After a home loss to South Carolina in January, the Kentucky Wildcats had played themselves out of the NCAA Tournament field and had yet to win a marque game. Yet, this team showed a resilience that many did not believe they had and won some impressive games down the stretch, finishing with six quad-one victories.
Now just over two months from that South Carolina loss, the Wildcats are entering the NCAA Tournament as a six-seed, with a fairly good draw to make a run. However, their opening-round game comes against the Providence Friars, who have a familiar face on their roster, former Wildcat Bryce Hopkins.
Already entering the NCAA Tournament under immense pressure to win an NCAA Tournament game, John Calipari now has the added pressure of not losing to a former player. With that said, both teams have an identical 21-11 record and have shown inconsistencies through the regular season.
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On paper, Kentucky has the talent advantage, but as John Calipari said after last weekend’s loss to Vanderbilt, “We’ve shown who we are. We can beat anybody. But I hate to tell you, we can get beat by anybody.”
Now let’s take a closer look at Kentucky’s opening-round matchup.
Bryce Hopkins
Let’s start with the biggest storyline of the game, Bryce Hopkins. Averaging just 2.1 PPG and 1.4 RPG at Kentucky a season ago, the former Wildcat is nearly averaging a double-double for Providence this season with 16.1 PPG and 8.5 RPG, earning All-BIG EAST First Team honors.
While Hopkins regrets going to Kentucky, per an interview with Brian Hamilton of The Athletic, his time wasn’t all bad. In his sole season in Lexington, he formed lasting relationships with eight of the Wildcats’ current players, including Jacob Toppin.
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Ironically, Toppin was the first to congratulate Hopkins during a breakout game against LSU (13 points, 4 rebounds) last season, but will be matched up against his former teammate on Friday.
Fortunately, the matchup seems to favor Toppin who is arguably Kentucky’s best defender and should be able to bother Hopkins with his length and lateral quickness, but must force him out of the paint and cut him off on drives. On the offensive side of the ball, Toppin needs to score in double digits against Hopkins, who has been an inefficient defender for much of the season.
Based on comments from both sides, they are looking forward to the challenge.
“God works in mysterious ways,” Hopkins said of facing Kentucky. “Just can’t wait to prepare for them and play them.” For Toppin? “J.T.-Bryce matchup? TOUGH!… I like it. I like it.”
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Win the Rebounding Battle
On paper, Providence is a good rebounding team, ranking top 100 in most metrics. However, they have been outrebounded five times this season, losing all five games by an average of 14.4 points.
One reason for this is because Providence plays an undersized lineup, which has been exploited at times this season. If the Friars stick with the same starting five, the Wildcats will have a size advantage at every position, as was the case in their game against Auburn.
Given the size advantage, Kentucky must display their dominance on the boards. This is especially important on the offensive side of the ball in terms of second-chance opportunities and transition opportunities. Yet, it can also help a struggling defense, limiting the opponent to just one possession.
With that said, winning the rebound battle does not guarantee a victory. In fact, Vanderbilt beat Kentucky twice in two weeks despite being outrebounded by 15 or more in both matchups. Yet, it provides a huge advantage if
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Convert in Transition
Defensively, Providence does not want to play in transition as their defense is vastly better when set. Fortunately, Kentucky likes to push the ball in transition when possible and is efficient when doing so.
As Georgia’s Mike White said earlier this season, “Oscar (Tshiebwe)’s one of the best rim-running bigs that again we’ve evaluated and scouted against in a long time… But they’ve also got wings that they can pitch ahead to that are skilled and can make plays in space.”
While the Wildcats don’t generate many turnovers, they rebound the ball very well, which allows them to push the ball ahead of the defense. One player the could help tremendously in this area is Chris Livingston, who crashes the boards harder than any wing in the country, and has the athleticism to excel in the open floor.
Another wrinkle that could be added is the availability of Sahvir Wheeler, who Calipari has said has been practicing. If he is available, he can use his downhill speed to generate some offense for the Wildcats, even in short spurts.
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Stay out of Foul Trouble
In the KenPom offensive efficiency rankings, Providence is ranked 16th – just two spots behind Kentucky – proving they have a good offense and can score the ball. They do so by using their bigs to stretch the floor and getting offense within 15 feet.
Through much of the season, Kentucky has often failed to stop good offenses, especially those that play a similar ‘spread’ style to Providence. Case in point, Vanderbilt. Yet, what hurt Kentucky most in that matchup was foul trouble.
