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

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Antonio Reeves celebrates with Kentucky Wildcats fans at Rupp Arena.
© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky Wildcats started the new year and SEC play with an impressive road victory against the Florida Gators, against much adversity. On Tuesday, the Wildcats will return to action against the Missouri Tigers, who have gotten the best of Kentucky in two of the last three seasons. Given the comments from Missouri (both public and private), I would say this is one Kentucky’s staff will be motivated to win.

This year’s Missouri team lost eight players from last season’s roster, including their four top leading scorers. With an 8-6 record, the Tigers’ best win has come against (according to the NET rankings) Pittsburgh, who is ranked 195th in KenPom.

That said, Missouri shoots and makes a lot of threes, top three in the SEC in both categories this season, and any team in the SEC is capable of winning if you come in ill-prepared. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

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Perimeter Defense

It feels like opposing teams shoot an unreal percentage from three in Rupp Arena, but on the season opponents are shooting just 31.2 percent in Rupp for the year. This is right in line with the 31 percent they have allowed this season thus far, ranked 75th nationally.

That said, Missouri has attempted the second-most threes in the SEC this season and will hoist plenty more on Tuesday. With three guards all averaging double-figures and shooting 40%+ from three, including two shooting 50%+, the Wildcats need to close out on shooters.

Take Care of the Ball

Taking care of the ball is been a signature of this year’s Kentucky team, averaging just 9.4 per game and 14th nationally. However, to start the game against Florida, they had seven turnovers just in the first half.

Against Missouri, who often aggressively uses a 1-3-1 zone defense to create pressure and force mistakes, the Wildcats must make sound, but quick passes. The Wildcats have performed well against zone this season, so it will be interesting to see how often Missouri will turn to this.

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Make Free Throws

Missouri’s defense isn’t great, but they don’t give up things easily, particularly at the rim. The Tigers rank top 10 nationally in blocks per game, but also fouls at the second-highest rate in the SEC behind Alabama.

Penetration being a key part of Kentucky’s offense, they will get chances to kick it back out for open looks, but also free throws. This has been one of Calipari’s better free throw shooting teams at Kentucky, shooting 73.4 percent. However, they did miss several 1-and-1’s against Florida.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Sean East II, 6-3, 180 lbs

  • 17.1 PPG (5th in SEC)
  • 3.9 APG (T-5th in SEC)
  • 55.4% FG (3rd in SEC)
  • 53.8% 3P (2nd in SEC)

G Tamar Bates, 6-5, 195 lbs

  • 10.2 PPG
  • 53.3% FG (4th in SEC)
  • 53.1% 3P (3rd in SEC)

F Noah Carter, 6-6, 235 lbs

  • 11.5 PPG
  • 6.3 RPG

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Missouri Tigers

  • Date: January 9th, 2024
  • Time: 7:00 pm ET
  • Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Announcers: To be announced (ESPN Press Room).
  • Online Stream: 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 | MIZZ
  • Stats to Know: UK | MIZZ
  • KenPom: UK | MIZZ
  • Odds: ESPN’s matchup predictor has a lot of confidence in the Cats, giving them an 88% chance at victory, which EvanMiya is also in agreement with. Bart Torvik has even more confidence in Kentucky, projecting a 91% shot at the win. Kentucky is currently 9-4 against the spread, while Florida is 4-10.
  • Predictions: All the projections are within just a few points of each other. Bart Torvik and Haslametrics choose Kentucky 88-73 and 88-74, respectively. EvanMiya projects an 88-75 win for Kentucky and.

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Men's Basketball

Former Wildcats Headline Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Matchup

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Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Kevin Jairaj | IMAGN

The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.

As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history. 

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring. 

After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.

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The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals. 

At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.

Cason Wallace

Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.

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In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards. 

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game. 

Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.

Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.

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In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

Isaiah Jackson

The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.

Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

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This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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The 2025-26 Cats Consensus: It’s Time for Banner Number Nine

Every new and returning Wildcat shares the same dream: bringing a championship trophy to Lexington once more.

