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Devin Booker named SEC Freshman of the Week

Devin Booker was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday after scoring a game-high 19 points in Kentucky’s 83-44 victory over UCLA.

Devin Booker - photo by Walter Cornett | WildcatWorld.com

– photo by Walter Cornett | WildcatWorld.com

Guard Devin Booker was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday after scoring a game-high 19 points in 's 83-44 victory over on Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic in Chicago.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., native made 7 of 10 shots overall, including 5 of 6 from behind the 3-point line. The five 3-pointers were the most by a Wildcat this season and matched Booker's career high. He previously hit five treys in a win over UT Arlington.

Booker's 19 points, which tied a career high, came in just 16 minutes of action.

The 6-foot-6 guard is averaging 10.0 points on the season, most of any freshman. He's hit a team-best 22 3-pointers in 12 games and is knocking down his outside shots at a 45.8-percent clip.

Booker is the fourth Wildcats this season to win SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Karl-Anthony Towns has won the award twice already, and Trey Lyles claimed the honor following the opening week of competition.

Kentucky will return to action on Saturday when the Cats renew their annual rivalry with Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center. That game is set for a 2 p.m. broadcast on ESPN2.

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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