Providence will be no different as their aggressive style of play looks to draw contact. On the season, the Friars shoot more than 22 free throws per game – a top-25 mark in the nation – which accounts for more than 20 percent of their scoring.
With that said, Kentucky must be disciplined and defend without fouling, especially given how fragile the lineups have shown to be.
Time/Date: 7:10 EST (estimated) on Friday, March 17th, 2023 Location: Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina TV Channel: CBS Online Stream:CBSSports.com(no link available at the moment) Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network. Replay: Check local listings. Rosters:UK | PROV Team Sheets: UK | PROV Stats To Know: UK | PROV
Odds:DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Kentucky favored by 4 points. The odds all look fairly consistent, with Bart Torvik giving Kentucky the slight advantage at 61%, and ESPN BPI is at 62.7%.
Predictions: Bart Torvik is going with a 75-72 decision for Big Blue Nation.
On Tuesday, the Louisville Sports Commission announced that Kentucky Wildcat legends Randall Cobb and Tayshaun Prince were elected to the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame class of 2025.
The KSHOF recognizes individuals that have made significant impacts in sports for the state of Kentucky. Other members of the class of 2025 include Louisville native, former University of Louisville gymnast, gymnastics coach, and longtime international gymnastics judge Carole Liedtke and highly accomplished female trap shooter Nora Martin Ross from Paris.
A selection committee made up of 15 sports media professionals from around Kentucky voted on the 2025 class. The KSHOF Selection Committee votes were independently tabulated by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton, one of Kentucky’s largest accounting and advisory firms, with offices in Louisville, Lexington and Raleigh, N.C.
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Cobb, Prince and the remaining 2025 KSHOF class members and their families will be honored on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Freedom Hall in Louisville.
Randall Cobb
Coming out of high school in 2008, Cobb was a three-star quarterback recruit from Alcoa, Tennessee, just south of Knoxville. Cobb was only given three offers out of high school; he chose Kentucky over nearby schools Tennessee and Middle Tennessee.
In Lexington, Cobb became the ultimate utility player due to his extreme athleticism. He is remembered as one of the most versatile athletes to ever come through Kentucky.
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As a Wildcat, Cobb played wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and kick returner during his three years at Kentucky, which allowed him to excel in the Wildcat formation. In 2011, the multipurpose star was named first-team All-America.
Additionally, Cobb was named first-team All-SEC as a sophomore and junior. In 2010, Cobb had an SEC record-setting season where he gained 2,396 all-purpose yards.
Cobb claimed the all-time Kentucky leader honor for career touchdowns with 37 until Benny Snell Jr. broke the record at the end of the decade.
The Green Bay Packers selected Cobb with the 64th pick of the second round in the 2011 NFL Draft to play wide receiver and special teams.
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As a member of the Packers, Cobb would have a successful career in Green Bay, forming a tight bond on and off the field with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In his first career game against the New Orleans Saints, Cobb caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers and returned a kickoff for a 108-yard touchdown.
Cobb spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career in Green Bay, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2014, after achieving career highs with 91 receptions, 1,287 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.
In 2019, the former Wildcat joined the Dallas Cowboys to catch passes from Dak Prescott for one season. A year later, Cobb inked a deal with the Houston Texans as a target for Deshaun Watson, where he played a lone season there.
Prior to the 2021 season, Rodgers requested for the Packers to reunite the Cobb-Rodgers duo. So, Green Bay traded for Cobb ahead of the season.
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After two reasons back in the green and gold, Cobb followed Rodgers in leaving Green Bay for the New York Jets. The 2023 season would be the last of Cobb’s career, as Rodgers missed the entire season with a torn achilles, he caught one touchdown that season against his former squad, the Houston Texans.
Cobb joined the SEC Network as a studio analyst in the summer of 2024, covering football around the SEC.
Tayshaun Prince
Hailing from Compton, California, Prince played four seasons at Kentucky from 1998 to 2001.
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During his four-year tenure in blue, Prince averaged 13.2 points and 5.7 rebounds, as the Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite 8 once in the NCAA Tournament each year under head coach Tubby Smith. Prince’s junior season earned him the 2000-2001 SEC Player of the Year with 16.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
In 2001, Prince led the Wildcats to an SEC Championship, beating the Ole Miss Rebels 77-55 to win the championship. Prince was awarded SEC Tournament MVP after putting up 26 points and 12 rebounds in the championship game.
