Men's Basketball

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

Published

3 months ago

January 16, 2024

Kentucky Wildcats plays Mississippi State in Rupp Arena on January 17th.

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.

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.

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

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.

BB Recruiting

Top 25 Transfer Otega Oweh Commits to Kentucky

Published

14 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Tristan Pharis

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.

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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.

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.

BB Recruiting

REPORT: San Diego State Transfer Lamont Butler Commits to Kentucky

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2024

Tristan Pharis

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.

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.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky to Host Multiple Top Transfers This Weekend

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

Tristan Pharis

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.

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)

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.

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.