poll AP November 2, 2015 2015-11-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20151117233043/http://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll/2016/1 2015-11-17 dead Events On May 21 Kentucky released the non-conference portion of its schedule.http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/052115aaa.html Wildcats Unveil Formidable Non-Conference 2015-16 Schedule 2015-05-21 2015-05-21 CBS Interactive UKAthletics https://web.archive.org/web/20150524055644/http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/052115aaa.html 2015-05-24 dead 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, 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. Kentucky will also host Arizona State and in-state rival Louisville. On August 19 the SEC released its schedule for the upcoming season.http://www.secsports.com/article/13463128/sec-releases-2016-men-basketball-schedule SEC releases 2016 men's basketball schedule 2015-08-19 2015-05-19 SEC Sports Tickets for Big Blue Madness, Kentucky's version of Midnight Madness went on sale and sold out on October 2.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/big-blue-madness-tickets-sold-out-10-02-2015 Madness Tickets SOLD OUT 2015-10-02 2015-10-02 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151006215839/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/big-blue-madness-tickets-sold-out-10-02-2015 2015-10-06 dead 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/top-six-moments-from-big-blue-madness-2015-10-16-2015 Top six moments from Big Blue Madness 2014 2014-10-16 CBS Interactive UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151020011613/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/top-six-moments-from-big-blue-madness-2015-10-16-2015 2015-10-20 dead 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/guards-dazzle-in-blue-white-scrimmage-10-27-2015 Blue-White Scrimmage Notes 2015-10-27 2013-10-27 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151030233530/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/guards-dazzle-in-blue-white-scrimmage-10-27-2015 2015-10-30 dead 2016–17 commitments and signees thumb|180px|Sacha Killeya-Jones Bam Adebayo, originally from Pinetown, North Carolina, was a consensus top 15 player in his class. He committed to Kentucky on November 17, live on ESPN's Mike & Mike simulcast radio show.https://www.espn.com/recruiting/basketball/story/_/id/14152175/edrice-bam-adebayo-commits-kentucky-wildcats No. 6 recruit Edrice 'Bam' Adebayo commits to Kentucky 2015-11-17 2015-11-17 ESPN.com He chose Kentucky over NC State and Auburn. He is ranked in the top 10 by Rivals (No. 6) and ESPN (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 All-American in 2013.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-men-s-basketball-signs-six-in-fall-signing-11-19-2015 Kentucky Men's Basketball Signs Six in Fall Signing Period 2015-11-19 2014-11-19 University of Kentucky dead https://web.archive.org/web/20170328005752/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-men-s-basketball-signs-six-in-fall-signing-11-19-2015 2017-03-28 De'Aaron Fox, originally from Katy, Texas, was the second highest rated point guard that Calipari had signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 12, live on ESPNU.https://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/14115542/deaaron-fox-no-7-espn-100-commits-kentucky-wildcats Point guard De'Aaron Fox, No. 7 in ESPN 100, chooses Kentucky 2015-11-12 2015-11-12 ESPN.com He chose Kentucky over Kansas, Louisville, and LSU. He was the nation's consensus top point guard, was ranked the consensus No. 3 overall player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. Wenyen Gabriel, originally from Manchester, New Hampshire, was the third commitment in the Kentucky class. He committed to Kentucky on October 1, live on the radio.https://www.espn.com/recruiting/basketball/story/_/id/13784752/kentucky-wildcats-land-recruit-wenyen-gabriel No. 23-rated Wenyen Gabriel chooses Kentucky over Duke, others 2015-10-01 2015-10-01 ESPN.com He chose Kentucky over Connecticut, Duke, and Maryland. He was a consensus five star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 17 overall player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, 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.https://www.espn.com/recruiting/basketball/story/_/id/13467026/recruit-sacha-killeya-jones-commits-kentucky-wildcats Sacha Killeya-Jones commits to Kentucky Wildcats 2015-08-26 2015-08-26 ESPN.com He chose Kentucky over Connecticut, North Carolina, and Virginia. He was a consensus four star prospect, and was ranked the consensus No. 36 overall player by the four main recruiting services Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. Malik Monk, originally from Bentonville, Arkansas, was the second highest rated shooting guard that Calipari signed at Kentucky. He committed to Kentucky on November 