Connect with us

Men's Basketball

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

Published

on

Kentucky Wildcats guard Adou Thiero (3) celebrates his alley-op dunk as he checks out o.f the game as Auburn Tigers take on Kentucky Wildcats
© Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off arguably their most impressive win of the season, dominating a 13th-ranked Auburn Tigers team in a sold-out, College Gameday environment. The biggest takeaway from the win was their defense, which they will try to carry to Baton Rouge as they take on the LSU Tigers on Wednesday.

Coached by former Murray State head coach, Matt McMahon, the LSU Tigers are better in his second season at the helm. With just a 13-12 record, sitting 10th in the SEC, the Tigers are more dangerous than their record suggests. In fact, they have three quad-one wins on the season, the same amount as Kentucky, including a win at South Carolina this past Saturday.

That said, this is a game that Kentucky should and needs to win if they want to make a run at the SEC Regular season title. LSU is a team that likes to play a style that the Cats are comfortable with and have been in a slump, losing seven of their last ten games.

Advertisement

Let’s look at the matchup.

Defensive Consistency

The most impressive part of Kentucky’s win over Auburn was their defense. According to BartTorvik, it was their best defensive performance of the season, beating their previous best, which came against Ole Miss, the game prior.

Fortunately for the Cats, LSU’s offensive ranks 89th, compared to the top 30 offenses that Ole Miss and Auburn came in with. However, the Tigers are shooting 49 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three over their last five games.

McMahon’s offense features a lot of ball screens, so communication and understanding LSU’s personnel will be critical. Considering LSUV averages 13 turnovers per game, amongst the highest in the country, using some pressure could yield good results and help the Cats get some easy baskets in transition.

Advertisement

Coming off back-to-back season-best defensive performances, can Kentucky sustain the defensive consistency?

Jordan Wright

The name may sound familiar from his days at Vanderbilt, as he often torched Kentucky. In fact, in his 10 career matchup against the Cats, he has averaged 11.6 points on an unreal 63 percent shooting from three. That includes scoring 18 or more in three of his last four games against them.

Now at LSU, Wright is one of the Tigers’ most important players, averaging career-highs in points and assists. However, he is also averaging a career-low in field goal percentage, below 39 percent. So high usage, low efficiency.

Take Advantage on the Perimeter

LSU’s defensive philosophy consists of daring their opponents to shoot and beat them from the outside, giving up more than a third of their points to opposing teams from the three-point line, while holding opponents to just 45.3 percent on two-pointers.

Advertisement

This Kentucky team is one of the best shooting teams in program history, shooting a nation’s best 40.5 percent. However, attempts have been down of late, shooting less than 20 attempts in three straight games.

Kentucky’s offense will create some great perimeter looks and they have the shooter to capitalize. If it is an off-shooting night, crashing the boards could prove fruitful as LSU gives up nearly 10 offensive rebounds to their opponents per game, amongst the highest in the country.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Jordan Wright 6-6, 230 lbs

  • 15.0 PPG (14th in SEC)
  • 5.1 RPG
  • 2.6

Averages in 10 games vs Kentucky (Transferred from Vanderbilt)

  • 11.6 PPG
  • 52.5% FG
  • 63% 3P

G Jalen Cook 6-0, 194 lbs

  • 15.6 PPG (10th in SEC)
  • 3.8 RPG
  • 2.8 APG

F Tyrell Ward 6-6, 180 lbs

  • 8.3 PPG
  • 42.2% 3P (9th in SEC)

