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

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Kentucky Wildcats forward Justin Edwards celebrating with fans as he walks off the court.
Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats will look to end 2023 with a victory as they play host to Illinois State on Friday night. Game time is set for 7:00 pm ET on the SEC Network.

After more than a week off and nearly a month since they last played in Rupp Arena, the Wildcats take the court in what will be deemed The Antonio Reeves Game against his former school in Illinois State.

Historically, Illinois State is not a very prestigious program, last making the tournament in 1998. However, they are on pace for their first winning record since 2019 under second-year coach Ryan Pedon.

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This will be just the second time the two programs have played, the first of which took place in 2015 as Isaiah Briscoe and Jamal Murray led the Wildcats to a 75-63 victory, a game Tyler Ulis missed with an elbow injury.

Here’s what you need to watch for in this Friday night affair.

Speed Up The Game

One marquee characteristic of this Kentucky team is to play fast. Averaging nearly 80 possessions per game, they rank 14th in the country in doing just that.

However, Illinois State plays at a much more deliberate pace. In fact, they will play at the slowest pace Kentucky has faced so far this season at under 70 possessions per game.

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The Wildcats will naturally look to push the pace with quick ball movement. However, they will also look to create quick scoring opportunities off rebounds, which has improved greatly since Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso have returned from injury.

Force Turnovers

This leads to the next point, force turnovers. This is one of the best ways to push the pace in a game and create transition opportunities.

Unfortunately for Illinois State, they are not great at taking care of the ball. They currently rank 243rd nationally in turnovers per game (13.2) and 290th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.83).

While this Kentucky team has not been great defensively, they generate steals among the best in the country, averaging 9.2 per game, ranking 24th in the nation.

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That combination should allow for the Wildcats to be aggressive and look to get into passing lanes and get some easy points.

Justin Edwards Consistency

It is no secret that for much of the season, Justin Edwards has not lived up to the high expectations that many had set for him.

Coming to Lexington as the top recruit in Kentucky’s No. 1 2023 recruiting class, Edwards is now playing the fifth most minutes on the team and has played less than 15 minutes in two of the last three games.

For weeks, the staff has talked about the work he is putting in and it being just a matter of time before having his breakout game. Against Louisville, Edwards didn’t have his breakout game but did have one of his best games at Kentucky with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.

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Now with Bradshaw and Oyenso back, Edwards has looked more comfortable. If he can find and show some consistency, this Kentucky team’s ceiling can be raised even higher.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Illinois State Redbirds

  • Date: December 29th, 2023
  • Time: 7:00 pm ET
  • Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY
  • TV Channel: SEC Network
  • Announcers: Kevin Fitzgerald and Daymeon Fishback
  • Online Stream: WatchESPN and the 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 | ISU
  • Stats to Know: UK | ISU
  • KenPom: UK | ISU
  • Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has not released odds for the game yet. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Kentucky a 94.9% chance of victory. Bart Torvik and EvanMiya are at 96% and 96.8%, respectively. KenPom is at 96%. Kentucky has covered the spread seven times in 11 games this season, while Illinois State is 6-5 vs. the spread.
  • PredictionsBart Torvik picks Kentucky to win 85-64. Haslametrics hat it at 84-65 for BBN. EvanMiya projects a 77-57 Cats win. KenPom is going with an 84-64 victory, Kentucky!

Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Takes On A Leadership Role Heading Into Next Season

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Brandon Garrison and Kentucky head coach Mark Pope
Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, at times making plays above his experience level on the court, and other times, causing unfortunate turnovers and making Big Blue Nation yell “pass the ball” when he attempted to show off his handles.

However, since the offseason has began, we’ve seen the backup big man from last year’s squad take major jumps in not only his skill set, but in his mentality and leadership as well.

“BG” announced that he was coming back to Kentucky on April 12 for the 2025-26 season, and since then, has been the talk of the town to be the starting center for Mark Pope’s second-year team.

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Last season, Garrison played behind Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

Having played a year already in Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the starting role over one of the transfer pickups, especially since Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly vocal about his development. With young players such as Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno coming in behind Garrison, you can guarantee he will play a major role in their development.

In an offseason press conference, Pope said that Garrison has already taken on more of a mentorship role heading into next season.

“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him,” Pope said. “He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”

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Pope added on that Garrison went out of his way to have breakfast and talk to four of the incoming transfers, on their official visits, about Kentucky and the way the staff does things.

“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just, like he is growing up, man,” Pope said in an interview with KSR on May 22. “It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach. He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”

As the season inches closer, we’ll learn more about Garrison’s impact on the court and if he’ll be the day one starter, but regardless, off the court, you can bet he has some wisdom to pass down.

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Former Wildcats Headline Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Matchup

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Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Kevin Jairaj | IMAGN

The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.

As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history. 

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring. 

After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.

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The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals. 

At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.

Cason Wallace

Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.

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In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards. 

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game. 

Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.

Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.

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In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

Isaiah Jackson

The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.

Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

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This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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Men's Basketball

The 2025-26 Cats Consensus: It’s Time for Banner Number Nine

Every new and returning Wildcat shares the same dream: bringing a championship trophy to Lexington once more.

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Mark Pope in a crowd of fans at Big Blue Madness
Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

“We are here to win banners.”

While just about everything Mark Pope said at his introductory press conference went viral in one way or another, that aforementioned declaration stood out amongst his crowd of quotes like no other to a fanbase more than a decade removed from a national championship.

To the big blue nation, Coach Pope’s words last spring were a much needed battle cry. Now, as he’s set to enter his second year at the helm, Pope has made sure the team he assembled for the 2025-26 season shares the same hunger.

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It begins on a basic level, with players across the board throwing the number “9” around on social media in posts, replies, and commitments. Much like the Kentucky faithful, the newest roster to roll through Lexington isn’t afraid to make reference to the top task at hand.

For (likely) starting point guard Jaland Lowe, it’s an opportunity he “can’t miss.” “See y’all soon #BBN,” he said in a post on X, announcing his return to the collegiate level. Lowe chose a junior season at Kentucky over a chance to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Otega Oweh, the now-projected SEC player of the year, would follow suit shortly thereafter.

The Ultimate Goal

Andrija Jelavic, a primary member of the incoming unit, as well as the team’s lone international player, dubbed the title chase as “the ultimate goal” in his interview with KY Insider. “We all [the team] agree that the ultimate goal is the same and that is to bring a championship to Kentucky, to the state and the fans,” he said.

To Jelavic, it goes further than hunger. It’s a responsibility.

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And that responsibility is what sets Kentucky apart from other programs. As awkward as the conversation around John Calipari can get, when push comes to shove, much of the dissatisfaction growing within the fanbase as his tenure came to a close was rooted in the coach’s apparent disinterest in winning another championship.

Year after year went by; top-ranked roster after top ranked roster. After a while, it seemed that Kentucky was more often mentioned in the first round of the NBA Draft than it was in the NCAA Tournament. The problem persisted, the tension festered and, ultimately, the two sides split… and it all goes back to that elusive ninth title.

Name on the Front of the Jersey

Mark Pope has said before that he wants to bring in guys who are playing for the name on the front of their jersey. It just so happens that there are enough of those like-minded athletes across the nation to build one of the consensus best teams in college basketball, all of whom are in full pursuit of a new blue banner in the rafters of Rupp.

With a mindset like that shared across the board and talent like the 2025-26 team has at hand, it’s only a matter of time before that dream becomes a reality once more. For the first time in more than a decade, the entire Big Blue Nation is on the same page – and that includes the guys who can actually make it happen.

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