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Men's Basketball

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

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2 years ago

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Kentucky Wildcats plays Mississippi State in Rupp Arena on January 17th.
© Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Following a tough defeat in College Station against Texas A&M, the Kentucky Wildcats will return to Lexington to play a tough Mississippi State team. While unranked and suffering some bad losses early this season (Southern, 203rd in KenPom), the Bulldogs are analytically the fifth-best team in the SEC and are a borderline Top 25 team.

The 12-4 Bulldogs recently returned their best player, preseason All-American pick Tolu Smith, and just beat a top-5 Tennessee squad last week. With a full roster, with plenty of experience, they could cause some fits in the SEC. Their defense has been the calling card for this Mississippi State team, ranked 9th in defensive efficiency in KenPom.

Under John Calipari, Mississippi State has only beaten Kentucky once, in the 2021 SEC Tournament. However, of the last four games in the series, two have gone into overtime and the other two have been decided by one possession.

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I expect another close one on Wednesday. Let’s dive into the matchup.

Protect the Paint

If you look at the season stats, it would appear that Mississippi State shoots a fair amount of threes, averaging more than 23 per game, but at just a 32 percent clip, the third lowest in the SEC. However, since Tolu Smith has been added back to the lineup, the Bulldogs are averaging just 16 attempts per game. It is a small sample size, but shows a different offensive approach, and for good reason, Smith is one of the most efficient bigs in the SEC in the paint shooting better than 58 percent from the field.

Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso’s length could prove bothersome to Smith, but they must be smart and stay out of trouble. Even outside of Smith, the duo has shown improved rim protection, specifically Onyenso who had five blocks against Texas A&M, and who is also daring opponents to bring it into the paint. “If you think you can make a basket, if you think you can go get a layup on us, good luck with that,” he said last week.

Let’s also see if the guards have started to embrace the “desperate” mentality Calipari is trying to instill in them and stay in front of the ball.

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Take Advantage of Turnovers

The biggest weakness of this Mississippi State team is their inability to take care of the ball. In fact, averaging more than 13 per game, they are third third-worst team in the SEC in turnovers. These turnovers primarily come from poor entry passes, poor drives, or pressure in the paint. If Kentucky can force the same turnovers the Bulldogs have committed all season, this will allow Kentucky to get some easy transition opportunities and push the pace a bit.

Rebound

It is no coincidence that since Smith has returned, Mississippi State has reached double-digit offensive rebounds in three of the four games, something they had only done in three of the previous twelve games. This is an area that Kentucky has struggled against.

The Wildcats are coming off allowing 25 offensive rebounds to Texas A&M, the most of the John Calipari era. Last Saturday’s performance didn’t fall on any one player, as everyone got outworked for rebounds, but it’s disappointing given this team’s athleticism. Has Onyenso said previewing the matchup, it is an effort thing and the effort must be better.

Opposing Players to Watch

F Tolu Smith, 6-11, 245 lbs

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  • 16.8 PPG (8th in SEC)
  • 6.8 RPG (T-10th in SEC)
  • 58.3% FG (Doesn’t qualify, but would be 2nd in SEC)

G Josh Hubbard, 5-10, 185 lbs

  • 15.1 PPG (15th in SEC)
  • 38.8% 3P
  • WATCH ON/OFF BALL SCREENS!

G Shakeel Moore, 6-1, 190 lbs

  • 8.0 PPG
  • Best perimeter defender, Top 15 in steals in SEC back-to-back seasons.
  • 3rd time playing Kentucky

Kentucky Basketball vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs

  • Date: January 17th, 2024
  • Time: 7:00 pm ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN2
  • Announcers: To be announced.
  • Location: Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY.
  • Online Stream: Stream the game online with 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 | MISS ST
  • Stats to Know: UK | MISS ST
  • KenPom: UK | MISS ST
  • Team Sheets: UK | MISS ST
  • Odds: DraftKings has yet to release the odds of this game. ESPN’s matchup predictor basically gives the Cats a 3 in 4 chance to win at 73.7%. Both Bart Torvik and EvanMiya are less confident in Kentucky, still projecting them to win at 63% and 65.2% respectively.
  • Predictions: Bart Torvik and Haslametrics are nearly identical in their projections, picking Kentucky to win 80-77 and 81-77. EvanMiya is still picking the Cats but in a slightly less scoring game, 77-73.

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Men's Basketball

College Basketball Rankings: Where Kentucky Stands in Updated “way-too-early” Polls

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7 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Where Kentucky basketball stands in ESPN and CBS Sports updated way-too-early rankings after more coaching changes, player additions, and injuries.
UK Athletics

Last offseason, Kentucky was considered a top-10 team and a true title contender, but ended the season as one of the most disappointing teams in the country, winning just one game in the NCAA Tournament.

