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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Missouri: How to Watch, Things to Know, and Predictions

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UK Athletics

I hope all of you enjoyed the holiday with your families. After a short holiday break, the Kentucky Wildcats will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on a Missouri Tiger team that is ranked right outside the Top 25.

With an 11-1 record under new head coach, Dennis Gates, the Tigers are off to their best start in over a decade. Yet, that record can be a bit deceiving as their schedule has been far from difficult. In fact, ranked 315th in strength of schedule, Missouri has had the second-easiest slate of the teams ranked in the top 50, only behind TCU (359th).

With that said, the Tigers are coming off their most impressive performance of the season against an Illinois team that was ranked 16th at the time. Winning 93-71, Missouri showed they are better than the projected 11th-place SEC finish from the preseason media poll.

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Let’s take a closer look at Kentucky’s SEC opener.

Defense, Defense, Defense

As previously mentioned, the Missouri schedule has been far from difficult. However, scoring 93 points against a top-30 Illinois defense is nothing to scoff at. The performance was not an outlier but rather showed what the Tigers are capable of against a quality opponent.

On the season, the Missouri offense ranks second in the country in points (88.8) and is also towards the top in assists (20.0), shooting percentage (51.3%), and points per possession (1.207).

Fortunately for Kentucky, defense has been a strength and will prove valuable on Wednesday. What will the Wildcats have to key in on?

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A big focus will be on guarding the perimeter. While the Tigers don’t solely rely on perimeter shooting, it is a big part of their game. Limiting three-point opportunities will allow Kentucky to shrink the floor, and in-turn help to defend a lot of Missouri’s off-ball movement.

Through twelve games, six different players have led the team in scoring for Missouri. Therefore, the Wildcat defense will have to play well as a unit, as the Tigers do not rely on one or two players.

Take Care of the Ball

One thing that Kentucky has struggled with, especially in their losses, is taking care of the ball. Against Missouri, the Tigers will do their best to generate turnovers.

On average, the Tigers are forcing nearly 20 turnovers per game, with 13 of them originating from steals. This provides the Tigers with 20 more possessions, which they tend to capitalize on given their offensive efficiency numbers.

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With an offense that has yet to find its full stride, Kentucky will have to play disciplined and make smart decisions on the offensive end.

Crash the Defensive Glass

To put it simply, outside of Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky has not been great at rebounding consistently. As the Wildcats enter conference play, that must change. A great time to show improvement would be against Missouri.

While not being a great rebounding team in general, the Tigers do like to crash the offensive boards, grabbing nearly 10 per game and nearly a third of their attempts.

In addition to taking care of the ball, the Wildcats must assert their dominance on the boards, preventing Missouri from getting any more possessions/second chance opportunities.

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Kentucky Basketball vs. Missouri Tigers

Time/Date: 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, December 28th, 2022.
Location: Mizzou in Columbia, Missouri
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: Dave Neal and Dane Bradshaw
Online Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, 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 | MIZZ
Team SheetsUK | MIZZ
Stats To Know: UK | MIZZ

Odds: ESPN’s matchup predictor has confidence in Kentucky, giving the Wildcats a 65.6% chance of winning, while Bart Torvik gives Missouri a 51% advantage. KenPom has it at 56% in favor of the Cats.

Predictions: TeamRankings went with Kentucky, 77-75 Bart Torvik picks the Wildcats to lose in a close one, 79-78. KenPom went with a 79-76 victory, Kentucky!

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

Adou Thiero Enters Transfer Portal, Keeps Options Open

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© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky’s first domino of the off-season has fallen. Adou Thiero has entered the transfer portal, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw. He has entered his name in the NBA Draft as well, while not ruling out a return to Kentucky, according to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim.

A big hit to Kentucky’s upcoming roster, as Thiero’s upside and growth will be missed. In the 2023-24 season, Thiero averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while missing 7 games due to injury. The 6-8 wing brought physicalness that Kentucky desperately needed this season, and something Calipari has been stressing for this upcoming season. Calipari harped on him numerous times this season, saying “He’s gotten so much better.”

Thiero has jumped in mock drafts all season, and his potential is sky high. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony even had Thiero going 27th in the 2025 NBA Draft. Now, he will get to add to his potential elsewhere.

