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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. LSU: TV Info, Things to Know, and Predictions

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UK Athletics

Last week was a mixed week for the Kentucky Wildcats. After an embarrassing performance at Missouri, Kentucky responded well against Louisville, looking much sharper. As the Wildcats continue to try and right the ship, they will take on the LSU Tigers in Rupp Arena on Tuesday.

The Tigers have had a unique season of their own. Under the direction of former Murray State head coach, Matt McMahon, LSU is off to an 11-1 record, tied with Missouri for the best record in the conference.

Also similarly to Missouri, LSU has played an easy schedule, playing just three teams ranked in the top 125 in KenPom. With that said, they did just beat a top-10-ranked Arkansas team to open up SEC play.

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Which version of LSU will Kentucky get? We will find out.

Let’s take a closer look at the matchup.

Make the Best of Offensive Opportunities

LSU is a defensive first-team and as proof, the Tigers have held both of their top 50 opponents to 61 points or less. This doesn’t bold well for a Kentucky offense that has struggled at times this season.

On a positive note, Kentucky is coming off arguably their best offensive performance of the season. Against Louisville, they notably had better execution and ball movement which led to their second 80+ point scoring output since November.

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On Tuesday, the Wildcats will play a disciplined LSU defense, giving up just 15 free throws per game, and also focus on limiting perimeter shooting, as their opponents shoot just 27.6 percent.

Expect the Tigers to play a mix of man and zone, but the scoring opportunities will be there, especially if Cason Wallace and Sahvir Wheeler can take advantage of driving lanes and they can continue to use effective ball screens.

To carry the offensive momentum, the Wildcats are going to have to take advantage of the opportunities they are given.

Limit KJ Williams and Adam Miller

Two players combine for nearly half of LSU’s points on average, KJ Williams (18.5 ppg) and Adam Miller (13 ppg).

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Shooting just 37 percent from the field, Miller is far from efficient but with high volume. Fortunately for Kentucky, they have two good defensive guards in Cason Wallace and Sahvir Wheeler that can limit Miller even further.

However, Williams poses a much more difficult challenge. Averaging 18.5 points per contest, Williams is the second-leading scorer in the SEC and is the type of player that Kentucky has had problems with this season – big and versatile.

Just last week, Kobe Brown of Missouri scored 30 points against Kentucky, scoring from inside and out. If Jacob Toppin and the rest of the Wildcat frontcourt can step up and limit Williams, Kentucky will have a great chance for the win.

Limit Offensive Rebounding

Looking at LSU’s rebounding statistics on the season, nothing jumps off the page. However, against Arkansas, the Tigers completely dominated the boards with a 62-30 advantage, including 23 on the offensive glass – scoring 22 points off of.

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The Tigers do shoot above average from the field, but have also won games solely off of extra possessions (i.e. Arkansas). Kentucky must bring the physicality to win the battle of the boards, and keep LSU to ‘one-and-done’.

Still “Coming Together”?

One of the themes for the Wildcats after the Louisville game was “coming together.” This was echoed by John Calipari and the players in their postgame interviews.

It is easier for a team to come together against one of the worst teams in the country. However, the LSU game provides the chance for Kentucky to fight and come together against a quality SEC opponent.

Kentucky Basketball vs. LSU Tigers

Time/Date: 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023.
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: ESPN
Announcers: TBA
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: SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | LSU
Team Sheets: UK | LSU
Stats To Know: UK | LSU

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Odds: The betting odds have yet to be released for this game. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Wildcats an 86.8% chance of winning, while Bart Torvik gives Kentucky a slightly lower advantage at 81%, and KenPom has it at 83%.

Predictions: Bart Torvik picks the Wildcats in a 71-63 victory. KenPom projects a 74-63 victory, Kentucky!

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Men's Basketball

Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno Earn Conference Preseason Honors

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Photo via Chet White | UK Athletics

On Monday, Oct. 12, Kentucky’s Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno both earned All-SEC preseason honors, with the Iowa State transfer selected to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team and the returning sophomore selected to the Preseason All-SEC Third Team.

Momcilovic is entering his senior season with the Wildcats, looking to follow up his junior campaign after reigning as the undisputed best shooter in college basketball. He averaged 16.9 points per game last year, with his shooting splits reading 50.6/48.7/87.8.

Leading the Cyclones to a No. 2 seed and being selected to All-Big 12 Second Team, it’s safe to say that this isn’t the first time that Momcilovic has been left off of the top list, making the Kentucky superstar hungry to prove the haters wrong on a much larger stage.

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Moreno is returning for his sophomore season after earning All-SEC Freshman Team honors last year, looking to show the Big Blue Nation everything he learned throughout the draft process and that he has changed this summer.

The Kentucky native was thrown into the fire, earning 30 unexpected starts for the Wildcats. He developed as the season went on, ending the 2025-26 campaign averaging 7.8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game.

With both Momcilovic and Moreno as staple players on this year’s roster, the SEC has slated Mark Pope’s team to finish seventh in the conference this season, finishing behind Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Vanderbilt.

The full lists of the All-SEC Teams can be found below:

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First Team

  • Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
  • Juke Harris (Tennessee)
  • Thomas Haugh (Florida)
  • Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State)
  • Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)

Second Team

  • Amari Allen (Alabama)
  • Alex Condon (Florida)
  • Milan Momcilovic (Kentucky)
  • Jordan Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
  • Matas Vokietaitis (Texas)

Third Team

  • PJ Haggerty (Texas A&M)
  • Malachi Moreno (Kentucky)
  • Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn)
  • David Punch (Texas)
  • Billy Richmond III (Arkansas)

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh Shows Flashes in First NBA Preseason Appearances

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Photo via Getty Images

Former Kentucky standout Otega Oweh took another step in his basketball career on Tuesday night, making his NBA preseason debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder and taking on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Oweh came off of the bench and played 28 minutes, finishing with six points, six rebounds, two steals, one block and an assist. The former Wildcat struggled offensively, shooting only 3-of-9 from the field and missing all four of his free throw attempts.

Despite the shooting struggles, Oweh showed flashes of his defensive ability and physicality that made him a fan favorite during his two seasons in Lexington.

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The Pelicans escaped with a 116-110 win, leaving the Thunder with a 0-1 record. The next night wouldn’t draw a different result, with Oweh’s team losing by two and only playing the beloved superstar a total of 16 minutes.

Due to foul trouble, this would be the only minutes he would receive, ending the game with two points on three shots.

Oweh was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Thunder after averaging 18.6 points per game during his senior season at Kentucky, joining former Wildcats Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Although his preseason debut wasn’t the offensive performance he might have hoped for, Oweh will have more than enough opportunities to prove himself as he looks to earn a role in a professional rotation.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Competes at Annual Pro Day Inside of Rupp Arena

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Photo via Marissa Gilchrist | UK Athletics

Kentucky held its annual Pro Day on Tuesday, Oct. 6, where NBA scouts were able to watch the team go through individual drills and a live game-like scrimmage. There are plenty of takeaways that stood out during the two hour practice. Let’s dive into it:

1.) Franck Kepnang Shows Off in the Paint

The first thing that stood out was transfer big man Franck Kepnang, with the seven-foot big from Washington dominating in the paint. Starting with the individual drills, he showed his size and ability to get downhill off of a pick-and-roll.

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The bigs went through a finishing through contact drill, and the new Wildcat seemed unfazed by the pads being pounded against him. With Moreno and Kepnang running the paint together, it will make it very difficult for opposing teams to stop both of them.

2.) Ousmane N’Diaye Has High-Scoring Performance

Overseas big Ousmane N’Diaye was another standout in front of the NBA scouts. In the first six-minute “quarter”, N’Diaye led all scorers with eight points.

He showed off his ability to score at all three levels, hitting multiple threes and also demonstrating his ability to score in the paint. N’Diaye wasn’t playing the five spot, which really allowed his team to stretch the floor and help with spacing.

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With Moreno, Kepnang, N’Diaye and Reece Potter all standing at seven-feet tall, Mark Pope has the opportunity to run a four-big lineup all while each player hones a different skillset. Having this much size will pay dividends come time for conference play.

3. The Forwards Do a Little Bit of Everything

A few other players who performed well were Milan Momcilovic and Braydon Hawthorne. Momcilovic played very unselfish during the inter-squad scrimmage, looking to first get his teammates involved and not forcing his game whatsoever.

He did hit a nice step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer in the second “quarter”, highlighting his 10-point performance. Hawthorne had some great looks from beyond the arc and did a phenomenal job getting his teammates open, driving and distributing the rock.

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He finished with six points and one assist.

Overall, the whole team appeared molded together and played as a unit rather than just isolation ball, which is a great sign in early October. There is no shortage of individual talent on this roster, and that was evident on Tuesday, with leaders and experience at every position.

The wait is almost over BBN. Kentucky will take the court in its first exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 16, when Little Rock comes into town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will air live on SEC Network+.

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