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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs North Carolina: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Predictions

Published

11 months ago

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Kentucky Wildcats DJ Wagner, Justin Edwards, and Adou Thiero looking on from the bench,
© Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

College basketball games on CBS often just feel different, especially with Brad Nessler and Bill Raftery on the call as they will be this weekend as the #14 Kentucky Wildcats take on the #9 North Carolina Tar Heels in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta.

This will be the 43rd meeting between the two programs, with the Tar Heels holding the series lead, 25-17. However, they are just 1-3 against Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic. The last time the two teams matched up was back in 2021, as the trio of Kellan Grady, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Sahvir Wheeler overwhelmed the Tar Heels as the Wildcats went on to win 98-69.

This season, the two teams are currently ranked in the top 15 and possess two of the best fast-paced offenses in the country, contributing to what is expected to be an exciting, high-scoring contest.

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That said, the Tar Heels have a similar identity to what they have been in recent years, led by two All-ACC calibers players Armando Bacot and RJ Davis, with new supporting pieces. Whereas Kentucky brings just 19 percent of last season’s minutes and looks much more modern in their style of play.

Rebounding Battle

Over the years, a staple for good North Carolina and Kentucky teams has been rebounding. In fact, the Tar Heels have been a top 10 rebounding team in six of the last seven seasons, with Kentucky being a top 30 rebounding team in five of those seasons.

This year things are a little different, North Carolina is ranked just 61st with 39 rebounds per game and Kentucky is ranked 87th with 38.2 per game. The difference between the two is that UNC is heavily reliant on Bacot in their rebound efforts, whereas it has been much more of a group effort for Kentucky with seven players averaging for than 4+ rebounds per game, compared to just two for UNC.

Kentucky should be able to outrebound UNC’s smaller backcourt, but it will be up to the recently returned Aaron Bradshaw, and potentially Ugonna Onyenso who is expected to play, to limit Bacot on the boards.

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Take Advantage of Mismatches

One of North Carolina’s biggest weaknesses is their backcourt size, or lack thereof. Pair that with subpar defense thus far this season, especially with screening action, there is a recipe for Kentucky to exploit.

RJ Davis (6-0) and Elliot Cadeau (6-1) make up the North Carolina backcourt, while they are explosive offensively, they are a liability at times on defense. In their last game against UCONN, the Huskies were able to shoot right over them, and even more notably create mismatches through screens.

As John Calipari has said multiple times this season, this Kentucky team is full of “basketball players”, meaning they can all pass, dribble, and shoot. With a versatile lineup of players, Kentucky can and should look to take advantage when they are both on the court.

Ball Movement

Ball movement has been a staple for this Kentucky team for much of the season, ranking top ten in assists per game (19.6 APG) and first in assist/turnover ratio (2.20). However, after assisting on more than sixty percent of their baskets in four straight games, the ball has started to stall just a bit.

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UCONN, the best passing team North Carolina has faced, had 25 assists on 34 made field goals. They did so by using mismatches (above), backdoor cuts, etc., essentially motion. The opportunity will be there for Kentucky to do the same.

Be the Aggressor, Win the Fight

Oftentimes in big games the last few seasons, Kentucky has not been the aggressor and they have lacked fight. That has not been the case for this team and it was seen very early this season.

Going up against then No. 1 Kansas, just a week into the season, the Wildcats got down 9-0 in the first three minutes and it appeared to the be start of a blowout. To Kentucky’s credit, they battled back to take a 12-point lead by the end of the first half. However, their immaturity showed and they folded down the stretch as a much more experienced Kansas team made the plays to win.

Carolina will be another test. Against Arkansas, the Tar Heels went up as much as 12 in the first half. Against Tennessee, the Tar Heels put up 61 points in the first half. While Carolina play’s fast is more than capable of throwing the first punch, they are not very deep and tend to slow down toward the end of games.