18.https://www.espn.com/recruiting/basketball/story/_/id/14161493/no-5-recruit-malik-monk-commits-kentucky-wildcats No. 5 recruit Malik Monk commits to Kentucky 2015-11-18 2015-11-18 ESPN.com He chose Kentucky over Arkansas 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, ESPN, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. Tai Wynyard, originally from Auckland, New Zealand, was the first commitment in the 2016 class. Wynyard committed to Kentucky on January 25.http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/recruiting/kentucky/2015/01/25/new-zealand-basketball-player-tai-wynyard-commits-kentucky-basketball-team/22316051/ New Zealand's Wynyard commits to UK hoops 2015-11-18 2015-11-18 Courier-Journal Jones, Steve He was a consensus four star prospect, and enrolled in December 2015 to join the team in the spring. no no 2016 Bam Adebayo PF Pinetown, NC High Point Christian Academy 6 9 230 2015-11-17 5 5 5 5 De'Aaron Fox PG Katy, TX Cypress Lakes HS 6 4 170 2015-11-12 5 5 5 5 Wenyen Gabriel PF Manchester, NH Wilbraham & Monson Academy 6 9 203 2015-10-01 5 5 5 5 Sacha Killeya-Jones PF Chapel Hill, NC Virginia Episcopal School 6 10 200 2015-08-19 4 4 5 4 Malik Monk SG Bentonville, AR Bentonville HS 6 2 185 2015-11-18 5 5 5 5 Tai Wynyard PF Auckland, New Zealand Rangitoto College 6 9 230 2015-01-25 4 4 4 4 2016 Kentucky 2016 Basketball Commitments 2016 Kentucky Basketball Commits ESPN kentucky 48 96 2015-08-20 yes Roster 2015 Kentucky Wildcats y yes Marcus Lee y 00 F 6 9 224 JR Antioch, California Deer Valley Skal Labissière y 1 C 6 11 225 FR Port-au-Prince, Haiti Lausanne (TN) Tyler Ulis 3 y G 5 9 160 SO Lima, Ohio Marian Catholic Charles Matthews basketball y 4 G 6 6 189 FR Chicago, Illinois St. Rita Jonny David 10 G 6 2 175 FR Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Mt. Lebanon W Mychal Mulder y 11 G 6 4 185 JR Windsor, Ontario Vincennes Isaiah Briscoe 13 y G 6 3 202 FR Newark, New Jersey Roselle Catholic Tai Wynyard y 14 F 6 10 255 FR Auckland, New Zealand Rangitoto College yes Isaac Humphries y 15 F 7 0 260 FR Sydney, Australia La Lumiere School Alex Poythress y 22 F 6 8 230 SR Clarksville, Tennessee Northeast Jamal Murray y 23 G 6 4 207 FR Kitchener, Ontario Athlete Institute E. J. Floréal 24 G 6 4 203 JR Palo Alto, California Dunbar Dominique Hawkins 25 G 6 0 190 JR Richmond, Kentucky Madison Central Dillon Pulliam 32 G 6 3 180 SO Cynthiana, Kentucky Transylvania W Derek Willis y 35 F 6 9 220 JR Mount Washington, Kentucky Bullitt East John Calipari (Clarion) John Robic (Denison) Kenny Payne (Louisville) Tony Barbee (UMass) http://www.ukathletics.com/sport/m-baskbl/roster/#/2015/Players/table December 18, 2015 Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons. Depth chart 273BE2 FFFFFF 273BE2 Marcus Lee Alex Poythress Jamal Murray Isaiah Briscoe Tyler Ulis Isaac Humphries Skal Labissière Derek Willis Charles Matthews Dominique Hawkins E. J. Floreal Mychal Mulder Johnny David 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-downs-albany-in-season-opener-11-13-2015 Kentucky Downs Albany in Season Opener 2015-11-13 2015-11-13 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151115072327/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-downs-albany-in-season-opener-11-13-2015 2015-11-15 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400809380 Albany vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-11-13 2015-11-13 ESPN.com The following night Kentucky defeated NJIT 87–57 behind 26 points from Labissiere.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/labissiere-leads-cats-past-njit-11-14-2015 Labissiere Leads Cats Past NJIT 2015-11-14 2015-11-14 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151119064235/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/labissiere-leads-cats-past-njit-11-14-2015 2015-11-19 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400809381 NJIT vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-11-14 2015-11-14 ESPN.com Three nights later the team traveled to Chicago for the Champions Classic to play No. 5 Duke. The Cats defeated the Blue Devils 74–63 which was Kentucky's first victory over Duke since the 1998 NCAA tournamenthttp://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-cats-put-on-early-season-display-against-duke-11-17-2015 Ulis, Cats Put on Early-Season Display against Duke 2015-11-17 2015-11-17 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151119052229/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-cats-put-on-early-season-display-against-duke-11-17-2015 2015-11-19 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400809203 Duke vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-11-18 2015-11-18 ESPN.com Kentucky returned home on November 20 to defeat Wright State 78–63. Ulis led the team with 21 points and 5 assists.