Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs Kentucky State: TV/Streaming Info and Things to Watch

Published

6 months ago

October 31, 2023

Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) celebrates a basket during the second half against the Georgetown Tigers at Rupp Arena.

After beating Georgetown College 92-69 last week, the Kentucky Wildcats will have one more exhibition to prepare for the regular season, which is less than a week away. On Thursday, the Wildcats will take on the Kentucky State Thoroughbreds, a Division II, historically black college from Frankfort. This will be the fourth preseason exhibition played between the two teams, all taking place since 2015.

Unlike, another D1 program in this state (cough… cough… Louisville), don’t expect Kentucky to lose on Thursday, but it is an opportunity to get better and get more on-court experience and chemistry.

Let’s take a look.

First Game Jitters Gone

Coming out of the gate against Georgetown, Kentucky’s freshmen looked to have excitement, but lacked aggression, which resulted in a poor shooting night for some of them and some first-half struggles. Between Justin Edwards, Reed Sheppard, and DJ Wagner, the trio combined for 7-25 (28%) from the field. That said, each player still did something good. Edwards showed his versatility. Sheppard showed how he can impact the game without scoring. Wagner showed his ability to get downhill and get into the lane. The one exception was Rob Dillingham, who played well all around and continues to impress.

With their first game at Rupp Arena now behind them, I would expect a much better performance this time out. Given their mentality and competitiveness, they don’t want to put up two straight so-so performances. This is also a great confidence-boosting opportunity ahead of the season.

Shot Selection

Part of Kentucky’s struggles in the first half was due to poor shot selection. As Adam Stratton of Kentucky Sports Radio pointed out, the Wildcats reverted to a bad habit, shooting the mid-range shot.

Last season, Kentucky shot 24.6 percent of their two-point shots beyond 10 feet. In the first half against Georgetown, the Wildcats shot nine (making just two) of their 37 field goal attempts from midrange, making up 24.3 percent of their shots, a very similar percentage to last season. Now, in the second half, that number decreased to 10.8 percent.

On Thursday, it will be interesting to see if Kentucky reverts back to those shots, which the defense is intentionally giving up, or continues to make the push toward modern basketball with more efficient shots and better spacing.

Run, Run, Run

Still early in the season, there are not a lot of details in Kentucky’s offense thus far. In last week’s exhibition, there were some basic dribble-drive principles, with excellent spacing given the smaller lineups being played. That said, it’s hard to invest too much into an offensive philosophy when the team is going to look different when three seven-footers are brought into the lineup.

That said, one area where this team can really shine is in transition. With guards that can get downhill (Wagner and Dillingham), shooting threats (Reeves, Sheppard, and even Mitchell), and lob/cut threats like Edwards and Bradshaw (when he returns), Kentucky has a plethora of options to play with. It starts with turnovers, rebounds, and 50/50 balls. So look for the Wildcats to get into passing lanes, crash the boards, and get on the floor.

Kentucky Basketball vs. Kentucky State

Time/Date: 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, November 2nd, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: Not available, streaming only
Online Stream : WatchESPN, ESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | KSU

Also published A Sea of Blue.

BB Recruiting

Wake Forest Transfer Andrew Carr Commits to Kentucky

Published

3 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Tristan Pharis

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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A post shared by Andrew Carr (@andrewpcarr)

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.

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

BB Recruiting

Top 25 Transfer Otega Oweh Commits to Kentucky

Published

1 day ago

April 27, 2024

Tristan Pharis

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.

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A post shared by To God Be The Glory💕 (@otegaoweh)

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.

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.

BB Recruiting

REPORT: San Diego State Transfer Lamont Butler Commits to Kentucky

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Tristan Pharis

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.

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.