A 2012 McDonald's All-American, Poythress joined Kentucky as a five-star recruit over offers from Vanderbilt, Florida and others. He started 31 of 33 games as a freshman and even generated buzz as a possible candidate for the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft after four-consecutive 20-point performances in his first five games, but he struggled for much of the second half of the season and was forced to return to UK for a sophomore season. As a sophomore, Poythress came off the bench in all 40 games but helped fuel a comeback win vs. Louisville in the Sweet 16. Poythress joined Willie Cauley-Stein as the first scholarship recruits to sign with since John Calipari was hired to remain in Lexington through their junior season, but his third year as a Wildcat ended after eight games due to a torn ACL suffered in practice. On April 23, 2015, Poythress confirmed via Twitter he would return to UK for his senior season, making him the first Calipari Era scholarship recruit to stay on campus for four years.
2017-18 
2016-17