Men's Basketball

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

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2024

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Related Topics:Kentucky Basketball LSU Tigers

BB Recruiting

James Madison Transfer Justin McBride to Visit Kentucky on Tuesday

Published

5 days ago

April 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky will host James Madison transfer James McBride for a visit on Tuesday, after communicating with Mark Pope and the staff via Zoom video call.

James Madison Athletics

While much of the attention in the transfer portal goes to the top targets, you need to build a full roster. Still with starting spots to be claimed, Kentucky also looking at depth pieces. The most recent, James Madison transfer Justin McBride.

After talking to the staff this week via Zoom video call, McBride is scheduled to take a visit to Lexington on Tuesday.

A three-star transfer, ranked 201st overall according to 247Sports, McBride is being recruited by multiple power conference teams including Baylor and Cal, as well as SEC foes Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Out of high school, McBride was a four-star recruit, ranked in the top 150 nationally.

“He is a versatile player who has that IT factor about him. You can tell by the passion he plays with that there is a huge chip on his shoulder,” 247Sports asked program director Vonzell Thomas said as he evaluated McBride out of high school. “What I like about his game is his will to win. He does whatever it takes to win and not every kid has that mentality.”

From Texas, McBride committed to Oklahoma State over the likes of Kansas and Arkansas, where he played alongside former Wildcat Bandon Garrison. There, he appeared in just 24 games, averaging just over five minutes per game.

Seeking a larger role, McBride entered the transfer portal and dropped to the mid-major level, committing to Nevada. With the Wolfpack he nearly tripled both his minutes and production, averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. His most recent stop, James Madison this past season, McBride had a breakout year, averaging 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from deep.

Entering his senior season, the 6-7, 240 pound McBride is eyeing a jump back to the power conference level, prioritizing fit at his next stop.

Will that be Kentucky?

McBride has good size and athleticism, and has an inside-out style of game. Meaning he can work his away around the paint, but can also space the floor with his shooting, grading fairly well as a catch and shoot guy. Overall, he ranks in the 97th percentile in scoring volume. That said, there is come consistency to be lacked on the defensive side.

BB Recruiting

Multiple Transfers Meet With Kentucky on Wednesday

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

The transfer portal is active, and Zoom stock is going up as college coaches are video chatting around the clock to build their rosters, including Kentucky.

On Wednesday, Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff added three more names to the Zoom list.

Alex Wilkins (Guard, Furman), 4⭐️, 46th-ranked transfer

Class: Sophomore
Physicals: 6-5, 175 lbs
Last season averages: 17.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 46% FG, 32.8% 3P

An underrated prospect coming out of high school, Wilkins splashed on the scene this year at Furman. As a freshman, he led his team to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.8 points and 4.7 assists and earning second team All-SoCon honors.

There were few players as critical to their team’s success as Wilkins, leading the SoCon in possession usage (34.4%) and shot usage (31.7%). That does lend some explanation to his poor shooting splits and turnover concerns (3.8 turnovers per game).

A quick, wirey guard, Wilkins is a capable scorer at all three levels, and can create for his teammates. However, he needs to add some muscle for power conference competition, and needs to have more consistent effort on the defensive end.

A freshman, those are both correctable things.

Isaac Celiscar (Forward, Yale), 4⭐️, 84th-ranked transfer

Class: Junior
Physicals: 6-6, 210 lbs
Last season averages: 13.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 57.3% FG, 40.7% 3P

Isaac Celiscar is one of the most efficient, versatile players in the transfer portal.

The first takeaway, averaging 13.2 point per game with 57.3 percent shooting, he is extremely efficient on limited opportunities. Shooting nearly 41 percent from deep, he is a threat from deep as well. That efficiency carries over to his passing, as he averages more than three assists per game, on just 1.3 turnovers per game.

Celiscar grades out as a glue-guy with great offensive skills and good feel for the game, but he does have limitations in terms of his athleticism and shot creation.

Jalen Cox (Guard, Colgate), 3⭐️ , 149th-ranked transfer

Class: Senior
Physicals: 6-3, 180 lbs
Last season averages: 17.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, 5.0 RPG, 52.1% FG, 36.5% 3P

Jalen Cox is the lowest ranked player Kentucky has reached out to, but the Wildcats need depth and Cox is a experienced guard with proven production.

Averaging 17.9 points and 5.3 assists (2.0+ assist-to-turnover ratio) per game on 52 percent shooting from the field, Cox is a versatile and efficient offensive player. He has also multiple conference All-Defense selections too, making him a two way player.

The biggest concern with Cox is his athletic ceiling and how that translates to power conference competition. However an experienced two way player is a great rotation piece.

BB Recruiting

Top Five Transfer Paulius Murauskas Moves Up Call, Talks With Kentucky on Wednesday

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky met with Saint Mary's transfer Paulius Muruaskas, one of the top forwards in the transfer portal, on Wednesday and is looking to schedule a visit for him to come to Lexington.

Saint Mary's Athletics

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are as busy as anyone in the transfer portal. On Wednesday, they met with their biggest fish of this transfer portal cycle so far, Paulius Murauskas.

Originally scheduled for Thursday, the Wildcats met with Murauskas via Zoom video call on Wednesday, per source.

Currently ranked 4th overall in 247Sports transfer rankings, the top-ranked forward, Murauskas is the prototypical modern basketball player. Good size at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, with the ability to create for himself and others, has a good handle, and overall good feel for the game.

Murauskas started his collegiate career at Arizona after some professional experience in Lithuania. Playing just five minutes per game with the Wildcats as a freshman, Murauskas transferred to Saint Mary’s, where he has flourished and earned All-Conference honors the last two seasons.

This past season, Murauskas averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, on 48.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from deep. As for his weaknesses, he is not super athletic, and he does need to be more consistent with his shot.

Originally thought to follow former Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett to Arizona State, Murauskas is exploring all options. Following the Zoom, Kentucky is trying to get him on campus for a visit in the near future.