Men's Basketball

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

Published

1 year ago

January 19, 2024

Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) smiles during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Rupp Arena.

After a snowy week in the Bluegrass State, the Kentucky Wildcats will go up against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday in Rupp Arena. The Wildcats have won 16 of the last 18 meetings between the two teams, but those two losses have come in the last three seasons.

Under head coach Mike White, in his second season, the Bulldogs have surpassed expectations thus far this season. Picked to finish 12th in the conference, Georgia is 13-4 overall and 3-1 in SEC play, would be 4-0 if it had not been for a late-game collapse against Tennessee. That said, Georgia has played far from a difficult schedule with their best win coming against a Wake Forest team ranked 46th in the NET rankings.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Force Turnovers

Georgia is not necessarily turnover-prone, but in three of their four losses they have had more turnovers than assists. Fortunately, Kentucky has been good at generating turnovers, forcing their opponent into double-digit turnovers in all but three games this season.

This will be a game Kentucky will look to get into passing lanes – cough cough, Reed Sheppard – and get some easy looks in transition.

Crash the Offensive Glass

Shooting nearly 40 percent from three on the year, 11th in the country, this Kentucky team could very well go down as one of the best shooting teams in program history. That said, they have been in a bit of a dry spell of late, shooting above 31 percent from three just once in the last four games.

On the other side, Georgia has been one of the nation’s best at defending the three this season, allowing opponents to shoot less than 30 percent. Over the season, they have allowed just two of their 17 opponents to shoot over 40 percent.

If the threes aren’t falling, crashing the offensive boards will be important against a Georgia team that gives up nearly 10 per game, leading to extra opportunities.

Will the defense continue to show improvement?

“We told on ourselves. We can defend,” John Calipari said of Kentucky’s effort against Mississippi State, allowing just 29 points in the first half. He did note it wasn’t consistent and when that is the case, he is not going to accept that from his team, and will use the bench His message: “Don’t be mad at me, be mad at yourself.”

Against Georgia, Kentucky will be put in a lot of highball screens and will need to continue showing improvement in their pick-and-roll defense which they have been focusing on in practice.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Jabri Abdur-Rahim, 6-8, 215 lbs

12.8 PPG

4.0 RPG
39 3PM (5th in SEC), 41.5% 3P (11th in SEC)

G Noah Tomasson, 6-4, 210 lbs

12.4 PPG
3.1 RPG
1.6 APG

C Russel Tchewa, 7-0, 275 lbs

6.6 PPG
6.2 RPG (13th in SEC)
50.6% FG (7th in SEC)

Kentucky Basketball vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Time: 6:0 PM ET on January 20th
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: Mike Morgan and Jon Sundvold will call the action.

Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Online Stream: WatchESPN and 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 | UGA
Stats to Know: UK | UGA

KenPom: UK | UGA
Team Sheets: UK | UGA
Odds: DraftKings has Kentucky favored by 11.5 points. ESPN gives them an 84.6% chance of winning. Bart Torvik and EvanMiya are at 82% and 86.6%, respectively, while KenPom has it at 83%.

Predictions: Bart Torvik picks Kentucky to win 87-76, while Haslametrics has them winning 88-77. EvanMiya has it at 84-73 for the Cats. KenPom is going with an 85-75 victory, Kentucky!

Also published on a Sea of Blue.

Men's Basketball

Blue Blood Showdown: Kentucky to Host North Carolina in 2025-26 SEC/ACC Challenge

Tar Heels set to visit Rupp Arena for the first time since 2014-15

Published

6 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Ali Cetinok

Chet White | UK Athletics

It will be a clash of blue bloods at Rupp Arena as Kentucky hosts Hubert Davis and North Carolina in the 2025-26 SEC/ACC Challenge, marking the Tar Heels’ first visit to Lexington since the 2014-15 season.

Kentucky’s nonconference schedule already featured several marquee matchups, and now adds even more firepower with one of the sport’s premier programs heading to Rupp Arena.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports was first to report the matchups Wednesday afternoon, listing the full slate of SEC/ACC Challenge games:

2025 SEC/ACC Challenge Games

North Carolina at Kentucky

Florida at Duke
Virginia at Texas

NC State at Auburn
Clemson at Alabama
Louisville at Arkansas

Oklahoma at Wake Forest
SMU at Vanderbilt
Texas A&M at Pitt

Mississippi State at Georgia Tech
Miami at Ole Miss
LSU at Boston College

Virginia Tech at South Carolina
Tennessee at Syracuse
Missouri at Notre Dame

Georgia at Florida State

Kentucky traveled to Clemson for last season’s challenge, falling to the Tigers 70-66.

Men's Basketball

If You Can’t Beat Him, Recruit Him: Kentucky Stars Expect Big Things From Mouhamed Dioubate

Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison are excited on what Mouhamed Dioubate can bring to Kentucky

Published

10 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Ali Cetinok

Marissa Gilchrist | UK Athletics

Last season, Mouhamed Dioubate embodied everything Kentucky lacked to get over the hump.

The 6-foot-7 forward, then a sophomore at Alabama, helped lead the Crimson Tide to a three-game sweep of the Wildcats—twice during the regular season and again in the SEC Tournament.

Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team leaned on finesse, spacing and technical skill. Dioubate, meanwhile, was all grit, energy and relentless physicality—the very traits that made Nate Oats’ Alabama squad so dangerous.

In those three meetings, Dioubate routinely exposed Kentucky’s athletic limitations. He recorded eight points, eight rebounds and three assists in just 18 minutes during the first clash at Rupp Arena. In the return game in Tuscaloosa, he added four points and five boards in another 18-minute outing. And in the SEC Tournament rout, he tallied 13 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes.

But it was Dioubate’s defense that proved most disruptive, particularly in Alabama’s second win. Kentucky star guard Otega Oweh, riding a 26-game double-digit scoring streak at the time, was held to just two points on 1-for-9 shooting.

“I know what he brings, and I didn’t like playing against him,” Oweh said Tuesday. The senior guard initially declared for the NBA Draft but ultimately returned for another season in Lexington.

Dioubate struck again in the SEC Tournament, limiting Oweh to just eight points—only the third time all season he failed to reach double digits. His effort earned him Alabama’s coveted “Hard Hat” award in both the Jan. 18 and March 14 victories over Kentucky.

Now, Oweh and Dioubate are teammates.

Dioubate averaged 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in just 16 minutes per game as a sophomore. His impact went beyond the box score, earning the respect of Brandon Garrison.

“I feel like me and him are going to connect really well,” Garrison said. “Physicality, great defender, fast, mobile—but I’d say really just his physicality is going to help this team out.”

Despite his success at Alabama, Dioubate didn’t feel fully appreciated. After the Tide were eliminated by Duke in the Elite Eight, he told the Tuscaloosa News, “I know what I deserve,” when asked if he hoped to start next season.

That may still be up for debate in Lexington, but what isn’t in question is how valued he is by his new coaches and teammates. They’ve already seen what he can do—up close and personally. And now, they’re just glad he’s on their side.

Men's Basketball

Wildcats Set To Get One Crack At Calipari’s Razorbacks In 2025-26 SEC Play

Published

13 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Israel Schill

Sydney Yonker | Kentucky Kernel

After coming in and stealing a win in his return to Rupp Arena last season, John Calipari and Arkansas will host Mark Pope and Kentucky this upcoming season at Bud Walton Arena, where the Cats will get just one shot to return the favor.

Round two of the newly brewed rivalry between the Razorbacks and the Wildcats will come right around one year after No. 20 Arkansas stunned No. 12 Kentucky, 89-79, in Calipari’s first time back in Lexington since leaving for Fayetteville in April 2024.

This matchup is expected to be one of the more anticipated games in SEC conference play, as the newfound success of both of these head coaches continues to fuel the already growing storyline between these schools.

With both Pope and Calipari reaching the Sweet 16 in their first season with a new squad, the 2025-26 season will return some of the nation’s best players to these top coaches.

Kentucky’s leading scorer from last season, Otega Oweh, will return to Lexington alongside Brandon Garrison, while Arkansas will welcome back Karter Knox, DJ Wagner, Billy Richmond and Trevon Brazile.

Though the official pairings and dates for SEC men’s basketball haven’t been announced yet, it has been confirmed by Jon Rothstein that Kentucky and Arkansas will, in fact, face off one time.

Sources: Kentucky and Arkansas will play once during SEC play during the 2025-26 season and it will be in Fayetteville at Bud Walton Arena.— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 10, 2025