Men's Basketball

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

Published

3 years 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.

Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance Drafted First Round by the San Antonio Spurs

Published

9 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Kai McClelland

Brett Davis | IMAGN Images

It’s every kids dream to play professionally one day, let alone be able to play for the University of Kentucky on the way to the next level.

Although Jayden Quaintance’s time with the Wildcats ended anticlimactically, his NBA dreams have officially come true at just 18 years old.

The Cleveland, Ohio native began his collegiate career with the Arizona State Sun Devils, starting in all 24 games he played in.

Before his unfortunate knee injury, Quaintance was good for nearly a nightly double-double, averaging 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game to go along with 2.6 blocks a night.

He would transfer to Kentucky ahead of his sophomore season, making his first appearance on Dec. 20 against St. John’s.

Finishing the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, many members of the Big Blue Nation were confident that their superstar had finally debuted.

Only appearing in three more games for the 2025-26 season, it was quite clear that his eyes were set on playing at the next level, not taking any chances of another injury.

Selecting Quaintance with the No. 20 overall pick, the Spurs have now added on to their elite front court and will likely utilize him as a two-way player.

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Players and Staff Speak About the Importance of Zoom Diallo to This Team, “It’s a recipe for success”

Published

5 days ago

June 19, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Zoom Diallo is turning heads in Kentucky basketball practices. See why Mikhail McLean and Malachi Moreno are already raving about the new PG1.

UK Athletics

Mark Pope likes to start his roster-building process with a point guard. In year one, that was Lamont Butler. This past season, it was Jaland Lowe, who was the second commitment after an eager Kam Williams signed with the Wildcats without a visit.

This season, that point guard is Zoom Diallo.

According to early practice reports, Diallo has not only been one of the best players, but one of the most important in terms of helping this team build its foundation. According to one source, “Zoom has been one of the purest forms of a floor general early on. These guys rally around him. He’s the voice of the team in the early stages and backs it up by going the extra mile.”

Assistant coach Mikhail McLean confirmed that in interviews this week.

“Zoom’s been my favorite so far,” he said on Tuesday, before going into more depth with BBN Tonight on Thursday, comparing him to a quarterback.

“He’s just a connector,” McLean said. “If you know what a quarterback is like, where they just kind of connect everybody. He has a bubbly energy and personality. He’s humble enough to accept who he is as a person. He gasses and encourages everybody to be the best version of themselves, and that’s how he gets the best version of himself.”

McLean mentioned another “connector” on the team, Malachi Moreno, who actually played a part in recruiting Diallo to Kentucky, “his favorite point guard.”

“I had already known Zoom for a while,” he told KY Insider on Thursday. “We had been in Adidas Euro camp together, and being on the Adidas circuit, we’ve been good friends for a while. We always wanted to play together. He ended up at Washington, and I ended up here, but the stars aligned and now he’s here with me. I got my favorite point guard.”

As far as the impact Diallo has on the court, Moreno mentioned his ability to make plays for his teammates, but also highlighted his ability as a bully guard, drawing a comparison to Otega Oweh.

“He’s a high-assist-rate guy,” Moreno said. “He makes plays, and he earns shots for his teammates, and he’s also a bully guard.”

“I think that also helps in the SEC as well, being one of those bigger bully guards. You saw how Otega was last year. He was able to be so good because he was such a bully and able to muscle his way through the paint and really earn shots for everybody, earn shots for himself. I think having a guy like Zoom like that as well, it’s just a recipe for success.”

High praise for Kentucky’s PG1 this season.

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Team Visits Patients at UK Children’s Hospital, “We can brighten somebody’s day”

Published

5 days ago

June 19, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball players spent time at UK Children's Hospital, playing Fortnite and making crafts with young patients.

Chet White/UK Athletics

This year’s Kentucky Basketball roster arrived on campus earlier this month. While summer practice has started as the Cats are getting acclimated to the program, they are also getting acclimated to the community.

As a basketball player at Kentucky, you are more than just an athlete; you are someone many young people around the state look up to.

On Wednesday, the team visited the UK Children’s Hospital to see some of the strongest young people in the state.

Such a fun day spent with the wonderful kids at @KCHKids 💙 pic.twitter.com/U3n2Q1mTvH— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) June 18, 2026

Photos showed players interacting with the children by playing games, creating crafts, and even putting together some toys.

Malachi Moreno revealed during an interview on Thursday that he invited one of the children, a young boy named Jackson, whom he met at DanceBlue, to play the popular video game Fortnite with himself, Kam Williams, and Trent Noah.

“The guys really took in what it means to be a part of this brand,” Moreno said of the experience. “When we walk into a room, we can brighten somebody’s day.”

This is what it’s all about.

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.