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-tops-wright-state-78-63-11-20-2015 Kentucky Tops Wright State, 78-63 2015-11-20 2015-11-20 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151123053645/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-tops-wright-state-78-63-11-20-2015 2015-11-23 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400814247 Wright State vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-11-20 2015-11-20 ESPN.com 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/poythress-leads-cats-past-boston-82-62-11-24-2015 Poythress, Labissiere Lead Cats Past Boston, 82-62 2015-11-24 2015-11-24 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151128052815/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/poythress-leads-cats-past-boston-82-62-11-24-2015 2015-11-28 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400809386 Boston U. vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-11-24 2015-11-24 ESPN.com The night after Thanksgiving, on November 27, Kentucky traveled to Miami 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-bounce-bulls-84-63-11-27-2015 Cats Bounce Bulls, 84-63 2015-11-27 2015-11-27 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151128183937/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-bounce-bulls-84-63-11-27-2015 2015-11-28 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400809389 South Florida vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-11-27 2015-11-27 ESPN.com On November 30 Kentucky returned home to defeat Illinois State 75–63 behind 16 points from Murray.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/briscoe-murray-lead-cats-past-illinois-state-11-30-2015 Briscoe, Murray Lead Cats Past Illinois State 2015-11-30 2015-11-30 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151222081228/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/briscoe-murray-lead-cats-past-illinois-state-11-30-2015 2015-12-22 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400814193 Illinois State vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-11-30 2015-11-30 ESPN.com December On December 3 Kentucky traveled to Los Angeles to play UCLA for their first meeting ever in Pauley Pavilion. UCLA defeated Kentucky 87–77 which was Kentucky's first regular season loss since March 8, 2014 at Florida.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-falls-at-ucla-12-03-2015 Kentucky Falls at UCLA 2015-12-03 2015-12-03 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151207061735/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-falls-at-ucla-12-03-2015 2015-12-07 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400814224 UCLA vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-12-03 2015-12-03 ESPN.com Kentucky returned home on December 9 to defeat Eastern Kentucky 88–67 behind 22 points and 13 rebounds from Poythress.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/poythress-leads-cats-past-colonels-88-67-12-09-2015 Poythress Leads Cats Past Colonels, 88-67 2015-12-09 2015-12-09 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151213061237/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/poythress-leads-cats-past-colonels-88-67-12-09-2015 2015-12-13 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400814248 EKU vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-12-09 2015-12-09 ESPN.com On December 12 Kentucky hosted Arizona State and defeated the Sun Devils 72–58 behind 14 points and 7 rebounds from Lee.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-downs-arizona-state-72-58-12-12-2015 Kentucky Downs Arizona State, 72-58 2015-12-12 2015-12-12 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151213200235/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-downs-arizona-state-72-58-12-12-2015 2015-12-13 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400813775 Arizona State vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-12-12 2015-12-12 ESPN.com On December 19 Kentucky traveled to Brooklyn to play in the annual CBS Sports Classic against Ohio State. Despite 33 points from Murray, the Buckeyes defeated UK 67–74.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-rallies-but-falls-to-ohio-state-12-19-2015 Kentucky Rallies, but Falls to Ohio State 2015-12-19 2015-12-19 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151222225620/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-rallies-but-falls-to-ohio-state-12-19-2015 2015-12-22 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400813750 Ohio State vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-12-19 2015-12-19 ESPN.com On December 26 Kentucky returned home to play in the annual Battle for the Bluegrass against Louisville. 