This offseason, Kentucky is barely cracking the top 15 in most preseason rankings and will look to climb the rankings throughout the season rather than fall.

Still 120+ days out from the start of the regular season, ESPN and CBS Sports have updated their “way-too-early” rankings following Dusty May’s jump from Michigan to the NBA, more player additions for teams, and some early-season-ending injuries.

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The rankings remain fairly static, however, with the Wildcats holding steady in ESPN’s rankings while moving ahead of St. John’s in CBS Sports’ rankings following Donnie Freeman’s Achilles injury.

ESPN

17. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: 17 (no change)

Impact newcomer: Milan Momcilovic

Momcilovic was the best transfer in the portal, after a season in which he established himself as the best shooter in college basketball. The 6-8 forward withdrew from the NBA draft on the night of the deadline, committing to coach Mark Pope’s team a few days later after also being pursued by Louisville and Arizona. He’s immediately an All-America contender and the most dangerous player on the Wildcats’ roster, after averaging 16.9 points and shooting 48.7% from 3 last season.

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Projected starting lineup

Zoom Diallo (15.7 PPG at Washington)
Alex Wilkins (17.8 PPG at Furman)
Milan Momcilovic (16.9 PPG at Iowa State)
Ousmane N’Diaye (9.8 PPG for Cremona in Serie A)
Malachi Moreno (7.8 PPG)

CBS Sports

16. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: 17 (⬆️1)

This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning one of the top six scorers — specifically Malachi Moreno — from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, Washington transfers Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, Washington State transfer Jerone Morton, James Madison transfer Justin McBride, Providence transfer Alex Wilkins, four-star prospect Mason Williams and international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye.

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Discusses Final Assistant Coach Position, “I’m not in desperate need of adding more pieces”

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1 week ago

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July 3, 2026

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Mark Pope isn't rushing to fill Kentucky's final assistant coach opening, saying pending NCAA rules on international players could shift his plans.
UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball has operated this offseason without a full staff. Assistant coaches Alvin Brooks III and Jason Hart left the program back in March, and Mark Pope has only filled one of the two spots since, hiring former NBA All-Star Mo Williams from Jackson State.

Despite that, Kentucky managed to bring in the 3rd ranked transfer class in the country, highlighted by Milan Momcilovic, and have secured a commitment from 2027 five-star Ryan Hampton.

“I like my organization a lot right now. I think this group is functioning at a high level,” Pope said about his staff in an interview with BBN Tonight. “I like the way our staff feels. I like the way we feel in the staff meeting every day. I like the way we’re executing on the road. I like the way we feel on the court right now.”

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With an assistant coach position sitting vacant, Pope is satisfied with how his staff is performing and says there is no urgency in filling the role. Instead, he’s waiting to see how NCAA guidelines and rules unfold in the coming weeks.

“I’m not in desperate need of adding more pieces, although I’m open to the idea,” he said.

“There are going to be a whole host of legal cases from our league testing the CSC and the NCAA on their current guidelines and rules on international players. And depending on what the outcome of those are, it could very much shift the direction we go with hiring.”

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Says Kentucky’s Final Roster Spot Is About Fit, “There’s got to be a very uniquely positioned piece”

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1 week ago

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July 3, 2026

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Mark Pope opens up on Kentucky Basketball's final roster spot, emphasizing fit over hype as the Nikola Kusturica recruitment nears a decision.
UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball is wrapping up its third week of practice in an eight-week summer training block. While the players are getting acclimated to Mark Pope’s system and to each other, there is still one roster spot to be filled.

“I am enjoying coaching these guys, but we’re also still really active in recruiting,” Pope said in an interview with BBN Tonight.

One name that Wildcat fans have been keeping a close eye on in recent weeks is Nikola Kusturica, a 17-year-old prospect from Serbia, who is currently playing for FC Barcelona and is a projected lottery pick in the 2028 NBA Draft. His recruitment is down to Kentucky and UCLA, with the latter having the momentum and a decision expected soon.

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Whoever the final roster piece will be, Pope emphasizes that they must fit with the other 14 players on the roster.

“Where we are with our roster, there’s got to be a very uniquely positioned piece that fits,” he said.

“There are several different archetypes of piece that would fit this roster really well, but there’s also a lot of guys who are popping up as available or have been available for a little while who don’t turn out to be the fit that’s going to work for this team.”

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