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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!

BB Recruiting

Wake Forest Transfer Andrew Carr Commits to Kentucky

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Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr has committed to play for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.
David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

After finalizing all but one member of the staff last week, including the official announcements of top recruiters Alvin Brooks and Jason Hart, the Kentucky Wildcats have received their third commitment in as many days.

“BOOM!” Kentucky assistant Cody Fueger tweeted out on Sunday afternoon. Just hours later, Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr announced his commitment to Kentucky.

Carr is ranked as the 75th-best transfer by ESPN.

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Carr began his college career at Delaware, where his father and uncle both played. After two seasons, he elected to transfer to Wake Forest, where started in all 68 games. This past season, Carr was the star big man of a Demon Deacon team that won 20+ games for just the second time over the last decade.

This past season, Carr averaged career-highs in points at 13.5 per game, and rebounds at 6.8 per game. Doing so on 53% shooting from the field and 37% from deep. Per KenPom, he played primarily at the 4 spot and occasionally logged minutes at the 5, so he can play alongside Amari Williams as a stretch big. It is worth noting that Kentucky is also hosting Utah State transfer big Great Osobor for a three-day visit, alongside his family.

While Carr is experienced, his NCAA Tournament experience is limited. Playing just one tournament game, a 20-point loss to a 2-seeded Villanova team in 2022.

Watch a breakdown of the newest Wildcat below.

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Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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Top 25 Transfer Otega Oweh Commits to Kentucky

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Oklahoma Sooners transfer Otega Oweh has comitted to play basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Following Lamont Butler’s commitment to Kentucky on Friday, the Wildcats have received another commitment less than 24 hours later. This time Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh, he announced on his social media.

This comes after Oweh visited Lexington earlier this week, with reports coming out that his recruitment could be wrapped up quickly after.

Oweh is a top 25 transfer according to 247Sports, 38th by EvanMiya, and 55th by ESPN. Listed at 6-5, 210 pounds, Oweh is a strong and physical guard. His strength and athleticism have been a strength dating back to high school, which allows him to impact the game defensively, and also to get to the rim and thrive in transition opportunities.

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In two years at Oklahoma, the area that Oweh has significantly improved in has been his shooting. As a freshman, he shot just 25 percent from three, on just four attempts for the season, to 37.7 percent as a sophomore, making 20 of his 53 attempts. Most of that success comes from catch-and-shoot opportunities, where he rates in the 87th percentile. His ability to shoot off the dribble is the polar opposite, rating in just the 4th percentile.

Oweh is a two-way player with two years of eligibility remaining, while he will bring experience, there is still room for development with NBA upside. While he may not be a primary option, he’s certainly a player that can impact the game.

Oweh is now Kentucky’s third addition from the transfer portal and sixth player overall. A handful of top transfers are visiting, or currently visiting, Kentucky this weekend. The staff is hopeful a few join the roster.

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REPORT: San Diego State Transfer Lamont Butler Commits to Kentucky

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San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler has committed to play basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Amidst anxiety from many of the Big Blue Nation, the Kentucky basketball program has added another player to the roster. On Friday Lamont Butler, a consensus top-60 transfer from San Diego State, committed to Kentucky, reported by On3.

Kentucky has been in contact with Butler since he entered the portal earlier this week. On Friday morning, four members of the Kentucky staff took a visit to Las Vegas, which we know now was to see Butler. It was enough to secure his commitment.

Coming out of a high school as a three-star prospect, Butler has been a true case of development. In four seasons with San Diego State, he improved his numbers year after year. As a three-year starter for the Aztecs, Butler averaged 7.7 points (41.2% FG), 2.6 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. He also received Mountain West All-Defense honors three straight seasons, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award this past year.

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Butler was a star for the San Diego State team that made it to the National Championship game in 2023, even hitting the buzzer-beater to send them to the title game. He will provide Kentucky with proven experience and the knowledge of what it takes to win.

As his defensive accolades show, Butler makes his biggest impact on the defensive side of the ball. However, he plays well within a system and is a really good passer for a guard who plays primarily off the ball, with a 21 percent assist rate. He also grades fairly well analytically on spot-up shots and in pick-and-roll situations as the ball handler.

With Butler on the roster, there are still many spots to fill, especially some spots for “dudes”. Fortunately, many big names are expected to be in Lexington this weekend for the visit.

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