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

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Kentucky guard DJ Wagner. The Kentucky Wildcats kick off their season against New Mexico State. Here is the how to watch, things to watch, predictions, and betting odds.
© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

After months of anticipation, Kentucky Wildcats Basketball is finally here as they will kick off the season against the New Mexico State Aggies at Rupp Arena on Monday.

The Aggies have made the NCAA Tournament in four of the last seven seasons, including an upset win over UConn as a 12-seed in 2022. However, most of that success came under Chris Jans, who is now coaching at Mississippi State. Just two years removed from that tournament win, the Aggies are significantly worse.

Last season, New Mexico State suspended the remainder of their season in February over hazing allegations within the team, finishing 9-15. New head coach Jason Hooten has brought in an entirely new roster and staff, but the media predicts a struggling season for the Aggies this season, picking them to finish second to last in Conference USA.

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With that said, here’s what to look for in the opener.

Ball Movement

From the exhibitions, one of the greatest strengths of this Kentucky basketball team has been the ball movement. This has not been something they have particularly excelled at in the last three seasons.

Last year, the Wildcats had an assist rate of 55.1 percent, which was ranked in the top 100. At four games at GLOBL JAM this summer, the Wildcats had an assist rate of 72.5 percent. The most impressive part is that it is not just one player. In their last exhibition against Kentucky State, four players ended the game with 4+ assists.

Given the amount of talent on the roster, this is not a team that will rely on one or two players to score 15+ points per night as Kentucky has in recent seasons. Instead, a number of players could step up at any time given the night and the matchup and “feed the hot hand.”

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Lack of Size

It has been well documented that Kentucky is without all three of their seven-footers, Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso to injury, and Zvonimir Ivisic to the NCAA as he waits for an answer on his eligibility status. That said, the regular season is here, and Kentucky still has to play the games.

New Mexico State has two transfer bigs that the Wildcats will likely see a lot of in Davion Bradford (Wake Forest) and Kaosi Ezeagu (Sam Houston State). Both are upperclassmen with a lot of experience and will likely be relied on a new New Mexico State roster.

Kentucky’s frontcourt will be made up of a committee Tre Mitchell, Adou Thiero, Jordan Burks, and Justin Edwards. Of that group, Mitchell is the only true big man. That said, he is only listed at 6’9.

On the offensive side of the ball, there will be a lot of fin lineups, as seen in the exhibitions. However, the Wildcats will give up a lot on defense and rebounding. To counter that, could we see John Calipari play a zone?

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Nerves

This Kentucky basketball team has eight first-year players. That is eight young men getting to experience college basketball at its highest level for the first time. While they are all talented, they are not immune to nerves.

“I had a couple of freshmen walk up to me before the game like, ‘Yeah bro, I’m kinda nervous,’” Antonio Reeves told the media after Kentucky’s exhibition against Georgetown College. While better prepared, the freshman will be playing their first regular season game at Rupp Arena, with a large season-opening crowd.

Don’t be surprised to see some of the freshmen’s play affected by those nerves. Until they find their footing in the game, Kentucky will lean on veterans Tre Mitchell, Antonio Reeves, and Adou Thiero.

No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats vs. New Mexico State

Time/Date: 8:00 pm ET on Monday, November 6th, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: Tom Hart and Dan 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: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | NMSU

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Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has Kentucky as an 18-point favorite. ESPN’s matchup predictor was the Wildcats as the overwhelming favorite, giving them an 87.3% chance to win. However, Bart Torvik has Kentucky as an even larger favorite at 96%

PredictionsBart Torvik picks the Wildcats to win convincingly, 83-64, while KenPom is going with an 80-62 win for the home team. Haslametrics is going with an 82-65 victory, Kentucky!

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Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Takes On A Leadership Role Heading Into Next Season

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Brandon Garrison and Kentucky head coach Mark Pope
Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, at times making plays above his experience level on the court, and other times, causing unfortunate turnovers and making Big Blue Nation yell “pass the ball” when he attempted to show off his handles.

However, since the offseason has began, we’ve seen the backup big man from last year’s squad take major jumps in not only his skill set, but in his mentality and leadership as well.

“BG” announced that he was coming back to Kentucky on April 12 for the 2025-26 season, and since then, has been the talk of the town to be the starting center for Mark Pope’s second-year team.

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Last season, Garrison played behind Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

Having played a year already in Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the starting role over one of the transfer pickups, especially since Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly vocal about his development. With young players such as Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno coming in behind Garrison, you can guarantee he will play a major role in their development.

In an offseason press conference, Pope said that Garrison has already taken on more of a mentorship role heading into next season.

“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him,” Pope said. “He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”

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Pope added on that Garrison went out of his way to have breakfast and talk to four of the incoming transfers, on their official visits, about Kentucky and the way the staff does things.

“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just, like he is growing up, man,” Pope said in an interview with KSR on May 22. “It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach. He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”

As the season inches closer, we’ll learn more about Garrison’s impact on the court and if he’ll be the day one starter, but regardless, off the court, you can bet he has some wisdom to pass down.

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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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