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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs Louisville: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Predictions

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Kentucky Wildcats guard Ashton Hagans throws up L's down after beating the Louisville Cardinals at the KFC Yum Center.
© Matt Stone/Courier Journal

Coming off a win in another instant classic game against North Carolina, the Kentucky Wildcats will have a much easier contest on Thursday as they travel 80 miles west and play the in-state rival Louisville Cardinals, in the KFC Yum Center.

Just 5-6 on the season, the Cardinals have already surpassed their win total from last season (4-28), but the outlook is not hopeful. With just a 9-34 record overall over the last season and a half, Louisville has been one of the worst Power Five teams in the country under the direction of former Kentucky assistant Kenny Payne.

While the on-court product has been bad, even losing two exhibition games to D-II programs, the “extras” have compounded the frustration with things such as:

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  • Being “tricked” by Indiana’s zone defense.
  • A player refusing to play before giving the correct compression tights.
  • Lying about a player’s transfer/dismissal.

All this put together displays why all signs point to Payne being fired soon, but as of this article, he is still employed and is still set to coach against Kentucky.

That said, let’s take a look at the matchup.

Keep Them Off the Free Throw Line

Louisville is bad at a lot of things, but there is one thing they are good at and that is drawing fouls and making their free throws. Drawing more than 20 fouls per game and shooting nearly 74 percent on their free throws, the Cardinals score more than 25 percent of their points from the line, the second most of any Power Five team.

Their reliance on free throws makes sense when you consider that they are below 300th in the country in three-pointers attempted and three-point percentage.

Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso will play big parts in the game plan, providing rim protection. However, Louisville will be looking to draw contact and put them in foul trouble. Kentucky’s guards will have to play better on-ball defense as the front line and they must improve their high-screen defense which North Carolina picked apart at the end of the game.

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Paint Yum Blue

Following Rupp Arena’s renovations in 2022, which lowered capacity from 23,000 down to 20,500, the Yum Center became the largest arena in the United States by seating capacity designed primarily for basketball at 22,090. However, it has been years since a sell-out and this season attendance has hit a new low.

If you look at tickets sold, you will see numbers between 10,000-12,000, suggesting that the Yum Center is at half attendance. However, in actual tickets scanned, there were just a little over 4,000 against Arkansas State last Tuesday.

With plenty of tickets available, the #PaintYumBlue movement has started on social media. With Big Blue Nation looking to make Thursday’s game a road environment, Louisville season ticket holders are doing their best to capitalize on the interest, selling lower-level tickets for as much as $1,100 dollars. That breaks down to $220 per win.

Louisville is trying to rally their own fans and make it a red-out, but it doesn’t look like that will end well…

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Cal Taking it Easy?

During his time at Kentucky, John Calipari is 12-1 against his former assistant coaches with an average margin of victory of 24.6 points, the lone loss coming against Josh Pastner in 2020. While yes, Calipari will want to keep a level of respect, he has never shied away from beating his former assistants handily.

Given that the players understand what this rivalry means to Kentucky fans, i.e. Bradshaw wearing a “Louisville Doesn’t Exist” t-shirt, I expect they will want to win by a big margin too.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals

  • Time: 6:00 pm ET on Thursday, December 21st
  • Location: KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Announcers: Wes Durham and Jimmy Dykes will call the action.
  • 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 | UofL
  • Stats to Know: UK | UofL
  • KenPom: UK | UofL

Odds: ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Kentucky an overwhelming chance at victory, at 86.4 percent. Bart Torvik and EvanMiya favor the Cats as well, but slightly lower at 84% and 79%.

PredictionsBart Torvik picks Kentucky to win by double digits, 86-74, but EvanMiya interestingly projects just a 9-point win over one of the worst Power Five teams in the country. Haslametrics projects the largest margin of victory for the Cats, 87-72.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Football

Randall Cobb and Tayshaun Prince Named to Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame

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Associated Press

On Tuesday, the Louisville Sports Commission announced that Kentucky Wildcat legends Randall Cobb and Tayshaun Prince were elected to the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame class of 2025.

