Connect with us

Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Florida Part 2: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Predictions

Published

10 months ago

on

Kentucky Wildcats guard Antonio Reeves (12) celebrates with guard Reed Sheppard (15) after making a three point shot against Arkansas.
© Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off a two-game road trip, the Kentucky Wildcats will return to Rupp Arena for a two-game home stand, starting with the Florida Gators on Wednesday night. This will be the second and last regular season matchup between the two teams, with the Wildcats beating the Gators in a close one in Gainesville, in their SEC opener, 87-85.

The last two games for Kentucky have been interesting. They put up their worst performance of the season against South Carolina and followed it up with a first half where they scored just 24 points against Arkansas. That said, they arguably played their best defense of the year against the Razorbacks and showed a lot of maturity to get that win in a College Gameday environment.

As for the Gators, they have won three straight, the second-longest streak in the SEC. That said, they are a team that struggles on the road, with just a 1-3 record and an average margin of defeat of 15.3 points.

Advertisement

Kentucky has beaten Florida in 10 of the last 11 matchups, including 4 of the last 5 in Lexington. While the Cats will be expected to win again, it won’t come easy. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Rebound

Just like the first matchup, rebounding will be a major factor in this game. Florida is still the best rebounding team in the country, averaging more than 44.5 per game. In their last game against Georgia, they outrebounded them by 21. For comparison, Kentucky only outrebounded Georgia by one in their win over them earlier this month.

The Wildcats have been a middle-of-the-road rebounding team this season, ranked 7th in the SEC. That said, they certainly have the size to rebound well, but at times lack the desire and physicality, both areas they have shown improvement in of late. The big especially will have to get Micah Handlogten out of position, who grabbed six offensive rebounds in the first matchup.

Defensive Consistency

As bad as last week’s performances were for Kentucky on offense, the strides in defense could be seen, holding opponents to under 41 percent shooting in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Their defensive KenPom rating jumped 20+ spots, but can they keep it up against the 13th most efficient offense in the country?

Advertisement

Kentucky will first have to stop Florida in transition, which is where they were successful in Gainesville and gained a lot of their momentum. If they are successful in that, then it’s about fighting through screens and staying between the ball and the basket when Florida gets in their half-court sets. That said, Walter Clayton and Will Richard are two of the best shooters in the SEC.

If Kentucky plays with the communication and urgency they have shown of late, it will show that they are trending in the right direction.

Lineups

In his weekly call-in show, John Calipari talked about why he played so many lineups last week. “Play everybody in the first half and figure out who needs to play in this game,” he said. While he acknowledges February is here and there is not much practice time left, he finally has a full roster and is looking for some combinations and lineups that work.

The one lineup that Calipari mentioned several times was: DJ Wagner-Reed Sheppard-Antonio Reeves-Tre Mitchell-Ugonna Onyenso. They were “REALLY good,” Calipari said, and even said that that may be Kentucky’s best defensive/finishing lineup right now.

Advertisement

It is clear that Wagner-Sheppard-Reeves-Mitchell is the base of the lineup right now, with the fifth rotating depending on the matchup and it will be interesting to see who challenges and cements themself there.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Walter Clayton Jr, 6-2, 195 lbs

  • 15.9 PPG (8th in SEC)
  • 3.8 RPG
  • 2.8 APG
  • 44 3PM (T-7th in SEC)

G Zyon Pullin, 6-4, 206 lbs

  • 14.9 PPG (14th in SEC)
  • 4.8 APG (2nd in SEC)
  • 3.6 RPG
  • 38.1% 3P (T-12th SEC)

G Riley Kugel, 6-5, 207 lbs (In three career games vs Kentucky)

  • 15 PPG
  • 48.2% FG
  • 50% 3P
  • 1.7 SPG

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Florida Gators

  • Date: January 31st, 2024
  • Time: 8:00 pm ET
  • Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY.
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Announcers: Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas
  • Online Stream: WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
  • Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
  • Replay: WatchESPN and the SEC Network (check local listings).
  • Rosters: UK | FLA
  • Stats to Know: UK | FLA
  • KenPom: UK | FLA
  • Odds: ESPN’s matchup predictor is much more confident in Kentucky than it was when they traveled to Gainesville, giving them a 71.4% chance to win. Bart Torvik and EvanMiya are in the same ballpark, still favoring the Cats by 67% and 69%.
  • Predictions: All the projects expect Kentucky to win in a high-scoring contest. Bart Torvik and EvanMiya have the Cats by five points, 92-87 and 88-83, respectively. Haslametrics gives Kentucky a little more cushion, 91-84.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

Advertisement
Related Topics:
Advertisement

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

Published

3 days ago

on

November 18, 2024

By

Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
IMAGN

The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

Advertisement

“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

Published

5 days ago

on

November 16, 2024

By

Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
IMAGN

John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

Advertisement

“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

Published

6 days ago

on

November 15, 2024

By

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
ESPN

Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

Advertisement

“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending