The Kentucky Wildcats will be back in Rupp Arena Friday night to take on the Georgia State Panthers.

The Panthers, sitting at .500 on the season, are led by third-year head coach Jonas Hayes. Ranked 224th in KenPom, Georgia State will be the second-worst opponent Kentucky has played thus far.

In their one Power Four game vs. Mississippi State, the Panthers lost 101-66. They were also picked to finish 12th of 14 Sun Belt Conference teams.

Let’s take a look at the matchup in what should be a high-scoring night for the Cats.

Push the Tempo

The Wildcats have gotten into some teams’ legs with their fast pace. Just look at the end of the Western Kentucky game, where their depth and persistence extended a six-point lead to an 18-point win over the final 12 minutes.

That said, Georgia State may be most susceptible to that of anyone Kentucky has played, playing the second-fewest bench minutes in the nation. Of their starters, four play more than thirty minutes per game, with the fifth playing 26.2 minutes per game.

Look for the Cats to really push the pace. With 10-11 capable players to keep fresh legs on the court, Kentucky should handily be in control for the majority of the game.

Rebounding Battle

The Panther’s biggest strength is undoubtedly rebounding. Ranked top 100 in rebounds per game, Georgia State does have good size for a mid-major.

On the other side, Kentucky has won the rebounding battle by more than 10 boards per game over the last three since losing that battle to Duke. While Amari Williams is putting up Oscar Tshiebwe-esque rebounding numbers analytically, there is still room for improvement as a team.

Final ‘Tune-Up’

This will be Kentucky’s final ‘tune-up’ game before they hit the road to take on Clemson and Gonzaga next week, both ranked in the top 25 in KenPom.

Coming off a mediocre performance against Western Kentucky, a big win should inspire more confidence in fans and the players as they enter a tough two-game stretch. The game should also be an opportunity to potentially experiment with things to prepare for the contests.

One area Kentucky must clean up is turnovers, as they committed 11 vs. the Hilltoppers, four coming in the opening minutes.

Opposing Players to Watch

F Zarique Nutter 6-7, 210 lbs

• 16.2 PPG
• 3.2 APG
• 39.7% FG

G Toneari Lane 6-5, 205 lbs

• 16.2 PPG
• 40.8% 3P

F Nick McMullen 6-8, 235 lbs

• 9.5 PPG
• 10.7 RPG
• 54.8% FG

Kentucky Basketball vs. Georgia State Panthers

Time: 7:00 PM ET on November 29th, 2024
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: John Schriffen and Richard Hendrix
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens call the action on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | GSU
Stats to Know: UK | GSU
KenPom: UK | GSU
Team Sheet: UK | GSU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check back later for an official spread. Bart Torvik (97%), EvanMiya (99.4%), KenPom (99%), and ESPN (98.1%) all give Kentucky at least a 97% chance of winning.

Predictions: KenPom (90-66), Haslametrics (94-70), Bart Torvik (93-66), and EvanMiya (95-64) all have Kentucky winning by 24+ points. I’m going with a 91-65 victory, Kentucky!

Be sure to send us your Kentucky vs. Georgia score predictions! And Go CATS!!

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

UPDATE: Per The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State is investigating Bradshaw for “a possible domestic incident at his off-campus apartment last week.”

No charges have been filed and there is no timeframe for his possible return.

Once a projected top-10 pick, former Kentucky Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw is now away from the Ohio State basketball program for unclear reasons.

On Friday, the program released a statement that Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities, but that they could not comment further due to federal privacy laws.

“Aaron Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities,” the statement read. “The university is following its established process. Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot share further information at this time.”

Ohio State coach Jake Diebler held a press conference Friday night after the Buckeyes’ win over Campbell, where he said could not provide further comment and referred to the University’s public statement.

“Regarding Aaron, I understand you may have some questions,” Diebler said to open his postgame press conference. “As stated, have to refer to the statement that was released and can’t have any comment on that. Respect the job you have to do. Just know I cannot comment on that any further.”

This comes shortly after news of a federal investigation into sports wagering activities broke earlier this week. Former Temple and Virginia Tech guard Hysier Miller was dismissed from the Hokies last month due to the investigation which first started after the Owls were flagged in March by a watchdog group for suspicious gambling activity.

With more names expected to be released in the coming weeks, the investigation has begun to narrow its search to players with ties to Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Of course, Bradshaw is from Camden, New Jersey, just across the Deleware River from Philadelphia, and those with knowledge of the situation are suggesting he could be involved.

Court documents do show that Bradshaw recently failed to appear in court following a speeding violation, where he was clocked at 102 mph in a 65 mph zone. However, similar situations of student-athletes speeding have not been handled in this fashion.

The wording of the statement does not make it seem like a minor incident that will soon blow over. This is certainly something to keep an eye on, with some believing it could lead to a nationwide ban on college sports betting.

The Kentucky Wildcats are back in action Friday to face the Jackson State Tigers in the second game of the BBN Invitational.

To put it simply, Jackson State is bad, very bad. Sitting at 0-5 and ranked 321st in KenPom, the Tigers will likely be the worst opponent Kentucky will play all season.

Coached by Mo Williams, one of LeBron James’ old teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Tigers have only finished above .500 twice in the last decade. This season, Jackson State is predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC.

Mark Pope recently said he wanted to build a standard, regardless of opponent and, and that will be tested on Friday.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

More 3-Point Attempts

Admittedly nitpicking, one of the things that Mark Pope was not happy with in Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb was the amount of three-point attempts. While they shot nearly 50 percent from deep, going 12-25, Pope wants to see the number of attempts closer to 35.

The Tigers have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.8 percent from deep, the second-worst mark in the country. Pope and the staff will certainly generate a game plan to take advantage of this. Expect to see 30+ attempts.

Ball Movement

Despite beating Lipscomb by 29 points, the Wildcats had a season-low in assists with just ten. For context, Kentucky had averaged more than 23 assists per game entering the matchup.

“That’s not us. That’s not who we are,” Pope said after the game.

While there wasn’t a lot of selfishness, the ball just wasn’t ‘flying’ as it has been early this season. This is a priority for the staff and this mature group, and they will aim for 25+ assists.

Keep JSU off the Free-Throw Line

Jackson State ranks in the top 100 nationally in one area: Free throws made per game. So, Kentucky, defend without fouling.

Kentucky’s offense makes headlines, but the defense has played very well to start the season, holding all four opponents to under 73 points. Let’s see if they can get down in a stance and defend well for 40 minutes vs. a team that stresses contact and drawing fouls.

Opposing Players to Watch

C Shannon Grant 6-11, 290 lbs

• 7.5 PPG
• 4.8
• Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection

G Jayme Mitchell Jr 6-5, 190 lbs

• 15.0 PPG
• 3.8 RPG
• 44.4% 3P

F Romelle Mansel 6-9, 220 lbs

• 10.8 PPG
• 5.8 RPG
• 31.7% FG (second most FG attempts on the team)

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Jackson State Tigers

Time: 7 PM ET on November 22nd
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
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 | JSU
Stats to Know: UK | JSU
KenPom: UK | JSU
Team Sheet: UK | JSU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check Thursday afternoon for an official spread. Multiple projections give Kentucky a 99% chance of winning: Bart Torvik (99%), EvanMiya (99.9%), and ESPN (99.0%). The exception is KenPom (92%).

Predictions: KenPom (93-63), Haslametrics (96-63), Bart Torvik (95-61), and EvanMiya (96-59) all are going with a 30+ point victory, Kentucky!