What a season opener it was for the Kentucky Wildcats on Monday night.
With a 41-point margin of victory, which coincidentally matched Mark Pope’s playing number during his time in Lexington, the Wildcats got their largest margin of victory since 2011.
Kentucky’s next opponent is the Bucknell Bison, who comes to Rupp Arena on Saturday and was ranked 277th in the NET. For context, that is currently the second-lowest ranking of any of Kentucky’s opponents this season.
Led by second-year head coach John Griffin III, the Bison have suffered five straight losing seasons, but things are improving. Last season, they finished second in the Patriot League and were picked to finish fourth this season.
In terms of connections, former Wildcat transfer Nate Sestina played four seasons for the Bison, and former graduate assistant Zach Thomas also played there. That said, this will be the first matchup between the two programs.
The Bison are coming off an 85-73 road win over Delaware to tip off the season.
Here’s what to watch for in Kentucky vs. Bucknell.
Rebounding
Mark Pope has not been happy with his team’s effort on the boards through two exhibition games and the season opener. With better competition on the horizon, this has to improve.
“We were just barely okay,” Pope said of his team’s rebounding after the Wildcats’ season opener against Wright State. “If we want to accomplish what everybody wants us to accomplish this year, we are going to have to get better on the glass.”
Often, there are players who are eager to leak out in transition, which allows opponents to secure offensive boards. Wright State had 11 of them. Bucknell is not the biggest team, and Kentucky needs to be more dominant on the boards than we’ve seen vs. Wright State or in the exhibition season to feel good about what the Cats can do vs. bigger and more athletic teams.
More 3s?
Before the season, assistant coach Cody Fueger said the goal for this Kentucky team was to attempt 35 3s per game. In Game 1, they shot just 24.
That said, the Wildcats shot 45.8% from deep and were not forcing 3-pointers just to shoot them.
The Bison are a smaller team than Wright State, so I would expect to see Kentucky continue to put pressure inside. However, the Wildcats could use this game as an opportunity to install stuff for the Duke game next week, designing for more 3-point shots.
Take Advantage of Turnovers
In their season opener, Bucknell turned the ball over sixteen times, among the most in the country after one game. On the other hand, Kentucky stole the ball eleven times, also among the highest in the country.
The Wildcats showed excellent ball pressure for most of the game against Wright State, highlighted by Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh, who recorded three steals apiece. They should be able to have the same if not more success against Bucknell, leading to some easy-scoring opportunities.
Opposing Players to Watch
C Noah Williamson 7-0, 250 lbs
- 19.0 PPG
- 12.0 RPG
- Preseason All-Patriot League Team
G Josh Bascoe 6-0, 180 lbs
F Ian Motta 6-6, 195 lbs
Time: 4:00 PM ET on November 9th, 2024
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: This game will not be on TV and is streaming only,
Online Stream: SEC Network+, ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | BUCK
Stats to Know: UK | BUCK
KenPom: UK | BUCK
Team Sheet: UK | BUCK
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for this game. Most of the projections give Kentucky at least a 96% chance at victory, including Bart Torvik (97%), KenPom (96%), and ESPN (97.8%). EvanMiya gives Kentucky a 93.7% chance to win.
Predictions: Bart Torvik and Haslametrics have Kentucky winning 87-64 and 88-64, respectively. EvanMiya (84-64) and KenPom (86-66) both predict a 20-point win for the Wildcats.
Be sure to send us your score predictions in the comments section!
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