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-leads-cats-past-cards-75-73-12-26-2015 Ulis Leads Cats Past Cards, 75-73 2015-12-26 2015-12-26 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151228204230/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-leads-cats-past-cards-75-73-12-26-2015 2015-12-28 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400814249 Louisville vs Kentucky boxscore 2015-12-26 2015-12-26 ESPN.com January right|thumb|Calipari earned his first win in Bud Walton Arena in 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-win-sec-opener-over-ole-miss-01-02-2016 Cats Win SEC Opener Over Ole Miss 2016-01-02 2016-01-02 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160106100139/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-win-sec-opener-over-ole-miss-01-02-2016 2016-01-06 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830373 Ole Miss vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-01-02 2016-01-02 ESPN.com On January 5 Kentucky traveled to Baton Rouge to face LSU. LSU defeated Kentucky 61–83 giving Kentucky its first SEC regular season loss since March 2014.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-falls-at-lsu-01-05-2016 Kentucky Falls at LSU 2016-01-05 2016-01-05 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160109120226/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-falls-at-lsu-01-05-2016 2016-01-09 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830377 LSU vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-01-05 2016-01-05 ESPN.com Coming off the loss to LSU the team traveled to Tuscaloosa to face off against Alabama. Behind a career high from Poythress (25) Kentucky defeated the Tide 77–61.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/poythress-lee-deliver-big-at-bama-01-09-2016 Poythress, Lee Deliver Big at Bama 2016-01-09 2016-01-09 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160114200153/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/poythress-lee-deliver-big-at-bama-01-09-2016 2016-01-14 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830384 Alabama vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-01-09 2016-01-09 ESPN.com On January 12 Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena defeat Mississippi State 80–74 behind 22 points from Murray.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-holds-off-mississippi-state-80-74-01-12-2016 Kentucky Holds Off Mississippi State, 80-74 2016-01-12 2016-01-12 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160116123933/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-holds-off-mississippi-state-80-74-01-12-2016 2016-01-16 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830393 Mississippi State vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-01-12 2016-01-12 ESPN.com 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-comes-up-short-at-auburn-01-16-2016 Kentucky Holds Off Mississippi State, 80-74 2016-01-12 2016-01-12 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160127111718/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-comes-up-short-at-auburn-01-16-2016 2016-01-27 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830399 Auburn vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-01-16 2016-01-16 ESPN.com On January 21 Kentucky traveled to Fayetteville to play Arkansas. 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/confidence-the-difference-for-willis-labissiere-01-21-2016 Confidence the Difference for Willis, Labissiere 2016-01-21 2016-01-21 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160126022113/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/confidence-the-difference-for-willis-labissiere-01-21-2016 2016-01-26 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830405 Arkansas vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-01-21 2016-01-21 ESPN.com Two days later Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena to defeat Vanderbilt 76–57 behind 21 points from Ulis.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/wildcats-sink-commodores-76-57-01-23-2016 Kentucky dominates Vanderbilt 2016-01-23 2016-01-23 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160126022155/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/wildcats-sink-commodores-76-57-01-23-2016 2016-01-26 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830416 Vanderbilt vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-01-23 2016-01-23 ESPN.com On January 28 Kentucky hosted Missouri 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-blasts-missouri-88-54-01-27-2016 Kentucky Blasts Missouri, 88-54 2016-01-28 2016-01-28 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160131040459/http://ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-blasts-missouri-88-54-01-27-2016 2016-01-31 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830421 Missouri vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-01-28 2016-01-28 ESPN.com For their last non-conference regular season game of the season Kentucky traveled to Lawrence to face #4 Kansas 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-fall-to-kansas-in-overtime-90-84-01-30-2016 Cats Fall to Kansas in Overtime, 90-84 2016-01-30 2016-01-30 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160202204832/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-fall-to-kansas-in-overtime-90-84-01-30-2016 2016-02-02 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400809418 Kentucky vs Kansas boxscore 2016-01-30 2016-01-30 ESPN.com February On February 2 Kentucky traveled to Knoxville to face Tennessee. 