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Men's Basketball

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Men's Basketball

Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno Earn Conference Preseason Honors

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Photo via Chet White | UK Athletics

On Monday, Oct. 12, Kentucky’s Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno both earned All-SEC preseason honors, with the Iowa State transfer selected to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team and the returning sophomore selected to the Preseason All-SEC Third Team.

Momcilovic is entering his senior season with the Wildcats, looking to follow up his junior campaign after reigning as the undisputed best shooter in college basketball. He averaged 16.9 points per game last year, with his shooting splits reading 50.6/48.7/87.8.

Leading the Cyclones to a No. 2 seed and being selected to All-Big 12 Second Team, it’s safe to say that this isn’t the first time that Momcilovic has been left off of the top list, making the Kentucky superstar hungry to prove the haters wrong on a much larger stage.

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Moreno is returning for his sophomore season after earning All-SEC Freshman Team honors last year, looking to show the Big Blue Nation everything he learned throughout the draft process and that he has changed this summer.

The Kentucky native was thrown into the fire, earning 30 unexpected starts for the Wildcats. He developed as the season went on, ending the 2025-26 campaign averaging 7.8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game.

With both Momcilovic and Moreno as staple players on this year’s roster, the SEC has slated Mark Pope’s team to finish seventh in the conference this season, finishing behind Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Vanderbilt.

The full lists of the All-SEC Teams can be found below:

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First Team

  • Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
  • Juke Harris (Tennessee)
  • Thomas Haugh (Florida)
  • Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State)
  • Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)

Second Team

  • Amari Allen (Alabama)
  • Alex Condon (Florida)
  • Milan Momcilovic (Kentucky)
  • Jordan Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
  • Matas Vokietaitis (Texas)

Third Team

  • PJ Haggerty (Texas A&M)
  • Malachi Moreno (Kentucky)
  • Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn)
  • David Punch (Texas)
  • Billy Richmond III (Arkansas)

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh Shows Flashes in First NBA Preseason Appearances

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Photo via Getty Images

Former Kentucky standout Otega Oweh took another step in his basketball career on Tuesday night, making his NBA preseason debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder and taking on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Oweh came off of the bench and played 28 minutes, finishing with six points, six rebounds, two steals, one block and an assist. The former Wildcat struggled offensively, shooting only 3-of-9 from the field and missing all four of his free throw attempts.

Despite the shooting struggles, Oweh showed flashes of his defensive ability and physicality that made him a fan favorite during his two seasons in Lexington.

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The Pelicans escaped with a 116-110 win, leaving the Thunder with a 0-1 record. The next night wouldn’t draw a different result, with Oweh’s team losing by two and only playing the beloved superstar a total of 16 minutes.

Due to foul trouble, this would be the only minutes he would receive, ending the game with two points on three shots.

Oweh was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Thunder after averaging 18.6 points per game during his senior season at Kentucky, joining former Wildcats Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Although his preseason debut wasn’t the offensive performance he might have hoped for, Oweh will have more than enough opportunities to prove himself as he looks to earn a role in a professional rotation.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Competes at Annual Pro Day Inside of Rupp Arena

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Photo via Marissa Gilchrist | UK Athletics

Kentucky held its annual Pro Day on Tuesday, Oct. 6, where NBA scouts were able to watch the team go through individual drills and a live game-like scrimmage. There are plenty of takeaways that stood out during the two hour practice. Let’s dive into it:

1.) Franck Kepnang Shows Off in the Paint

The first thing that stood out was transfer big man Franck Kepnang, with the seven-foot big from Washington dominating in the paint. Starting with the individual drills, he showed his size and ability to get downhill off of a pick-and-roll.

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The bigs went through a finishing through contact drill, and the new Wildcat seemed unfazed by the pads being pounded against him. With Moreno and Kepnang running the paint together, it will make it very difficult for opposing teams to stop both of them.

2.) Ousmane N’Diaye Has High-Scoring Performance

Overseas big Ousmane N’Diaye was another standout in front of the NBA scouts. In the first six-minute “quarter”, N’Diaye led all scorers with eight points.

He showed off his ability to score at all three levels, hitting multiple threes and also demonstrating his ability to score in the paint. N’Diaye wasn’t playing the five spot, which really allowed his team to stretch the floor and help with spacing.

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With Moreno, Kepnang, N’Diaye and Reece Potter all standing at seven-feet tall, Mark Pope has the opportunity to run a four-big lineup all while each player hones a different skillset. Having this much size will pay dividends come time for conference play.

3. The Forwards Do a Little Bit of Everything

A few other players who performed well were Milan Momcilovic and Braydon Hawthorne. Momcilovic played very unselfish during the inter-squad scrimmage, looking to first get his teammates involved and not forcing his game whatsoever.

He did hit a nice step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer in the second “quarter”, highlighting his 10-point performance. Hawthorne had some great looks from beyond the arc and did a phenomenal job getting his teammates open, driving and distributing the rock.

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He finished with six points and one assist.

Overall, the whole team appeared molded together and played as a unit rather than just isolation ball, which is a great sign in early October. There is no shortage of individual talent on this roster, and that was evident on Tuesday, with leaders and experience at every position.

The wait is almost over BBN. Kentucky will take the court in its first exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 16, when Little Rock comes into town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will air live on SEC Network+.

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