Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs Florida Round 2: TV/Streaming Info and Keys to the Game

Published

7 months ago

February 21, 2023

After defeating a No. 10 ranked Tennessee Volunteer team over the weekend, the Kentucky Wildcats have given themselves some cushion and are off the bubble for the time being. With an away game against Florida on Wednesday, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to add another quad-one win to their resume.

With a win, Kentucky would not only solidify themselves into the tournament even further, but could start climbing up the seed list. This is in part to a weak bubble that the Wildcats can take advantage of. On the other hand, Wednesday’s game is a must-win for Florida, as it is their last remaining quad-one game, and their last chance to keep their tournament hopes alive.

Given what is at stake for each team, let’s take a closer look at the game.

Injuries

The Wildcats have some familiarity with the Gators as they played them once before this season, back in early February, beating them 72-67 at Rupp Arena. In the weeks since that game, both teams have changed, primarily due to injuries.

Since their first meeting, Kentucky has lost CJ Fredrick (cracked rib) Sahvir Wheeler (high ankle sprain). Little information has been given regarding their injuries, nor has a timetable been set for either. While Fredrick and Wheeler are impactful, that is nothing compared to Florida’s loss.

In a win against Ole Miss, Gator big man Colin Castleton broke his hand, likely ending his season. Castleton’s 16 points and 7.7 boards will be difficult to replace, but his impact on the floor will be impossible to replicate. The Florida offense and defense were anchored by Castleton, with him no longer there, they will have to rely on the combination of small-ball and backup fives.

Classic Oscar Tshiebwe Performance

As mentioned above, Colin Castleton is the biggest piece of this Florida team, and now without him, the whole complexion of the team has changed.

In three previous head-to-head matchups against Oscar Tshiebwe, Castleton averaged 22 and 8.7 rebounds, effectively having his way against the Wildcats. Maybe even more importantly, he was able to limit Tshiebwe with his length. Case in point, in their most recent matchup in early February, Tshiebwe shot just 2-14 from the field.

Without Castleton, the Gators still have size, but will have to rely on reserve big men Jason Jitoboh and Aleks Szymczyk. It should be noted they have played just one game without Castleton, but there is quite a bit of drop off, as the his replacements combined for 12 points and 8 rebounds in 44 total minutes.

This could mean a big game for Oscar Tshiebwe, who has scored fifteen points or more in three straight games. While he has performed well, it would be promising to see a vintage performance from the reigning National Player of the Year as the end the of the regular season nears.

Ball Screen Defense, Defensive Communication

For much of the season, Kentucky’s ballscreen defense has been their biggest weakness. This has been no secret and every opponent the Wildcats have played against have attempted to exploit it, with most having success.

On the season, about 20% of the Florida Gators offense is ballscreen based, which ranks amongst the highest in the SEC. One of the biggest things to watch for ‘2-man side’ and ‘3-man side’ action, which Florida will use to create movement toward the basket.

Despite being without their most versatile weapon, it is too late to change the offense significantly, so Kentucky should expect a lot of dribble hand-offs and ballscreens. With that said, they have shown slight improvements as of late – due to better communication and Livingston making a difference – and they must continue that trend to take care of business against Florida.

Kentucky Basketball (18-9) vs. Florida Gators (14-13)

Time/Date: 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023
Location: Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL
TV Channel: ESPN
Online Stream: WatchESPN, ESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | FLA
Team Sheets: UK | FLA
Stats To Know: UK | FLA

Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has yet to release the odds. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Kentucky an edge in a near toss-up, at 54.9 percent. Bart Torvik gives Kentucky a few more percentage points at 58 percent.

Predictions: Bart Torvik picks the Wildcats to win in a battle, 72-70.

Related Topics:Colin Castleton Florida Oscar Tshiebwe

Men's Basketball

Kentucky and Indiana Basketball Renew Rivalry With Four-Year Series, Begins in 2025-26

Published

7 hours ago

October 3, 2023

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky Wildcats and Indiana Hoosiers have renewed their college basketball rivalry series starting in 2025.

Woodson: © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports | Calipari: © Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

From 1969 to 2011, Kentucky and Indiana basketball faced off nearly every year for a non-conference matchup in December, a schedule staple for both teams. After over 40 seasons, the annual matchup was not renewed beyond 2011, following the infamous Christian Watford shot to beat No. 1 Kentucky at Assembly Hall, resulting in a court storm by Indiana fans.

Since that game, John Calipari has been open to resuming the Indiana series but has vowed that he will not play in Assembly Hall citing “disrespect” of his players (there are allegations you can research for yourself).

On Tuesday, it was announced that Kentucky and Indiana will resume the series in an agreement that all parties have approved of. For John Calipari and Kentucky, two of the four games will be played at Rupp Arena. For Indiana, they will have one neutral site game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but also one home game at Assembly Hall in 2028.

But wait, I thought Calipari would never play at Assembly Hall? That is correct, given that it is five seasons away, Calipari will likely be retired by then. However, that is the last year of his contract, so there is technically a possibility of coaching one more game in Assembly, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Here are the dates and locations of each game:

Dec. 20th, 2025 – IU @ UK – Rupp Arena

Dec. 27th, 2026 – UK vs. IU – Lucas Oil Stadium
Dec. 18th, 2027 – IU @ UK – Rupp Arena

Dec. 16th, 2028 – UK @ IU – Assembly Hall

Since their last regular season matchup, Kentucky and Indiana have met twice in the NCAA Tournament (2012 and 2016), splitting the two games. For the entire series, the Wildcats hold a 32-25 advantage, and they will look to extend that soon.

BB Recruiting

John Calipari Visits Trio of Top Recruits

Published

9 hours ago

October 3, 2023

Tristan Pharis

UK Athletics

With less than two weeks until Big Blue Madness, the start of the Kentucky basketball season is just around the corner. Ahead of a season with a lot of pressure, John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcat staff were busy on the recruiting trail in New York to start the week.

The day started off with taking a visit to see 2024 combo guard Boogie Fland. This being the fourth in-person visit to Fland over the last three weeks, it is clear that he is a top priority for the Cats and that is reciprocated as Fland listed the Wildcats in his top three last week along with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Indiana Hoosiers. Fland is expected to make a decision in the early signing period, which begins on November 8th.

With that said, coverage of Fland’s recruitment has been well-reported, but while in New York, Calipari paid a visit to two more top recruits, VJ Edgecombe and Alier Maluk who both play for Long Island Lutheran (NY).

VJ Edgecombe

Edgecombe is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2024 class. As of March this year, he was ranked outside of the Top 100, fast forward to now and he is a consensus top 10 prospect and considered to be the No. 2 shooting guard in the class. When you see his explosive athleticism, catch-and-shoot ability, and natural basketball instincts it is easy to see why.

Watching closely for a while, the Wildcats extended an offer last month, a month and a half after Edgecombe trimmed his list to ten. While late to the party, Kentucky is not giving up and joins the likes of Alabama, Duke, St. Johns, and G-League Ignite among others in pursuit of the talented guard.

Alier Maluk

Early this summer Alier Maluk was considered a top-25 prospect, but following the grassroots season Maluk dropped in the rankings to just inside the top 50. That said, that isn’t stopping the Wildcats from still showing interest as they have since he was 15 years old, and for good reason, Maluk is one of the most intriguing big men in the class.

At 6-foot-10, 180 pounds, Maluk is a dynamic two-way prospect and can be looked at as a “modern” big man. Well-known for his shot-blocking and rim-running ability, Maluk is also capable of shooting off the catch and the dribble. That said, his handle needs some development as he hopes to continue to develop as a stretch-four. That said, height and skill run in the family as Maluk is the cousin of 7-foot-2 center Bol Bol, who currently plays in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns.

It should be noted that Kentucky has yet to extend an offer to Maluk, who currently holds offers from Florida, Ohio State, and Oregon among others.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

BB Recruiting

John Calipari Looking To Close Deal On Five-Star Guard Boogie Fland

Published

1 day ago

October 2, 2023

Wyatt Huff

John Calipari is looking to close the deal and get a commitment from five-star guard Boogie Fland.

Fland: © Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK | Calipari: UK Athletics/Chet White

One of the top players in the class, top-ranked guard Boogie Fland has begun taking his visits, and is still taking time with his recruitment, but John Calipari and Kentucky are making a hard push to get the star guard locked up.

Fresh off of a visit to Kentucky a few weeks ago, Fland also had an in-home visit conducted by John Calipari last week after Kentucky watched him at Archbishop Stepinac in New York. On Monday, Calipari and Orlando Antigua paid him another visit. Kentucky is making sure he knows that he is the top priority among guards in the class of 2024.

Along with his visit to Lexington, Fland recently visited Alabama. The two schools are part of Fland’s final three schools along with Indiana as he nears closer to a decision.

Fland is known to be one of the more elite scorers in the class with an ability to score from all three levels, and Kentucky is making him a top priority. Four visits in three weeks show that the staff really likes him and are looking to close the deal.

Take a look at this mic’d up highlight video of the potential future Wildcat to get to know him and his game.