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Kentucky vs. Texas A&M: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Predictions

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Kentucky Wildcats guard Antonio Reeves (12) shoots the ball during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Rupp Arena
© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky Wildcats have started 2-0 in conference play and with four of the top five teams losing this week, could make the jump into the top five of the AP Poll in January for just the second time since 2017. Standing in their way will be a motivated Texas A&M team in College Station on Saturday, who has started 0-2 in SEC play.

The Aggies debuted in the AP poll this preseason at No. 15, one spot ahead of Kentucky, but with a 9-6 record, they have fallen out of the others receiving votes category. Things seem to be trending in the wrong direction, as they have lost four of their last six games, with their two wins coming against sub-300 KenPom teams.

That said, four of A&M’s six losses have come against ranked teams by an average of seven points. The Aggies certainly have the talent to challenge Kentucky and a sold-out College Station crowd will give them an advantage.

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Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Rebound, Limit Second Chance

Playing the best rebounding team in the country last Saturday, the Wildcats will play another top 10 rebounding team in Texas A&M. The Aggies average just under 43 rebounds per game, ranking 8th nationally, but where they really excel is offensive rebounding.

Just how good? Well, A&M ranks first nationally in offensive rebounds per game (18.3 RPG) and offensive rebounding percentage (44.6%). For reference, Kentucky who was a top-three offensive rebounding team in the country the last two seasons with Oscar Tshiebwe, averaged just over 12 offensive rebounds per game and a 37.7 offensive rebounding percentage.

One reason A&M attacks the offensive rebounds hard, is they don’t shoot very well, at all. In fact, they are the second-worst shooting Power 5 team behind Rutgers, shooting just over 40%. That said, the two biggest threats on the glass will be their big men Henry Coleman and Andersson Garcia, who combine to average more than 17 rebounds per game, including 8 offensive. Fortunately, Kentucky’s guards have rebounded fairly well much of the season, but the bigs have to show more effort.

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Wade Taylor

A&M is led by preseason SEC Player of the Year, Wade Taylor IV, who leads the team in scoring, assists, and steals. A dynamic playmaker, creating for himself and his teammates, he is the motor of the team. As a result, Taylor has a usage rate of 31.7, ranking top 25 nationally.

Taylor is 4th in the SEC in scoring, averaging 17.3 points, but on a very inefficient 42.8 effective field goal percentage. That said, he makes it a priority to get his teammates involved, averaging 4.0 assists per game.

That said, Taylor has a tendency to try to do too much if pressured, which can result in turnovers and bad shots. If Kentucky’s backcourt can pressure Taylor into mistakes, they can limit A&M’s offense and push the slow pace A&M will look to play with.

Hustle

Buzz Williams has always been a tough and gritty coach and he has instilled that in his Texas A&M teams. As we have seen this week with four of the AP top 5 falling on the road, winning conference road games is tough. The team that wants it more, dives on the floor for loose balls, flies around on defense, and reduces second-chance points could be the one that wins this game.

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Opposing Players to Watch

G Wade Taylor IV, 6-0, 175 lbs

  • 17.3 PPG (4th in SEC)
  • 4.0 APG (7th in SEC)
  • 2.4 SPG (2nd in SEC)

F Henry Coleman III, 6-8, 245 lbs

  • 12.5 PPG
  • 8.4 RPG (3rd in SEC)
  • 61.3% FG (2nd in SEC)

G Tyrece Radford, 6-3, 190 lbs

  • 12.2 PPG
  • 5.1 RPG
  • 2.2 APG

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies

  • Time: 2 pm ET
  • Date: January 13th, 2024
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Announcers: Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas will be calling the action.
  • Location: Bryan-College Station in College Station, Texas.
  • Online Stream: Stream the game online with WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
  • Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
  • Replay: WatchESPN and the SEC Network (check local listings).
  • Rosters: UK | A&M
  • Stats to Know: UK | A&M
  • KenPom: UK | A&M
  • Team Sheets: UK | A&M
  • Odds: ESPN’s matchup predictor has the Wildcats as an underdog, giving them just a 34.6 percent shot to win. Bart Torvik gives Kentucky a 50-50 shot at the victory, while EvanMiya gives Kentucky a 54.9 advantage.
  • Predictions: EvanMiya has the Cats winning in a close one, 77-76. Bart Torvik and Haslametrics have Kentucky losing in a close game, 79-78 and 80-79 respectively. DRatings has the Cats winning 85-74.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Takes On A Leadership Role Heading Into Next Season

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Brandon Garrison and Kentucky head coach Mark Pope
Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, at times making plays above his experience level on the court, and other times, causing unfortunate turnovers and making Big Blue Nation yell “pass the ball” when he attempted to show off his handles.