Earlier in that season Prince had one of the most memorable moments in Kentucky history by nailing five consecutive 3-pointers to begin a game against North Carolina. The Wildcats went on to win 79-59 in front of Rupp Arena thanks to a 31-point, 11-rebound performance from Prince.
In his final two seasons at Kentucky, Prince was elected to First-Team All-SEC honors. Previously, Prince was named to the Second-Team All-SEC his sophomore year.
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After a successful four-year collegiate career where Prince scored over 1,700 points, the Compton native entered the 2002 NBA Draft.
The Detroit Pistons selected the Kentucky guard with the 23rd pick of the first round.
Prince would spend the bulk of his career in Detroit on a competitive Pistons squad, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in his rookie season.
In Prince’s sophomore season, the Pistons advanced to the NBA Finals with the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers. As the Lakers boasted four future Hall of Famers.
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The 2004 NBA Finals is widely recognized as one of the most challenging and improbable underdog championships in sports history, and the Pistons defeated Los Angeles in six games.
Prince was the primary defender on Bryant throughout the series, even holding Bryant to 11 points in Game 3. The Kentucky product earned the first and only NBA Championship of his career, averaging 10 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game during the Finals.
Additionally, Prince won an Olympic gold medal representing America on the “Redeem Team” at the 2008 Beijing Games.
From 2005 to 2008, Prince was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team.
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After spending his first 12 seasons with the Pistons, Prince played for the Memphis Grizzlies and had brief stints with the Boston Celtics and the Pistons again until retiring as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Since 2017, Prince has been a member of the Memphis Grizzlies front office. Currently, he serves as Vice President of Basketball Affairs.
After a lull in NBA news regarding freshly former Wildcats, Jaxson Robinson has rounded off last year’s class by officially landing an exhibit 10 contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal is fixated on a non-guaranteed one year period during which Robinson will have a chance to secure a spot on the permanent roster.
Robinson, who was originally projected by many as a second round draft pick before he sustained an injury to his wrist late last season, is the final Cat to find his place in the league. First, two were drafted (Brea, Williams,) then the next two were signed (Butler, Carr,) leaving Robinson as the odd-man out for a short period of time while he worked to earn an opportunity.
When healthy, the fan-favorite forward averaged 13 points, four rebounds and two assists for the blue and white throughout the 2024-25 season, showing flashes of elite shooting and surprising defensive prowess. His lengthy, 6’6 frame is built for the next level – given a streak of good health and the opportunity to play, Robinson could prove just that.
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And now, with the Cavs, he’ll have his first shot. Cleveland, reeling from a second-round exit in the NBA Playoffs and having just lost arguably their most proficient bench scorer in Ty Jerome, will certainly be looking for scoring options for their second unit. With the summer league ahead and plenty of time to make a splash, Robinson, despite his somewhat delayed signing, is bound to see the court sooner rather than later.
Big Blue Nation will be behind #2 going forward, either way. Wherever Robinson ends up, it’ll be on his feet.
When Kentucky added Reece Potter in the later stages of the portal season, many within Big Blue Nation assumed the 7-foot-1 Lexington native would be a valuable practice player. Now, the plan appears to be for him to contribute meaningfully to Mark Pope’s squad this season.
A junior transfer from Miami (Ohio), Potter stands out as the tallest player on Kentucky’s roster this season. With his size, he’s an obvious fit at the five, especially on nights the Wildcats need extra length. But he believes he can be much more than that in Mark Pope’s system, similar to other Kentucky big men who have thrived in this offense.
“I feel like I shoot the ball at a high level and I’m able to pass. Those are the things (Pope) really liked,” Potter said Monday. “He was able to use Amari Williams and BG (Brandon Garrison) in more of a point center type of way.”
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Now at Kentucky, Potter believes that being surrounded by so much talent, he will surely flourish with the help of those around him.
“I got some great players in front of me that do a great job of it,” Potter said. “I’m gonna be able to learn from them and keep growing my game in practice every single day.”
In two seasons with the RedHawks, Potter averaged 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in just over 15 minutes per contest, shooting at a 45.4% clip from the field, 39.85% from deep. Potter made 11 starts during his freshman season in 2023-24, appearing in 30 games in 2024 off the bench for a Miami team that went 25-9 overall and 14-4 in conference play, reaching the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game.
In high school with Lexington Catholic, Potter made a name for himself, being named the 11th Region’s Player of the Year as a senior. He averaged 17.9 points and 8.7 rebounds for the District 43 champs.