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If Kentucky can punch first and retain the aggressor the majority of the game, they will have a good shot at the win.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. North Carolina Tar Heels

  • Date: Saturday, December 16th, 2023
  • Time: 5:30 pm ET
  • Location: State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • TV Channel: CBS
  • Announcers: Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, and Jenny Dell.
  • Online Stream: CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App.
  • Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
  • Replay: CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports Network (check local listings).
  • Rosters: UK | UNC
  • Stats to Know: UK | UNC
  • KenPom: UK | UNC
  • Odds: ESPN’s matchup predictor is slightly in favor of North Carolina, but at 53% predicts a toss-up game. Bart Torvik and EvanMiya are also in agreement, favoring the Tar Heels at 53% as well.
  • Predictions: Similar to the percentages, the score projections expect a close game with Kentucky as the underdog. Bart Torvik and EvanMiya project the Wildcats to lose by one point, predicting final scores of 84-83 and 82-81 respectively. Haslametrics projects a tad larger margin of defeat, 87-83.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

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

Published

52 mins ago

on

November 22, 2024

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Kentucky players encouraging each other at Rupp Arena.
Chet White | UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats are back in action Friday to face the Jackson State Tigers in the second game of the BBN Invitational.

To put it simply, Jackson State is bad, very bad. Sitting at 0-5 and ranked 321st in KenPom, the Tigers will likely be the worst opponent Kentucky will play all season.

Coached by Mo Williams, one of LeBron James’ old teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Tigers have only finished above .500 twice in the last decade. This season, Jackson State is predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC.

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Mark Pope recently said he wanted to build a standard, regardless of opponent and, and that will be tested on Friday.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

More 3-Point Attempts

Admittedly nitpicking, one of the things that Mark Pope was not happy with in Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb was the amount of three-point attempts. While they shot nearly 50 percent from deep, going 12-25, Pope wants to see the number of attempts closer to 35.

The Tigers have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.8 percent from deep, the second-worst mark in the country. Pope and the staff will certainly generate a game plan to take advantage of this. Expect to see 30+ attempts.

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Ball Movement

Despite beating Lipscomb by 29 points, the Wildcats had a season-low in assists with just ten. For context, Kentucky had averaged more than 23 assists per game entering the matchup.

“That’s not us. That’s not who we are,” Pope said after the game.

While there wasn’t a lot of selfishness, the ball just wasn’t ‘flying’ as it has been early this season. This is a priority for the staff and this mature group, and they will aim for 25+ assists.

Keep JSU off the Free-Throw Line

Jackson State ranks in the top 100 nationally in one area: Free throws made per game. So, Kentucky, defend without fouling.

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Kentucky’s offense makes headlines, but the defense has played very well to start the season, holding all four opponents to under 73 points. Let’s see if they can get down in a stance and defend well for 40 minutes vs. a team that stresses contact and drawing fouls.

Opposing Players to Watch

C Shannon Grant 6-11, 290 lbs

  • 7.5 PPG
  • 4.8
  • Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection

G Jayme Mitchell Jr 6-5, 190 lbs

  • 15.0 PPG
  • 3.8 RPG
  • 44.4% 3P

F Romelle Mansel 6-9, 220 lbs

  • 10.8 PPG
  • 5.8 RPG
  • 31.7% FG (second most FG attempts on the team)

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Jackson State Tigers

Time: 7 PM ET on November 22nd
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: This game will not be on TV and is streaming only,
Online Stream: SEC Network+, ESPN+, and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | JSU
Stats to Know: UK | JSU
KenPom: UK | JSU
Team Sheet: UK | JSU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check Thursday afternoon for an official spread. Multiple projections give Kentucky a 99% chance of winning: Bart Torvik (99%), EvanMiya (99.9%), and ESPN (99.0%). The exception is KenPom (92%).

Predictions: KenPom (93-63), Haslametrics (96-63), Bart Torvik (95-61), and EvanMiya (96-59) all are going with a 30+ point victory, Kentucky!

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

Published

4 days ago

on

November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

Published

6 days ago

on

November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
IMAGN

John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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