However, since the offseason has began, we’ve seen the backup big man from last year’s squad take major jumps in not only his skill set, but in his mentality and leadership as well.

“BG” announced that he was coming back to Kentucky on April 12 for the 2025-26 season, and since then, has been the talk of the town to be the starting center for Mark Pope’s second-year team.

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Last season, Garrison played behind Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

Having played a year already in Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the starting role over one of the transfer pickups, especially since Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly vocal about his development. With young players such as Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno coming in behind Garrison, you can guarantee he will play a major role in their development.

In an offseason press conference, Pope said that Garrison has already taken on more of a mentorship role heading into next season.

“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him,” Pope said. “He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”

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Pope added on that Garrison went out of his way to have breakfast and talk to four of the incoming transfers, on their official visits, about Kentucky and the way the staff does things.

“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just, like he is growing up, man,” Pope said in an interview with KSR on May 22. “It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach. He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”

As the season inches closer, we’ll learn more about Garrison’s impact on the court and if he’ll be the day one starter, but regardless, off the court, you can bet he has some wisdom to pass down.

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Former Wildcats Headline Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Matchup

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Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Kevin Jairaj | IMAGN

The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.

As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history. 

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring. 

After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.

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The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals. 

At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.

Cason Wallace

Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.

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In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards. 

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game. 

Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.

Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.

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In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

Isaiah Jackson

The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.

Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

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This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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The 2025-26 Cats Consensus: It’s Time for Banner Number Nine

Every new and returning Wildcat shares the same dream: bringing a championship trophy to Lexington once more.

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Mark Pope in a crowd of fans at Big Blue Madness
Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

“We are here to win banners.”

While just about everything Mark Pope said at his introductory press conference went viral in one way or another, that aforementioned declaration stood out amongst his crowd of quotes like no other to a fanbase more than a decade removed from a national championship.

To the big blue nation, Coach Pope’s words last spring were a much needed battle cry. Now, as he’s set to enter his second year at the helm, Pope has made sure the team he assembled for the 2025-26 season shares the same hunger.

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It begins on a basic level, with players across the board throwing the number “9” around on social media in posts, replies, and commitments. Much like the Kentucky faithful, the newest roster to roll through Lexington isn’t afraid to make reference to the top task at hand.

For (likely) starting point guard Jaland Lowe, it’s an opportunity he “can’t miss.” “See y’all soon #BBN,” he said in a post on X, announcing his return to the collegiate level. Lowe chose a junior season at Kentucky over a chance to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Otega Oweh, the now-projected SEC player of the year, would follow suit shortly thereafter.

The Ultimate Goal

Andrija Jelavic, a primary member of the incoming unit, as well as the team’s lone international player, dubbed the title chase as “the ultimate goal” in his interview with KY Insider. “We all [the team] agree that the ultimate goal is the same and that is to bring a championship to Kentucky, to the state and the fans,” he said.

To Jelavic, it goes further than hunger. It’s a responsibility.

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And that responsibility is what sets Kentucky apart from other programs. As awkward as the conversation around John Calipari can get, when push comes to shove, much of the dissatisfaction growing within the fanbase as his tenure came to a close was rooted in the coach’s apparent disinterest in winning another championship.

Year after year went by; top-ranked roster after top ranked roster. After a while, it seemed that Kentucky was more often mentioned in the first round of the NBA Draft than it was in the NCAA Tournament. The problem persisted, the tension festered and, ultimately, the two sides split… and it all goes back to that elusive ninth title.

Name on the Front of the Jersey

Mark Pope has said before that he wants to bring in guys who are playing for the name on the front of their jersey. It just so happens that there are enough of those like-minded athletes across the nation to build one of the consensus best teams in college basketball, all of whom are in full pursuit of a new blue banner in the rafters of Rupp.

With a mindset like that shared across the board and talent like the 2025-26 team has at hand, it’s only a matter of time before that dream becomes a reality once more. For the first time in more than a decade, the entire Big Blue Nation is on the same page – and that includes the guys who can actually make it happen.

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