The KSHOF recognizes individuals that have made significant impacts in sports for the state of Kentucky. Other members of the class of 2025 include Louisville native, former University of Louisville gymnast, gymnastics coach, and longtime international gymnastics judge Carole Liedtke and highly accomplished female trap shooter Nora Martin Ross from Paris.

A selection committee made up of 15 sports media professionals from around Kentucky voted on the 2025 class. The KSHOF Selection Committee votes were independently tabulated by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton, one of Kentucky’s largest accounting and advisory firms, with offices in Louisville, Lexington and Raleigh, N.C.

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Cobb, Prince and the remaining 2025 KSHOF class members and their families will be honored on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Freedom Hall in Louisville.

Randall Cobb

Coming out of high school in 2008, Cobb was a three-star quarterback recruit from Alcoa, Tennessee, just south of Knoxville. Cobb was only given three offers out of high school; he chose Kentucky over nearby schools Tennessee and Middle Tennessee.

In Lexington, Cobb became the ultimate utility player due to his extreme athleticism. He is remembered as one of the most versatile athletes to ever come through Kentucky.

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As a Wildcat, Cobb played wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and kick returner during his three years at Kentucky, which allowed him to excel in the Wildcat formation. In 2011, the multipurpose star was named first-team All-America. 

Additionally, Cobb was named first-team All-SEC as a sophomore and junior. In 2010, Cobb had an SEC record-setting season where he gained 2,396 all-purpose yards.

Cobb claimed the all-time Kentucky leader honor for career touchdowns with 37 until Benny Snell Jr. broke the record at the end of the decade.

The Green Bay Packers selected Cobb with the 64th pick of the second round in the 2011 NFL Draft to play wide receiver and special teams.

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As a member of the Packers, Cobb would have a successful career in Green Bay, forming a tight bond on and off the field with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In his first career game against the New Orleans Saints, Cobb caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers and returned a kickoff for a 108-yard touchdown.

Cobb spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career in Green Bay, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2014, after achieving career highs with 91 receptions, 1,287 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.

In 2019, the former Wildcat joined the Dallas Cowboys to catch passes from Dak Prescott for one season. A year later, Cobb inked a deal with the Houston Texans as a target for Deshaun Watson, where he played a lone season there.

Prior to the 2021 season, Rodgers requested for the Packers to reunite the Cobb-Rodgers duo. So, Green Bay traded for Cobb ahead of the season. 

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After two reasons back in the green and gold, Cobb followed Rodgers in leaving Green Bay for the New York Jets. The 2023 season would be the last of Cobb’s career, as Rodgers missed the entire season with a torn achilles, he caught one touchdown that season against his former squad, the Houston Texans.

Cobb joined the SEC Network as a studio analyst in the summer of 2024, covering football around the SEC.

Tayshaun Prince

Hailing from Compton, California, Prince played four seasons at Kentucky from 1998 to 2001.

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During his four-year tenure in blue, Prince averaged 13.2 points and 5.7 rebounds, as the Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite 8 once in the NCAA Tournament each year under head coach Tubby Smith. Prince’s junior season earned him the 2000-2001 SEC Player of the Year with 16.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

In 2001, Prince led the Wildcats to an SEC Championship, beating the Ole Miss Rebels 77-55 to win the championship. Prince was awarded SEC Tournament MVP after putting up 26 points and 12 rebounds in the championship game.

Earlier in that season Prince had one of the most memorable moments in Kentucky history by nailing five consecutive 3-pointers to begin a game against North Carolina. The Wildcats went on to win 79-59 in front of Rupp Arena thanks to a 31-point, 11-rebound performance from Prince.

In his final two seasons at Kentucky, Prince was elected to First-Team All-SEC honors. Previously, Prince was named to the Second-Team All-SEC his sophomore year.

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After a successful four-year collegiate career where Prince scored over 1,700 points, the Compton native entered the 2002 NBA Draft.

The Detroit Pistons selected the Kentucky guard with the 23rd pick of the first round. 

Prince would spend the bulk of his career in Detroit on a competitive Pistons squad, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in his rookie season.

In Prince’s sophomore season, the Pistons advanced to the NBA Finals with the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers. As the Lakers boasted four future Hall of Famers.

