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Men's Basketball

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

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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.

Men's Basketball

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

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Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Duke Blue Devils in the Champion's Classic in Atlanta in a Top 25 matchup.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

The Kentucky Wildcats have finished the first week of the regular season 2-0. However, on Tuesday they will have their first big test of the season, traveling to Atlanta to take on the Duke Blue Devils in the Champion’s Classic.

Duke comes in with a roster reminiscent of past Kentucky teams, full of elite freshmen. Meanwhile, Kentucky comes in with the oldest team in program history. It will be a true battle between youth and experience.

The Wildcats are just 1-6 in their last seven Champions Classic games and just 1-5 against Duke over their last six meetings. Can the Wildcats change course? Let’s take a look at the matchup.

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Rebounding Battle

Duke has the tallest team in the country, with an average height of 6’7.5”. That certainly helps them in their battle of the boards, where through two games they are averaging 45 rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds.

Meanwhile, Mark Pope has not been pleased with Kentucky’s effort on the boards to start the season. In their latest game against Bucknell, rebounding was a clear point of emphasis as the Cats grabbed 57 rebounds, including 22 offensive boards.

Kentucky doesn’t give up too much height, but they do give up some athleticism. With a lot of long rebounds from threes, all five Cats on the floor need to box out.

Turnover Battle

In addition to their height, Duke also has the length to be pests on defense. Combining for 18 steals on defense through two games, the Blue Devils are able to create offense.

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After turning the ball over fifteen times against Bucknell, eight of which between Amari Williams and Andrew Carr, they’re are going to have to be aware of the pressure inside and keep the ball moving.

Conditioning

Mark Pope has talked about improving his team’s conditioning, wanting them to be in a shape reminiscent of Rick Pitino’s 90s teams, which Pope was a part of. They will be able to see where they stand physically, and potentially use it to their advantage.

Currently, Kentucky ranks 26th in adjusted tempo, while Duke ranks 181st. However, both team’s average possession lasts less than 15 seconds. This means a fast-paced game should be expected.

Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg has cramped in each of the Blue Devil’s first two games. If Kentucky can be successful in pushing the pace, it will give them a better chance at the win.

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The Stage

This is Kentucky’s most experienced team in program history. However, on Tuesday, many of them will be playing on the biggest stage of their career.

We have seen Kentucky freshmen struggle in this event in the past. Now with a team of veterans, can they contribute when the lights shine the brightest?

Opposing Players to Watch

G/F Cooper Flagg 6-9, 205 lbs

  • 15.5 PPG
  • 9 RPG
  • 4 APG
  • 2.5 SPG

G/F Kon Knueppel 6-7, 217 lbs

  • 18.5 PPG
  • 3 RPG
  • 50% 3P

G Tyrese Proctor 6-6, 183 lbs

  • 12.0 PPG
  • 5 RPG
  • 1.5 APG
  • 50% 3P

Kentucky Basketball vs. Duke Blue Devils

  • Time: 9:00 PM ET on November 12th
    Location: State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
    TV Channel: ESPN
    Announcers: Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas, Jess Sims
    Online Stream: 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 | DUKE
    Stats to Know: UK | DUKE
    KenPom: UK | DUKE
    Team Sheet: UK | DUKE

Be sure to send us your Kentucky-Duke score predictions down in the comments section!

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Men's Basketball

Recap and Takeaways from Kentucky’s 100-72 Win Over Bucknell

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The Kentucky Wildcats get a 100-72 win over Bucknell to improve to 2-0 on the season, with a matchup against No. 7 Duke coming up next.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

After coming off the first win of the Mark Pope era in a 103-63 win versus Wright State, the Cats were going to have another early test, this time in the Bucknell Bison of the Patriot League. Big man Noah Williamson came into the game as the Bison’s star player after a 19-point season opener versus Delaware and followed that up with an impressive 32-point game versus Southern Indiana in the Bison’s first two regular season games. 

First Half ups and downs

The Cats started with a 10-3 lead entering the first timeout, led by star guard Jaxson Robinson with 5 quick points to open the game. The ‘Cats would later extend their lead with the help of Dayton transfer Koby Brea who made three of his six three-point attempts in the first half. Mark Pope’s squad would also face a struggle in the middle of the half with sloppy play and uncharacteristic misses on the offensive side of the floor. The ‘Cats would get back on track late in the half and enter the halftime break up 47-31.

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Second Half firepower

The ‘Cats didn’t skip a beat as they started to roll in the second half with Kerr Krissa finding his teammates left and right for open shots. Kriisa would finish the game with 12 assists with just 2 turnovers. Brea stayed hot hitting 3 more 3 pointers. Brea finished with 20 points and 6 of 8 from behind the arc. Kentucky would steamroll the Bison with a final score of 100-72 in their second game under head coach Mark Pope as his team gets ready for a clash versus the Duke Blue Devil on Tuesday.

Keys to the game 

The three-point attempts and makes were both up against the Bison from their matchup against Wright State where they only made 11 of 24. Tonight in the win against Bucknell the ‘Cats took 36 threes connecting on 13. The impressive play from Amari Williams who held Bucknell’s star player Noah Williamson to just 7 points on 3 of 12 shooting was a big plus for Pope’s squad tonight. Lastly, Kerr Kriisa was all over the court creating havoc on both ends finishing with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 12 assists in a game where Mark Pope acknowledged Kriisa by saying “I have to be careful. I think I knew exactly who I was getting. I’ve been recruiting Kerr for I think seven years or something. I’m telling you he’s a really special player. He’s a really special young man.” Pope made it known just how important Kerr Kriisa was for his team.

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When are the ‘Cats back in action?

Kentucky will take on the Duke Blue Devils Tuesday night at 9 PM at Champions Classic in Atlanta, GA inside State Farm Arena the game will air on ESPN.

Box Score

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Men's Basketball

Louisville Basketball Struggling to Sell Tickets for #12 Tennessee, Giving Away FREE Tickets

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IMAGN

Kentucky never has to worry about a big game being sell out, nor most regular season games. However, that is not the case for the school an hour down the road.

With a new and energetic head coach bringing an exciting style of play, one would think that Louisville Cardinal fans would be ready to support their program and attend a Top 25 game in their NBA style arena. Yet, you would be wrong.

With a matchup with 12th ranked Tennessee on Saturday, the Cardinals have thousands of tickets available for KFC Yum Center. Earlier this week head coach Pat Kelsey went around Louisville’s campus to encourage students to purchase tickets and attend the game.

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UPS and Louisville boosters have purchased tickets in bulk this week to give away. Now just 24 hours away from tip and in order to have a respectable atmosphere, they have resorted to giving away FREE tickets, as long as you are a Planet Fitness member which costs $10/month.

Sound the “LUNK” alarm for Louisville’s ticket sales.

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