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Now, Kentucky will look to find a good replacement for him as more things start happening throughout the off-season. Calipari is continuing to meet with players to discuss their future plans throughout the week.

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Men's Basketball

John Calipari Highlights Changes for Next Season

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John Calipari draws up a play at Kentucky's season opener. Said he made a "tweak".
UK Athletics

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein.

Many Kentucky fans have referred to this quote over the last few days, expressing a desire for a change from John Calipari. However, Calipari will be back on the sidelines for the Kentucky Wildcats next season for his 16th season, confirmed by Mitch Barnhart on Tuesday.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes.

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On Monday, John Calipari went on his season-ending radio show, giving his first comments to fans since Kentucky’s upset loss to Oakland last Thursday. It was easy to see why is a good recruiter, as he said all the right things.

For the better part of an hour, Calipari spoke with humility, answered some direction questions from Tom Leach, and accepted criticism. The main takeaway was that he understands that he has not met the Kentucky standard or his own standard, and changes need to take place.

“We’ve got to evaluate everything,” Calipari said. Here are some changes that have been outlined.

Getting Back to “Grinding”

Kentucky basketball offseason has often consisted of international trips to the Bahamas, or Canada last season, but not this year. Calipari emphasized a desire to get back to what his early Kentucky teams were characterized by, defense and physicality.

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“What about in the summers, instead of the Bahmas or Toronto, we’re grinding,” Calipari proposed. “We’ve got to get back to where we’ve been defensively and with physicality. Your defense steadies you.”

Those trips are good for team bonding and chemistry, but it’s clear that time can be used better for getting into the weight room and instilling defensive principles. Calipari did note that he does not want to take a step back on offense.

Getting Older

Calipari is the coach who made the “one-and-done” approach popular, relying heavily on elite freshmen. However, with college basketball getting older, he has expressed a willingness to get older.

“We’re relying on freshmen too much. In those kinds of games, you better have some vets,” Calipari said of his takeaway from Oakland. “For us, we need to get older.”

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It should be noted that Calipari relied on transfers in 2022 and 2023, albeit most not being the elite transfers, but more supporting pieces (i.e. CJ Fredrick) and developmental players (i.e. Jacob Toppin). That said, two transfers have been the leading scorer for Kentucky in three straight seasons, Oscar Tshiebwe and Antonio Reeves.

Calipari is looking more for a middle ground between young talent and transfers. “I like the combination of both. We just got to get the right transfers.”

Program Changes

When you are winning, you have more freedom, but when you have just one NCAA Tournament win in the last four seasons, you’re not going to have that luxury. This was not publicly said by Calipari, but more oversight will come as a result of his meeting with Barnhart on Tuesday afternoon.

Expect 1-2 staff changes and likely a support staff change. One of the staff changes should be filled with a defensive mind, and the support staff should be (suggestion) filled with someone in a general manager-type role. There will also be some operation changes such as having a more definitive practice schedule, rather than getting a text the day before/of, and some changes with the NIL model.

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Men's Basketball

Mitch Barnhart Speaks On John Calipari Coming Back As Kentucky Basketball Coach, “He Will Return”

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Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will return as Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach.
Mike Weaver/Special to the Courier Journal

After days of speculation, Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will be back, coaching his 16th season for the Kentucky Wildcats. The two had a conversation at Barnhart’s farm on Tuesday afternoon.

“As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach,” Barnhart said in a statement.

While there was some fan outcry for a head coaching change, there was no real indication that a change would be made.

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Barnhart was put in a difficult situation. Calipari has not led the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, but he is one of just a few active Hall of Fame coaches. With no clear option as a replacement, Barnhart decided to retain Calipari for another season.

Kentucky Insider has been told that Tuesday’s meeting between the two was “good”, despite some disagreement. As a result of the meeting, there will be some expected changes in the program, specifically some staff changes, and changes in day-to-day operations.

On Monday, Calipari recognized his shortcomings and closed out his show with a commitment to the Kentucky fans:

“That standard of national titles has been here from coach Rupp on. The only thing I am saying to all our fans. I’m going to work… That is a commitment that I give to the fans. I love it. This is what I want. This is it. Let’s come together and let’s do something.”

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Calipari is set to meet with players individually on Wednesday to discuss their stay/go decisions. The process of rebuilding next year’s roster (and staff) begins now.

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