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Three Things to Watch, Predictions, and TV Info for Kentucky vs South Carolina State

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UK Athletics

From Michigan State to South Carolina State, the Kentucky Wildcats will look to bounce back as they play one of the worst teams they will play this season.

Located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, South Carolina State plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – the same as previous opponent Howard – where they are predicted to finish second to last in the conference.

While the program had success from the late 1970s to the early 2000s, with five NCAA tournament appearances, the Bulldogs have not had much since. In fact, in the last dozen years, SC State has just one winning season.

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The outlook doesn’t look to be great for this season either. In their most recent game, the Bulldogs lost to Duquesne by 25, a team that Kentucky beat by 25 last week. Furthermore, KenPom has them ranked 347th out of 363 teams.

With that said, Thursday night should not be close, so expect the Wildcats to experiment and try things ahead of their game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Sunday.

Let’s look at three things to watch for.

Will CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves regain form?

Going into Tuesday night’s game against Michigan State, CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves were the team’s leading scorers and top offensive threats. However, they looked to be a shell of themselves against the Spartans.

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Combined, the duo was 3-14 from the field and scored just 10 points. However, unlike the first two games of the season where they played alongside each other, forcing defenses to guard both of them, they play just 4 minutes and 39 seconds together.

With Tshiebwe now back in the lineup, an interior offensive presence, it should help with spacing and help the two get better looks. It is much more difficult to stop Fredrick, Reeves, and Tshiebwe together, rather than just a combination of them.

To prepare for Gonzaga, Fredrick and Reeves find their shot and offensive rhythm with a fully healthy roster, against an inferior opponent.

Frontcourt productivity outside of Toppin and Tshiebwe

Looking at the roster on paper, Kentucky looks to have a loaded frontcourt with Damion Collins, Ugonna Onyenso, Jacob Toppin, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Lance Ware.

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While there is certainly talent there, there was not a lot of production outside of Toppin and Tshiebwe on Tuesday. The duo combined for a total of 32 points and 22 rebounds, whereas the other three combined 4 points and 4 rebounds.

With that said, minutes played do need to be considered. Toppin and Tshiebwe played over 30 minutes each, with Onyenso playing just 1 minute. However, Collins and Ware, who are returnees, played 15 minutes or more and had two of the worst +/- on the team with -13 and -12.

While Toppin and Tshiebwe will most likely play around 30 minutes per game, if not more, they will provide the bulk of production. However, if there is an injury or foul trouble – as was the case against Michigan State – the frontcourt depth needs to step up,

In a game where a large lead should give them the opportunity for plenty of minutes – and in Onyenso’s case help him develop as a freshman – they need to take advantage.

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Lineups

Following the Michigan State game, there were plenty of complaints about lineups, and for good reason.

Most of the lineups limited the offense and made it look similar to last season when it was stagnant and difficult to score. When the full team has not practiced together for six weeks, that is understandable to an extent.

Offensively, the best lineup is clearly Wheeler-Wallace-Fredrick-Reeves-Tshiebwe. That is because: Tshiebwe will get his just off rebounds alone; Wheeler is the best distributor; Wallace can get to the rim; Fredrick and Reeves are elite shooters. Defensively, this team can nearly plug and play anyone.

With that said, Toppin, Livingston, and Collins will play consistent minutes, and each impact the game in their own way, but can limit the offense and its spacing at times.

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John Calipari needs to find lineups that allow players to play to their strengths and the team’s strength as a whole. There is not a better opportunity to experiment with lineups than Thursday night’s game.

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. South Carolina State Bulldogs

Time/Date: 7 pm ET, November 17th
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
TV Channel: SEC Network
Online Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, SEC Network+, or the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the UK radio network call on WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1, and the UK Sports Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | SCSU
Stats To Know: UK | SCSU
Team SheetsUK | SCSU
Live Stats

Odds: The official line and over/under has yet to be released. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Wildcats a 98.8% chance of winning, and Bart Torvik has it at 99%.

PredictionsBart Torvik went with a 91-61 margin for the Cats to win in a landslide.

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Also published on A Sea of Blue.

Men's Basketball

Adou Thiero Enters Transfer Portal, Keeps Options Open

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© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky’s first domino of the off-season has fallen. Adou Thiero has entered the transfer portal, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw. He has entered his name in the NBA Draft as well, while not ruling out a return to Kentucky, according to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim.

A big hit to Kentucky’s upcoming roster, as Thiero’s upside and growth will be missed. In the 2023-24 season, Thiero averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while missing 7 games due to injury. The 6-8 wing brought physicalness that Kentucky desperately needed this season, and something Calipari has been stressing for this upcoming season. Calipari harped on him numerous times this season, saying “He’s gotten so much better.”

Thiero has jumped in mock drafts all season, and his potential is sky high. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony even had Thiero going 27th in the 2025 NBA Draft. Now, he will get to add to his potential elsewhere.

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Now, Kentucky will look to find a good replacement for him as more things start happening throughout the off-season. Calipari is continuing to meet with players to discuss their future plans throughout the week.

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John Calipari Highlights Changes for Next Season

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John Calipari draws up a play at Kentucky's season opener. Said he made a "tweak".
UK Athletics

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein.

Many Kentucky fans have referred to this quote over the last few days, expressing a desire for a change from John Calipari. However, Calipari will be back on the sidelines for the Kentucky Wildcats next season for his 16th season, confirmed by Mitch Barnhart on Tuesday.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes.

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On Monday, John Calipari went on his season-ending radio show, giving his first comments to fans since Kentucky’s upset loss to Oakland last Thursday. It was easy to see why is a good recruiter, as he said all the right things.

For the better part of an hour, Calipari spoke with humility, answered some direction questions from Tom Leach, and accepted criticism. The main takeaway was that he understands that he has not met the Kentucky standard or his own standard, and changes need to take place.

“We’ve got to evaluate everything,” Calipari said. Here are some changes that have been outlined.

Getting Back to “Grinding”

Kentucky basketball offseason has often consisted of international trips to the Bahamas, or Canada last season, but not this year. Calipari emphasized a desire to get back to what his early Kentucky teams were characterized by, defense and physicality.

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“What about in the summers, instead of the Bahmas or Toronto, we’re grinding,” Calipari proposed. “We’ve got to get back to where we’ve been defensively and with physicality. Your defense steadies you.”

Those trips are good for team bonding and chemistry, but it’s clear that time can be used better for getting into the weight room and instilling defensive principles. Calipari did note that he does not want to take a step back on offense.

Getting Older

Calipari is the coach who made the “one-and-done” approach popular, relying heavily on elite freshmen. However, with college basketball getting older, he has expressed a willingness to get older.

“We’re relying on freshmen too much. In those kinds of games, you better have some vets,” Calipari said of his takeaway from Oakland. “For us, we need to get older.”

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It should be noted that Calipari relied on transfers in 2022 and 2023, albeit most not being the elite transfers, but more supporting pieces (i.e. CJ Fredrick) and developmental players (i.e. Jacob Toppin). That said, two transfers have been the leading scorer for Kentucky in three straight seasons, Oscar Tshiebwe and Antonio Reeves.

Calipari is looking more for a middle ground between young talent and transfers. “I like the combination of both. We just got to get the right transfers.”

Program Changes

When you are winning, you have more freedom, but when you have just one NCAA Tournament win in the last four seasons, you’re not going to have that luxury. This was not publicly said by Calipari, but more oversight will come as a result of his meeting with Barnhart on Tuesday afternoon.

Expect 1-2 staff changes and likely a support staff change. One of the staff changes should be filled with a defensive mind, and the support staff should be (suggestion) filled with someone in a general manager-type role. There will also be some operation changes such as having a more definitive practice schedule, rather than getting a text the day before/of, and some changes with the NIL model.

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Men's Basketball

Mitch Barnhart Speaks On John Calipari Coming Back As Kentucky Basketball Coach, “He Will Return”

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Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will return as Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach.
Mike Weaver/Special to the Courier Journal

After days of speculation, Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirms that John Calipari will be back, coaching his 16th season for the Kentucky Wildcats. The two had a conversation at Barnhart’s farm on Tuesday afternoon.

“As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach,” Barnhart said in a statement.

While there was some fan outcry for a head coaching change, there was no real indication that a change would be made.

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Barnhart was put in a difficult situation. Calipari has not led the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, but he is one of just a few active Hall of Fame coaches. With no clear option as a replacement, Barnhart decided to retain Calipari for another season.

Kentucky Insider has been told that Tuesday’s meeting between the two was “good”, despite some disagreement. As a result of the meeting, there will be some expected changes in the program, specifically some staff changes, and changes in day-to-day operations.

On Monday, Calipari recognized his shortcomings and closed out his show with a commitment to the Kentucky fans:

“That standard of national titles has been here from coach Rupp on. The only thing I am saying to all our fans. I’m going to work… That is a commitment that I give to the fans. I love it. This is what I want. This is it. Let’s come together and let’s do something.”

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Calipari is set to meet with players individually on Wednesday to discuss their stay/go decisions. The process of rebuilding next year’s roster (and staff) begins now.

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