Kentucky Basketball vs. Louisana State Tigers

  • Time: 9 PM EST on Feb. 21st
  • Location: Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA
  • TV Channel: ESPN will have TV coverage.
  • Announcers: To be announced.
  • Online Stream: Stream the game online using WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
  • Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
  • Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
  • Rosters: UK | LSU
  • Stats to Know: UK | LSU
  • KenPom: UK | LSU
  • Team Sheet: UK | LSU
  • Odds: The odds for the game have yet to be released, but check out SportsBetExpert for your picks. ESPN’s matchup predictor has Kentucky winning, but not as large as a chance as you would thing against a team that has dropped seven of their last 10, just an 59.8% chance of victory. Bart Torvik is right in line at 59%. EvanMiya and KenPom are slightly higher at 63.3% and 63%.
  • Predictions: All the projections pick Kentucky, but my small margins. Bart Torvik picks Kentucky to win 85-83. Haslametrics has them winning 84-81. EvanMiya has it at 84-80, and KenPom is at 83-80.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

Advertisement

BB Recruiting

Top 25 Transfer Otega Oweh Commits to Kentucky

Published

on

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.

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

BB Recruiting

REPORT: San Diego State Transfer Lamont Butler Commits to Kentucky

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

BB Recruiting

Kentucky to Host Multiple Top Transfers This Weekend

Published

on

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are hosting multiple top transfers this weekend for visits, looking to add to their roster.

With the deadline for players to enter the portal coming up on May 1st, Kentucky nearly has all their options on the table. Now two weeks since taking the job, Mark Pope has expressed interest in nearly two dozen names and has been keying in on some top names in the portal.

As of writing this article, top 25 transfer Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), is currently on a visit to Lexington, with three more players set to visit this weekend. There’s a good chance that some of those visits turn into commitments.

Let’s take a look at those names.

Advertisement

Deivon Smith – Guard, Utah

Physicals: 6’0, 173 lbs
Stats: 13.3 PPG, 7.1 APG, 6.3 RPG, 46.% FG, 40.8% 3P
Ranking: 10th (Evan Miya), 38rd (247Sports)

Kentucky has had just three players record a triple-double in program history. Deivon Smith recorded five triple-doubles this past season alone, the second-most all-time for a single season in NCAA history.

While undersized, he is one of the best all-around guards in the country, as his numbers show. It’s still early, but Kentucky getting the first visit is significant. St. John’s and Texas Tech have also been mentioned here.

Andrej Stojaković – Guard, Stanford

Physicals: 6’7, 190 lbs
Stats: 7.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 40.9% FG, 32.7% 3P
Ranking: 183rd (Evan Miya), 51st (247Sports)

Advertisement

Stojakovic is the son of former NBA All-Star, Peja Stojakovic. A familiar name for Kentucky fans from his high school recruitment. Stojakovic is a terrific shooter, and a top-25 recruit in the 2023 class.

On Thursday, Stojakovic cut his list to just three schools: California, UNC, and Kentucky. As a West Coast product, California was a school that showed interest when he was in high school, and so did Mark Pope when he was at BYU. Pope has made Stojakovic a priority, he could seal the deal this weekend.

Aidan Mahaney – Guard, Saint Mary’s

Physicals: 6-3, 180 lbs
Stats: 13.9 PPG, 2.6 APG, 38.6% FG, 35.5% 3P
Ranking: 96th (Evan Miya), 14th (247Sports)

One of the best guards in the portal. As a lead guard for Saint Mary’s, he displayed a good sense of playing under control, setting himself up and others. That said, his numbers were rather inefficient as the primary scoring option for the Gaels and shooting more than half of his shots from three. There are concerns about his playing against bigger guards.

Advertisement

Mahaney visited UConn Thursday and it looks to be a race between Creighton, Virginia, UConn, and Kentucky.

Andrew Carr – Forward, Wake Forest

Physicals: 6-11, 230 lbs
Stats: 13.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 52.6% FG, 37.1% 3P
Ranking: 33rd (Evan Miya), Not Listed (247Sports)

A near 7-footer who is efficient and can stretch the floor, shooting over 37 percent from three, is a player that Mark Pope would love to add to his roster. That describes Andrew Carr who has played two years at each Delaware and Wake Forest and is looking to go elsewhere for his last season of eligibility.

Carr is coming off a visit to Texas Tech and will visit Villanova after he visits Lexington this weekend.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending