Connect with us

Men's Basketball

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

Published

on

Reed Sheppard and Justin Edwards celebrating with each other at Rupp Arena.
Clare Grant/Courier Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK

For the first time in more than fifty years, the Kentucky Wildcats lost their third straight home game on Saturday, falling to Gonzaga 89-85, and it is safe to say that morale is low in Lexington. Despite that, the Wildcats will play Ole Miss on Tuesday, in hopes of not dropping a fourth in a row.

Coached by former National Coach of the Year, Chris Beard, the Rebels sit at 8th in the SEC, falling back to reality after a 13-0 start in the non-conference. While they are just 3-2 over their last five games, Ole Miss is playing some of their best basketball of the season. Of those five games, three have been quad-one contests, beating Texas A&M on the road and nearly upsetting South Carolina last week.

The Rebels are firmly on the bubble and in need of some resume-building wins. With that, they will likely come into Rupp Arena similar to Gonzaga, playing with nothing to lose, against a young Kentucky team and tense fanbase.

Advertisement

Let’s look at the matchup.

Perimeter Defense

Unlike the traditional Chris Beard team, who are stout defensively, this Ole Miss team is the opposite, having one of the best offenses in the SEC. They don’t play at a fast pace, but they don’t turn the ball over and shoot the three at a high clip, 11th in the country.

Last week, John Calipari talked about the perimeter defense being an area that Kentucky needed to focus on. “We gotta guard the three-ball better,” he said. “We shoot it so well, that should be our advantage. We can’t be even.”

This will be a good contest to see where Kentucky stands. If the three-point battle is even, that will suggest a closer game than Kentucky wants.

Advertisement

Take Care of the Ball

While this Ole Miss team is just 132nd in KenPom defensive efficiency, they are one of the best in steals and blocks. Their backcourt is pesky and will look to pressure guards and be aggressive in looking to steal some extra possessions.

Fortunately, Kentucky has been great at taking care of the ball this season. However, in two of their losses, South Carolina and Gonzaga, there have been key stretches where a handful of self-inflicted mistakes and turnovers have come back to bite them at the end of a close game.

That said, Kentucky should be able to take advantage of Ole Miss’ aggressiveness on off-ball cuts and screens going toward the basket and on the perimeter.

Will the Frontcourt Step Up?

With Tre Mitchell out with injury, there has been heightened criticism of Kentucky’s three seven-footers. Playing more minutes with Mitchell out, they haven’t rebounded or defended at the level Kentucky needs them to. In their last game against Gonzaga, the trio combined for just seven rebounds and Gonzaga scored 50 points in the paint.

Advertisement

Ole Miss does not rebound at the level that some of the teams that Kentucky has stuggled against, but they do have a seven-footer of their own, Western Kentucky transfer and Hopkinsville native, Jamarion Sharp, who flirted with a triple-double against Kentucky back in 2021.

Kentucky needs more production from the “seven-footers”. If not, they will have to look at committing to the small ball approach they were so successful with at the beginning of the season, playing the seven-footers in spot minutes.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Matthew Murrell 6-4, 200 lbs

  • 16.8 PPG (6th in SEC)
  • 3.7 RPG
  • 1.8 SPG (6th in SEC)
  • 54 3PM (T-6th in SEC, 39.4% 3P)

G Jaylen Murray 5-11, 170 lbs

  • 14.3 PPG
  • 4.0 APG (7th in SEC)
  • 54 3PM (T-6th in SEC, 42.5% 3P)

G Allen Flanigan 6-6, 215 lbs

  • 15.7 PPG (9th in SEC)
  • 6.7 RPG
  • 1.7 SPG (8th in SEC)

Kentucky Basketball vs. Ole Miss Rebels

  • Time: 9:00 PM EST
  • Date: February 12th, 2024
  • Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Online Stream: WatchESPN 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 | MISS
  • Stats to Know: UK | MISS
  • KenPom: UK | MISS
  • Team Sheet: UK | MISS
  • Odds: The odds for the game have yet to be released, but check out SportsBetExpert for your picks. ESPN’s matchup predictor really likes Kentucky, giving them an 83.3% chance of victory. EvanMiya is at 72.5%, while BartTorvik is at 73%. KenPom is at 74%, and DRatings has it at 75.6% in favor of the Cats.
  • Predictions: Bart Torvik is picking Kentucky to win 88-80. Haslametrics is going with a similar 89-79 projection. DRatings is going with an 86-81 victory for the Cats. EvanMiya and KenPom project an 85-79 and 86-79 victory, respectively.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

Advertisement

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.

Published

on

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”.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

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.

Published

on

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. 

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending