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In possibly the biggest upset of the opening weekend of college basketball, the Richmond Spiders beat the #10 Kentucky Wildcats 76-64 at Rupp Arena on Sunday.
Four Spiders scored in double figures, while the ‘Cats were 0-10 from three-point range and shot just 22-61 from the floor with 21 turnovers. Kentucky led 32-28 at halftime, but let the visitors score 22 times for a 1.26 points per possession in the second half alone. Richmond was 19-32 in the second stanza with just five turnovers, and at one point led by as many as 16.
Nathan Cayo and Blake Francis each posted 18 points for Richmond, who had 42 points in the paint despite the size and length difference with the home team. Five-star prospect Brandon Boston Jr. led all Wildcats with 20 points on 8-20 from the field and 10 rebounds. The 6’7 guard from Sierra Canyon in California looks like an NBA player, but that wasn’t enough to keep his team in it in the second half today.
We’ve seen this from Kentucky teams under John Calipari before, where the high amount of players entering the NBA Draft means a new roster needs time to gel each season. This will make all of Lexington panic, but it’s likely this team will pull it together and be a contender for the Final Four anyway.
Richmond closed as an eight-point underdog at DraftKings Sportsbook.