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Mark Pope in a crowd of fans at Big Blue Madness
Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

“We are here to win banners.”

While just about everything Mark Pope said at his introductory press conference went viral in one way or another, that aforementioned declaration stood out amongst his crowd of quotes like no other to a fanbase more than a decade removed from a national championship.

To the big blue nation, Coach Pope’s words last spring were a much needed battle cry. Now, as he’s set to enter his second year at the helm, Pope has made sure the team he assembled for the 2025-26 season shares the same hunger.

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It begins on a basic level, with players across the board throwing the number “9” around on social media in posts, replies, and commitments. Much like the Kentucky faithful, the newest roster to roll through Lexington isn’t afraid to make reference to the top task at hand.

For (likely) starting point guard Jaland Lowe, it’s an opportunity he “can’t miss.” “See y’all soon #BBN,” he said in a post on X, announcing his return to the collegiate level. Lowe chose a junior season at Kentucky over a chance to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Otega Oweh, the now-projected SEC player of the year, would follow suit shortly thereafter.

The Ultimate Goal

Andrija Jelavic, a primary member of the incoming unit, as well as the team’s lone international player, dubbed the title chase as “the ultimate goal” in his interview with KY Insider. “We all [the team] agree that the ultimate goal is the same and that is to bring a championship to Kentucky, to the state and the fans,” he said.

To Jelavic, it goes further than hunger. It’s a responsibility.

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And that responsibility is what sets Kentucky apart from other programs. As awkward as the conversation around John Calipari can get, when push comes to shove, much of the dissatisfaction growing within the fanbase as his tenure came to a close was rooted in the coach’s apparent disinterest in winning another championship.

Year after year went by; top-ranked roster after top ranked roster. After a while, it seemed that Kentucky was more often mentioned in the first round of the NBA Draft than it was in the NCAA Tournament. The problem persisted, the tension festered and, ultimately, the two sides split… and it all goes back to that elusive ninth title.

Name on the Front of the Jersey

Mark Pope has said before that he wants to bring in guys who are playing for the name on the front of their jersey. It just so happens that there are enough of those like-minded athletes across the nation to build one of the consensus best teams in college basketball, all of whom are in full pursuit of a new blue banner in the rafters of Rupp.

With a mindset like that shared across the board and talent like the 2025-26 team has at hand, it’s only a matter of time before that dream becomes a reality once more. For the first time in more than a decade, the entire Big Blue Nation is on the same page – and that includes the guys who can actually make it happen.

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Koby Brea Talks With Andrija Jelavic About His Legendary Chapter Awaiting At Kentucky

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ABA League (Left) | Imagn (Right)


Andrija Jelavic, in a recent Q&A with Kentucky Insider, revealed that he exchanged messages with former Wildcat Koby Brea, who will be handing down his No. 4 jersey to Jelavic.

The big man was asked if he had spoken with any former Wildcats after comparing his play style to Karl-Anthony Towns, and what he knew about Kentucky growing up.

“I exchanged some messages with Koby Brea because I’m gonna be wearing his number four,” Jelavic said. “About Kentucky, I always knew that they are the biggest franchise in college basketball history, and just everything about them is legendary.”

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Jelavic added on what exactly Brea said in those messages.

“He just told me to go be great and that he can’t wait to see me play,” Jelavic said. “Also, that he likes my number decision.”

Alone, the fact that Brea reached out speaks volume to the culture that is established at Kentucky. The lethal sharpshooter from Mark Pope’s first team at Kentucky played only one season in the blue and white, yet, seems interested in the future of the program despite chasing his own big league dreams.

To end our exclusive interview, Jelavic talked about the goals he has now as a Wildcat and how he wants to be a legendary piece to this year’s roster.

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“Definitely to bring many wins and hopefully a championship to Kentucky, Jelavic said. “To be a player that Kentucky will always remember.”

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