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Men's Basketball

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

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3 years ago

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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 : WatchESPN, ESPN+, 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%

Predictions: Bart 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

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

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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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