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The 2004 NBA Finals is widely recognized as one of the most challenging and improbable underdog championships in sports history, and the Pistons defeated Los Angeles in six games.

Prince was the primary defender on Bryant throughout the series, even holding Bryant to 11 points in Game 3. The Kentucky product earned the first and only NBA Championship of his career, averaging 10 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game during the Finals.

Additionally, Prince won an Olympic gold medal representing America on the “Redeem Team” at the 2008 Beijing Games.

From 2005 to 2008, Prince was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team.

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After spending his first 12 seasons with the Pistons, Prince played for the Memphis Grizzlies and had brief stints with the Boston Celtics and the Pistons again until retiring as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Since 2017, Prince has been a member of the Memphis Grizzlies front office. Currently, he serves as Vice President of Basketball Affairs.

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Men's Basketball

Jaxson Robinson Lands Exhibit 10 Deal with Cleveland Cavaliers

With his exhibit 10 contract, Robinson officially rounds out Kentucky’s 2025 NBA class as the final one to find his place.

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Jaxson Robinson signs an exhibit 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
UK Athletics

After a lull in NBA news regarding freshly former Wildcats, Jaxson Robinson has rounded off last year’s class by officially landing an exhibit 10 contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal is fixated on a non-guaranteed one year period during which Robinson will have a chance to secure a spot on the permanent roster.

Robinson, who was originally projected by many as a second round draft pick before he sustained an injury to his wrist late last season, is the final Cat to find his place in the league. First, two were drafted (Brea, Williams,) then the next two were signed (Butler, Carr,) leaving Robinson as the odd-man out for a short period of time while he worked to earn an opportunity.

When healthy, the fan-favorite forward averaged 13 points, four rebounds and two assists for the blue and white throughout the 2024-25 season, showing flashes of elite shooting and surprising defensive prowess. His lengthy, 6’6 frame is built for the next level – given a streak of good health and the opportunity to play, Robinson could prove just that.

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And now, with the Cavs, he’ll have his first shot. Cleveland, reeling from a second-round exit in the NBA Playoffs and having just lost arguably their most proficient bench scorer in Ty Jerome, will certainly be looking for scoring options for their second unit. With the summer league ahead and plenty of time to make a splash, Robinson, despite his somewhat delayed signing, is bound to see the court sooner rather than later.

Big Blue Nation will be behind #2 going forward, either way. Wherever Robinson ends up, it’ll be on his feet.

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Men's Basketball

How Reece Potter Can Contribute to Pope’s Offense

The 7-foot-1 Lexington native returns home with hopes of thriving in Mark Pope’s offense after transferring from Miami (Ohio).

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Chet White | UK Athletics

When Kentucky added Reece Potter in the later stages of the portal season, many within Big Blue Nation assumed the 7-foot-1 Lexington native would be a valuable practice player. Now, the plan appears to be for him to contribute meaningfully to Mark Pope’s squad this season.

A junior transfer from Miami (Ohio), Potter stands out as the tallest player on Kentucky’s roster this season. With his size, he’s an obvious fit at the five, especially on nights the Wildcats need extra length. But he believes he can be much more than that in Mark Pope’s system, similar to other Kentucky big men who have thrived in this offense.

“I feel like I shoot the ball at a high level and I’m able to pass. Those are the things (Pope) really liked,” Potter said Monday. “He was able to use Amari Williams and BG (Brandon Garrison) in more of a point center type of way.”

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Now at Kentucky, Potter believes that being surrounded by so much talent, he will surely flourish with the help of those around him.

“I got some great players in front of me that do a great job of it,” Potter said. “I’m gonna be able to learn from them and keep growing my game in practice every single day.”

In two seasons with the RedHawks, Potter averaged 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in just over 15 minutes per contest, shooting at a 45.4% clip from the field, 39.85% from deep. Potter made 11 starts during his freshman season in 2023-24, appearing in 30 games in 2024 off the bench for a Miami team that went 25-9 overall and 14-4 in conference play, reaching the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game.

In high school with Lexington Catholic, Potter made a name for himself, being named the 11th Region’s Player of the Year as a senior. He averaged 17.9 points and 8.7 rebounds for the District 43 champs.

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