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Kentucky vs. Georgia: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game

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UK Athletics

The ship is back afloat as the Kentucky Wildcats picked up an impressive, resume-building, win against a very good Tennessee team in Knoxville. The next task at hand is an overperforming Georgia team at Rupp Arena on Tuesday.

Coming into the season, the media picked Georgia to finish second to last in the SEC. Four games into conference play and the Bulldogs are 3-1 with impressive victories over Auburn and Mississippi State.

Now led by former Florida head coach, Mike White, Georgia will come to Lexington trying to grit out another win. Let’s look at the keys to the game.

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Repeat Defensive Performance

Entering Saturday’s contest, Kentucky’s biggest weakness on the season had been their defense. After holding Tennessee to their lowest points total of the season (56), they showed they can be a good defensive team.

After the game, John Calipari noted that the Wildcats forced Tennessee to win on inside shots inside, rather than on threes. This game plan would likely work against a Georgia team that shoots just 46.8% on twos, ranked 290th in the country.

To show that this Kentucky team truly has turned a corner, they will need a repeat performance on the defensive end.

Offense Needs to Continue to Show Improvement

While not a great offensive team, Georgia is a top-50 defensive team, giving up just 64 points per contest. However, in their four losses, the Bulldogs have given up at least 79 points.

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With that said, a slow and gritty game will play into Georgia’s favor. Fortunately for Kentucky, they are coming off one of the most physical games they will have this season and ground it out.

However, Calipari would ideally like to score more than 63 points. While Kentucky has not consistently shown the ability to score a lot of points, CJ Fredrick and Anontio Reeves look to be finding their stride, which has opened up the floor and is a promising sign for an offense that is still improving.

After shooting 88 percent from the free-throw line against Tennessee, it would be great to see the Wildcats continue to shoot well from the charity stripe.

Win the Rebounding Battle

Georgia’s best trait is their rebounding, but have lost the rebounding battle in three of their four losses. On the season, the Bulldogs (39.1 rpg) rank fourth in the SEC in average rebounds just behind the Wildcats (39.3 rpg).

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After absolutely destroying Tennessee on the boards (43-23), Kentucky showed that they can outrebound any team in the country. On Tuesday, Kentucky must show that same fight, and from the start to prevent Georgia from gaining any confidence.

Kentucky Basketball (11-6) vs.  Georgia Bulldogs (13-4)

Time/Date: 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, January 17th, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: ESPN
Online Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | UGA
Team SheetsUK | UGA
Stats To Know: UK | UGA

Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has yet to release the odds. This is a matchup where computer models differ greatly. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Wildcats an 85.3 percent chance to win. Bart Torvik is less confident in the Cats at just 68 percent.

PredictionsBart Torvik picks the Wildcats to win in a close one 69-65.

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Also published on A Sea of Blue.

Men's Basketball

CBS Sports: Kentucky Has “ended pursuits” in Transfer Portal Following Aberdeen Commitment

In the wake of yet another addition to Kentucky’s incoming roster, CBS Sports reports that Coach Pope and staff may have closed the portal.

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Mark Pope and staff may have everything they need from the transfer portal.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Following another flurry of transfer portal additions in his second year at the helm, it appears that Mark Pope and staff are satisfied with their sophomore haul. The portal in Lexington may be officially closed for the 2025-26′ season.

Right after Kentucky received the surprising commitment of Denzel Aberdeen, Matt Norlander, an analyst for CBS Sports, posted the following on X (Twitter):

“Barring any portal defections, Kentucky has ended its pursuits of all other portal targets, sources told CBS Sports. Getting Aberdeen today [April 21] meant they’ve moved off Andrej Stojakovic, Rylan Griffen, etc. Otega Oweh going through pre-draft process-but I expect him back in Lex”.

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With the addition of Aberdeen, the Wildcats’ roster ballooned to near-max capacity for next season. Seeing two of the team’s walk-on players, Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn, enter the transfer portal seemed to all but confirm this suspicion, too.

Losing One of Our Own

That is, until last night. With less than two hours remaining for players to do so, Travis Perry shocked much of the Big Blue Nation by throwing his name into the hat. This came just weeks after a string of comments from the Kentucky-native point guard seemed to confirm his return for a sophomore season.

Though all the same, given Kentucky’s bulk of back-court additions this offseason, his departure makes sense for the sake of playing time alone. The Lyon King will be sorely missed.

So while the Kentucky staff may still be very much content with their current roster, with hundreds of players remaining in the portal and an unexpected spot on the roster coming open, another grab is far from out of the question.

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Who Coach Pope and company would go after is entirely unclear, as that potential player would likely have to accept a minimized role off the bench for a stretch of his time in Lexington. If anything, the logical replacement would be a direct fill-in at the PG2/PG3 spot in Perry’s absence.

Either way, the ‘Cats are set to come into next season as one of the most exciting teams in college basketball with a ceiling far out of view. Mark Pope continues to prove his prowess in the transfer market, too, easing the worries of Wildcats fans and closing the door on many supposed “insiders” who’ve spent the last month suggesting otherwise.

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Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

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Kentucky basketball Travis Perry talks about growing more comfortable on the court.
Jordan Prather | IMAGN

The transfer portal has been kind to Kentucky in the Mark Pope era. Last season, the staff was able to build a Sweet Sixteen roster almost exclusively from the portal, and this offseason have put together a top-five portal class.

While the portal giveth, it also taketh. Just hours before the deadline to enter, Kentucky native and fan favorite Travis Perry has entered the transfer portal, per multiple reports.

Coming to Kentucky as the state’s all-time high-school scoring record holder, fans were excited to see how his career would unfold in Lexington.

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Not expecting to play much freshman, he was called upon due to injuries and played some key minutes for the Wildcats into the postseason. He averaged 2.7 PPG and .6 APG on 32% shooting from three.

Looking at the depth chart, it was difficult to see where Perry would get much playing time next season, leading to his decision to enter the portal.

Perry has yet to release an official statement, but all the best to him in his future.

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Men's Basketball

Top Transfer Guard Denzel Aberdeen Commits to Kentucky

Former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky, likely closing the transfer portal for next year’s roster.

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Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky.
UF Athletics

Another day, another “boom.” Denzel Aberdeen has officially committed to Kentucky for the 2025-26’ season.

A soon-to-be senior guard fresh off his championship win with Florida, Aberdeen spent his first three years of eligibility in Gainesville. Now, following an apparent conflict in the Gators’ rotation, he’s swapped teams in the southeast.

At 6 ‘5”, 190, Aberdeen spent much of this past season beating defenders off the dribble and making them pay at the rim. His speed and size made him a nightmare off the bench for opposing teams, and for the short stretch of play that he started during the year, Florida didn’t miss a beat. 

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In 19 minutes, Aberdeen averaged 8 points, two rebounds and one assist per game. His consistent contribution to the Gators’ title run made him one of the most coveted transfers in the cycle this season, and given his big blue commitment just days after entering the portal, Mark Pope clearly wasted no time in Kentucky’s pursuit.

Aberdeen slots in as yet another addition to what was already one of the strongest portal classes going into next season. His SEC experience and combo-guard intangibles make Aberdeen one of the most exciting portal players to come through Lexington in a long while, reinforcing Kentucky’s back court to what may be the final degree.

Whether or not Mark Pope is officially done for next season, nobody is sure, but this commitment only further cements the fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing. Just like the  fanbase behind him, Coach Pope seems to never sleep.

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