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-fall-at-tennessee-84-77-02-02-2016 Cats Fall at Tennessee, 84-77 2016-02-02 2016-02-02 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160206024419/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-fall-at-tennessee-84-77-02-02-2016 2016-02-06 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830428 Kentucky vs Tennessee boxscore 2016-02-02 2016-02-02 ESPN.com On February 6 Kentucky returned to Rupp Arena to host Florida. 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/murray-leads-cats-past-gators-80-61-02-06-2016 Murray Leads Cats Past Gators, 80-61 2016-02-06 2016-02-06 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160210024319/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/murray-leads-cats-past-gators-80-61-02-06-2016 2016-02-10 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830434 Florida vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-02-06 2016-02-06 ESPN.com On February 6 Kentucky defeated Georgia 82–48 behind 24 points from Murray. Kentucky held the Bulldogs without a made field goal for over 17 minutes.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-pound-bulldogs-82-48-02-09-2016 Cats Pound Bulldogs, 82-48 2016-02-09 2016-02-09 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160306190747/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-pound-bulldogs-82-48-02-09-2016 2016-03-06 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830442 Georgia vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-02-09 2016-02-09 ESPN.com On February 13 Kentucky traveled to Columbia to face South Carolina. Despite Calipari being ejected with two technicals in the first minutes of the game, Kentucky dominated the Gamecocks 89–62.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-crush-gamecocks-89-62-02-13-2016 Cats Crush Gamecocks, 89-62 2016-02-13 2016-02-13 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160216072828/http://ukathletics.com/news/cats-crush-gamecocks-89-62-02-13-2016 2016-02-16 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830450 Kentucky vs South Carolina boxscore 2016-02-13 2016-02-13 ESPN.com 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-top-vols-80-70-02-18-2016 Cats Top Vols, 80-70 2016-02-18 2016-02-18 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160222042345/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-top-vols-80-70-02-18-2016 2016-02-22 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830459 Tennessee vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-02-18 2016-02-18 ESPN.com On February 20 Kentucky traveled to College Station to face Texas A&M. The Wildcats fell to the Aggies in overtime 77–79 after a buzzer beating lay-up by A&M.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-fall-to-aggies-in-ot-79-77-02-20-2016 Cats Fall to Aggies in OT, 79-77 2016-02-20 2016-02-20 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160306185555/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-fall-to-aggies-in-ot-79-77-02-20-2016 2016-03-06 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830463 Kentucky vs Texas A&M boxscore 2016-02-20 2016-02-20 ESPN.com 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-roll-past-tide-78-53-02-23-2016 Cats Roll Past Tide, 78-53 2016-02-23 2016-02-23 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160226234804/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-roll-past-tide-78-53-02-23-2016 2016-02-26 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830468 Alabama vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-02-23 2016-02-23 ESPN.com 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-fall-at-vanderbilt-74-62-02-27-2016 Cats Fall at Vanderbilt, 74-62 2016-02-27 2016-02-27 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160301101015/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-fall-at-vanderbilt-74-62-02-27-2016 2016-03-01 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830478 Kentucky vs Vanderbilt boxscore 2016-02-27 2016-02-27 ESPN.com 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-wins-at-florida-88-79-03-01-2016 Kentucky Wins at Florida, 88-79 2016-03-01 2016-03-01 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160304172731/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/kentucky-wins-at-florida-88-79-03-01-2016 2016-03-04 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830484 Kentucky vs Florida boxscore 2016-03-01 2016-03-01 ESPN.com 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-claim-sec-co-championship-with-win-over-lsu-03-05-2016 Cats Claim SEC Co-Championship with Win Over LSU 2016-03-05 2016-03-05 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160308002420/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/cats-claim-sec-co-championship-with-win-over-lsu-03-05-2016 2016-03-08 deadhttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400830492 LSU vs Kentucky boxscore 2016-03-05 2016-03-05 ESPN.com SEC Tournament Schedule yes yes |- !colspan=12 style="background:#0033A0; color:white;"| Exhibition November 2, 2015 7:00 pm yes 2 Ottawa Rupp Arena Lexington, KY SECN Murray 22 Murray 12 Ulis 10 117–58 20,743 – November 6, 2015 6:00 pm yes 2 Kentucky State Rupp Arena Lexington, KY ESPNU Labissière 22 Lee 11 Willis 5 111–58 21,328 – |- !colspan=12 style="background:#0033A0; color:white;"| Regular season November 13, 2015 7:00 pm yes 2 Albany Rupp Arena Lexington, KY SECN Murray 19 Lee 8 Murray 8 78–65 22,080 1–0 November 14, 2015 7:00 pm yes 2 NJIT Rupp Arena Lexington, KY SECN Labissière 26 Briscoe 12 Ulis 5 87–57 22,671 2–0 November 17, 2015 7:30 pm yes yes 2 Duke 5 United Center Chicago, IL Champions Classic ESPN Ulis 18 Lee 10 Ulis 6 74–63 21,461 3–0 November 20, 2015 8:00 pm yes 2 Wright State Rupp Arena Lexington, KY SECN Ulis 21 Poythress 10 Ulis 5 78–63 22,563 4–0 November 24, 2015 9:00 pm yes 1 Boston University Rupp Arena Lexington, KY Hoophall Miami Invitational SECN Labissière 16 Poythress 10 Ulis 6 82–62 22,623 5–0 November 27, 2015 5:00 pm yes yes 1 South Florida American Airlines Arena Miami, FL Hoophall Miami Invitational ESPN Murray 21 Tied 6 Briscoe 7 84–63 10,023 6–0 November 30, 2015 7:00 pm yes 1 Illinois State Rupp Arena Lexington, KY ESPN2 Murray 16 Lee 12 Briscoe 3 75–63 21,894 7–0 December 3, 2015 9:00 pm yes yes 1 UCLA Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA ESPN Briscoe 20 Tied 6 Ulis 9 77–87 12,202 7–1 December 9, 2015 7:00 pm yes 5 Eastern Kentucky Rupp Arena Lexington, KY ESPN2 Poythress 22 Poythress 13 Ulis 8 88–67 22,544 8–1 December 12, 2015 3:15 pm yes 5 Arizona State Rupp Arena Lexington, KY ESPN Murray 17 Lee 7 Ulis 6 72–58 23,665 9–1 December 19, 2015 3:30 pm yes yes 4 Ohio State Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY CBS Sports Classic CBS Murray 33 Lee 9 Briscoe 7 67–74 16,311 9–2 December 26, 2015 12:00 pm yes 12 Louisville 16 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY The Battle for the Bluegrass CBS Ulis 21 Lee 7 Ulis 8 75–73 24,412 10–2 January 2, 2016 7:00 pm 10 Ole Miss Rupp Arena Lexington, KY SECN Ulis 20 Poythress 9 Ulis 10 83–61 24,399 11–2 1–0 January 5, 2016 9:00 pm yes 9 LSU Maravich Center Baton Rouge, LA ESPN Ulis 23 Mulder 8 Ulis 6 67–85 13,573 11–3 1–1 January 9, 2016 6:00 pm yes 9 Alabama Coleman Coliseum Tuscaloosa, AL SECN Poythress 25 Lee 11 Ulis 8 77–61 15,383 12–3 2–1 January 12, 2016 7:00 pm 14 Mississippi State Rupp Arena Lexington, KY ESPN Murray 22 Lee 9 Ulis, Briscoe 5 80–74 23,897 13–3 3–1 January 16, 2016 4:00 pm yes 14 Auburn Auburn Arena Auburn, AL ESPN Murray 20 Willis 12 Ulis 8 70–75 9,121 13–4 3–2 January 21, 2016 7:00 pm yes 23 Arkansas Bud Walton Arena Fayetteville, AR ESPN Ulis 24 Tied 7 Ulis 5 80–66 18,588 14–4 4–2 January 23, 2016 4:00 pm 23 Vanderbilt Rupp Arena Lexington, KY ESPN Ulis 21 Willis 10 Ulis 5 76–57 22,975 15–4 5–2 January 27, 2016 9:00 pm 20 Missouri Rupp Arena Lexington, KY SECN Ulis 20 Willis 12 Ulis 8 88–54 23,933 16–4 6–2 January 30, 2016 7:00 pm yes yes 20 Kansas 4 Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, Kansas Big 12/SEC Challenge/ESPN College GameDay ESPN Ulis 26 Poythress 8 Ulis 8 84–90 OT 16,300 16–5 February 2, 2016 7:00 pm yes 20 Tennessee Thompson-Boling Arena Knoxville, TN Rivalry ESPN Ulis 20 Tied 8 Tied 5 77–84 19,295 16–6 6–3 February 6, 2016 4:00 pm 20 Florida Rupp Arena Lexington, KY Rivalry CBS Murray 35 Tied 6 Ulis 11 80–61 24,406 17–6 7–3 February 9, 2016 9:00 pm 22 Georgia Rupp Arena Lexington, KY ESPN Murray 24 Labissiere 7 Ulis 8 82–48 22,136 18–6 8–3 February 13, 2016 12:00 pm yes 22 South Carolina Colonial Life Arena Columbia, SC ESPN Ulis 27 Lee 13 Ulis 12 89–62 18,000 19–6 9–3 February 18, 2016 7:00 pm 14 Tennessee Rupp Arena Lexington, KY Rivalry ESPN Murray 28 Briscoe 10 Ulis 9 80–70 24,274 20–6 10–3 February 20, 2016 6:30 pm yes 14 Texas A&M Reed Arena College Station, TX ESPN College GameDay ESPN Ulis 22 Humphries 12 Ulis 11 77–79 OT 12,029 20–7 10–4 February 23, 2016 7:00 pm 16 Alabama Rupp Arena Lexington, KY ESPN Murray 23 Lee 12 Ulis 10 78–53 24,262 21–7 11–4 February 27, 2016 4:00 pm yes 16 Vanderbilt Memorial Gym Nashville, TN CBS Murray 33 Murray 9 Ulis 6 62–74 14,326 21–8 11–5 March 1, 2016 7:00 pm yes 22 Florida O'Connell Center Gainesville, FL Rivalry ESPN Murray 21 Poythress 10 Ulis 11 88–79 10,684 22–8 12–5 March 5, 2016 2:00 pm 22 LSU Rupp Arena Lexington, KY CBS Murray 22 Lee 10 Ulis 14 94–77 24,414 23–8 13–5 |- !colspan=12 style="text-align: center; background:#0033A0"|SEC Tournament March 11, 2016 8:00 pm yes 16 2 Alabama 10 Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN Quarterfinals SECN Murray 23 Poythress 7 Briscoe 6 85–59 18,049 24–8 March 12, 2016 3:30 pm yes 16 2 Georgia 6 Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN Semifinals ESPN Murray 26 Tied 7 Tied 2 93–80 19,108 25–8 March 13, 2016 1:00 pm yes 16 2 Texas A&M 17 1 Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN Championship ESPN Ulis 30 Poythress 6 Briscoe 6 82–77 OT 19,613 26–8 |- !colspan=12 style="text-align: center; background:#0033A0"|NCAA tournament March 17, 2016 9:40 pm yes yes 10 4 E Stony Brook 13 E Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines, IA First Round CBS Murray 19 Briscoe 11 Ulis 7 85–57 16,774 27–8 March 19, 2016 5:15 pm yes yes 10 4 E Indiana 5 E 14 Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines, IA Second Round/Rivalry CBS Ulis 27 Murray 7 Murray 4 67–73 16,824 27–9 AP Poll Eastern Time E East Region 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 midseason watchlist.http://www.woodenaward.com/john_r_wooden_award_presented_by_wendy_smidseason_top_25_announced Men's Wooden Midseason 25 revealed 2016-01-13 2016-01-13 John R. Wooden Award June 25, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170625192847/http://www.woodenaward.com/john_r_wooden_award_presented_by_wendy_smidseason_top_25_announced deadhttp://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-murray-make-wooden-award-midseason-watch-list-01-13-2016 Ulis, Murray Make Wooden Award Midseason Watch List 2016-01-13 2016-01-13 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160129074328/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-murray-make-wooden-award-midseason-watch-list-01-13-2016 2016-01-29 dead On February 29 Ulis was named one of eleven finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy by the USBWA. Also on February 29 Murray was named one of five finalists for the Wayman Tisdale Award by the USBWA.http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/news/2016/finalists160229.html Finalists named for 2016 Men's Player of the Year Awards 2016-02-29 2016-02-29 USBWAhttp://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-murray-named-finalists-for-usbwa-awards-02-29-2016 Ulis, Murray Named Finalists for USBWA Awards 2016-02-29 2016-02-29 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160308003545/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-murray-named-finalists-for-usbwa-awards-02-29-2016 2016-03-08 dead On March 5 Ulis was one of fourteen players named as a Wooden Award finalist by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-named-john-r-wooden-award-finalist-03-05-2016 Ulis Named John R. Wooden Award Finalist 2016-03-05 2016-03-05 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160307223456/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-named-john-r-wooden-award-finalist-03-05-2016 2016-03-07 dead Weekly awards On November 16 Labissiere was named SEC Freshman of the Week following a 26-point career-high against NJIT.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/labissiere-hauls-in-sec-co-freshman-of-the-week-accolades-11-16-2015 Labissiere Hauls in SEC Co-Freshman of the Week Accolades 2015-11-16 2015-11-16 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160129083710/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/labissiere-hauls-in-sec-co-freshman-of-the-week-accolades-11-16-2015 2016-01-29 dead On November 23 Ulis was named SEC Player of the Week following a victory over Duke.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-named-sec-co-player-of-the-week-11-23-2015 Ulis Named SEC Co-Player of the Week 2015-11-23 2015-11-23 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160129084543/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-named-sec-co-player-of-the-week-11-23-2015 2016-01-29 dead On December 7 Briscoe was named SEC Freshman of the Week after scoring 19 points in games against Illinois State and UCLA.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/briscoe-wins-sec-freshman-of-the-week-12-07-2015 Briscoe Wins SEC Freshman of the Week 2015-12-07 2015-12-07 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160129052025/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/briscoe-wins-sec-freshman-of-the-week-12-07-2015 2016-01-29 dead 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/murray-still-leads-the-9-1-wildcats-in-scoring-15-5-points-per-game-and-3-pointers-made-20-12-14-2015 Murray Tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week 2015-12-14 2015-12-14 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160129071530/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/murray-still-leads-the-9-1-wildcats-in-scoring-15-5-points-per-game-and-3-pointers-made-20-12-14-2015 2016-01-29 dead On December 28 Ulis was named the SEC Player of the Week after his performance against Louisville.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-wins-sec-player-of-the-week-award-after-win-over-louisville-12-28-2015 Ulis Wins SEC Player of the Week Award after Win over Louisville 2015-12-28 2015-12-28 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20151231053832/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-wins-sec-player-of-the-week-award-after-win-over-louisville-12-28-2015 2015-12-31 dead 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.http://www.secsports.com/article/14925031/2016-sec-men-basketball-awards-announced 2016 SEC Men's Basketball Awards announced 2016-03-08 2015-03-08 SECsports.comhttp://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-tabbed-sec-player-and-defensive-player-of-the-year-03-08-2016 Ulis Wins SEC Player Of The Year 2016-03-08 2016-03-08 JMI Sports UKathletics.com https://web.archive.org/web/20160312002314/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-tabbed-sec-player-and-defensive-player-of-the-year-03-08-2016 2016-03-12 dead Following the victory over Texas A&M in the SEC Championship, Ulis was named MVP of the SEC Tournament.http://www.secsports.com/article/14963762/kentucky-wins-sec-men-tournament-title Kentucky wins SEC Men's Tournament title 2016-03-13 2015-03-13 SECsports.com National district awards All-American and national awards Ulis was a consensus first-team All-American. The Associated Press named Ulis as a first-team All-American, and Murray as a third-team All-American.http://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/valentine-hield-lead-aps-all-america-team Valentine, Hield lead AP's All-America team Associated Press March 29, 2016 March 29, 2016 April 2, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160402014602/http://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/valentine-hield-lead-aps-all-america-team dead The USBWA named Ulis a second-team All-American.http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/news/2016/allamerica160314.html USBWA Names 2015-16 All-Americans United States Basketball Writers Association March 14, 2016 March 14, 2016 The NABC named Ulis a second-team All-American.http://www.kmaland.com/sports/isu-s-niang-named-second-team-all-america-by-nabc/article_e1e7210c-f4e6-11e5-9cd0-bbc6b287357b.html 2015-16 NABC All-America Honors Big 12 Conference March 28, 2016 March 28, 2016 The Sporting News named Ulis a first-team All-American.http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/list/sporting-news-college-basketball-all-americans-2015-16/9cu5fdea7oya1mzc5kp8grqqm Sporting News college basketball All-Americans 2015-16 The Sporting News March 9, 2016 March 9, 2016 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/jamal-murray-declares-for-the-nba-draft-04-01-2016 Jamal Murray Declares for the NBA draft 2016-04-01 2016-04-01 UKAthletics https://web.archive.org/web/20160406184224/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/jamal-murray-declares-for-the-nba-draft-04-01-2016 2016-04-06 deadhttp://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article69448957.html Murray's NBA announcement turns April Fool's into Father's Day 2016-04-01 2016-04-01 Lexington Herald-Leader Tipton, Jerry On April 5 Labissiere declared himself eligible for the draft, and would forgo his remaining eligibility by signing with an agent.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/labissiere-declares-for-2016-nba-draft-04-05-2016 Labissiere Declares for 2016 NBA Draft 2016-04-05 2016-04-05 UKAthletics https://web.archive.org/web/20161220224942/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/labissiere-declares-for-2016-nba-draft-04-05-2016 2016-12-20 deadhttps://www.espn.com/nba/draft2016/story/_/id/15140526/kentucky-wildcats-freshman-skal-labissiere-enter-nba-draft Kentucky's Skal Labissiere enters NBA draft after freshman season 2016-04-05 2016-04-05 Associated Press 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.http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-declares-for-the-2016-nba-draft-04-06-2016 Ulis Declares for the 2016 NBA Draft 2016-04-06 2016-04-06 UKAthletics https://web.archive.org/web/20160409161743/http://www.ukathletics.com/news/ulis-declares-for-the-2016-nba-draft-04-06-2016 2016-04-09 deadhttp://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article70304777.html Kentucky's Ulis says he will enter this year's NBA Draft 2016-04-06 2016-04-06 Lexington Herald-Leader Tipton, Jerry 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; In the second round Ulis was taken No. 34 by the Suns.http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/ex-cats/article85610092.html NBA Draft recap: Murray, Labissiere and Ulis find new homes 2016-06-23 2016-06-23 Lexington Herald-Leader Varney, Dennis NBA draft selections Year Round Pick Overall Player NBA Club 2016 1 7 7 Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets 2016 1 28 28 Skal Labissière Phoenix Suns 2016 2 4 34 Tyler Ulis Phoenix Suns See also 2015–16 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team References 30em Kentucky Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball seasons Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats