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Kentucky vs. Kansas: Viewing Info and Keys to the Game

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© Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, the Kentucky Wildcats entered Allen Fieldhouse playing their best basketball of the season and walked out with an 18-point victory against the Kansas Jayhawks. This Saturday, Kentucky will once again play Kansas, and again playing their best basketball of the season.

Comparing both teams, the Wildcats most certainly have the momentum, currently riding a four-game winning streak. In their last win, coming against Vanderbilt on Tuesday, they may have played their most complete game of the year.

Whereas, the Jayhawks have lost three straight, tied for the longest losing streak under Bill Self. However, all three losses came against ranked opponents.

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With a revitalized Big Blue Nation, Rupp Arena is set to be rocking, hosting its first-ranked opponent this season. For the Wildcats, this game is a chance to prove that they have really turned the corner.

Let’s take a closer look at the game.

Get off to a Good Start

Even during their turnaround, one of Kentucky’s biggest weaknesses has been their poor starts. This is no fault for poor execution, as the Wildcats often miss open looks.

Fortunately, that has not been a strong suit of Kansas either. In many of their conference games, even their wins, the Jayhawks have gotten down double-digits early. It was inevitable that it would catch up to them and it has played a part in their losing streak.

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Over their last two games (Texas A&M and Vanderbilt), Kentucky has improved slightly in their starts, but they need to be more consistent. With that said, Kansas will not be short of motivation on Saturday, so a good start should be anticipated, and Kentucky must be ready to match them.

Win the Rebounding Battle

One of Kansas’ biggest weaknesses has been their rebounding, as in three of their four losses, the Jayhawks have been outrebounded. With no big man, they have had to rely on team rebounding to make up for being undersized.

This plays in Kentucky’s favor, as they are one of the best rebounding teams in the country. With their new lineup, the team’s rebounding – especially Jacob Toppin – has been even better, averaging 38.3 rpg and outrebounding their opponent by more than 13 per contest over their four-game winning streak.

The area where Kentucky really needs to capitalize is on the offensive glass. On average, Kansas is giving up 9.1 rpg on a 73.2 defensive rebounding percentage. Even if it is an off-shooting night, Kentucky should be able to get extra scoring opportunities. It could be another big game for Oscar Tshiebwe.

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Limit Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick

Kansas may not have a true point guard or true center, but they have two of the best wings in college basketball in Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson. The two are the Jayhawks’ leading scorers and combine for 36.3 points per game.

What makes them so dangerous is their perimeter shooting, as the duo combines for five of Kansas’s eight made threes per game. However, Wilson is also an aggressive straight-line driver who could give Kentucky fits.

Against Vanderbilt, Kentucky forced their two best perimeter shooters into 1-5 from three, and that must carry over to the Kansas game. Toppin has defended well against some talented forwards, so expect him to guard Wilson – potentially Chris Livingston as well to provide some physicality – but CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves must also continue to maintain their level of defense against Gradey Dick.

Kentucky Basketball (14-6) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (16-4)

Time/Date: 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, January 28th, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: ESPN
Online Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | KU
Team SheetsUK | KU
Stats To Know: UK | KU

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Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has yet to release the game odds. This is a matchup where computer models differ greatly. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Kentucky a fair chance to win at 65.4 percent, but Bart Torvik has it at 43%, while KenPom is at 52%.

PredictionsBart Torvik picks the Wildcats to lose in a nail-biter, 71-69. KenPom has it as a 71-70 victory, Kentucky!

Also published on a Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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