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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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BB Recruiting

Top 25 Transfer Otega Oweh Commits to Kentucky

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Oklahoma Sooners transfer Otega Oweh has comitted to play basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Following Lamont Butler’s commitment to Kentucky on Friday, the Wildcats have received another commitment less than 24 hours later. This time Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh, he announced on his social media.

This comes after Oweh visited Lexington earlier this week, with reports coming out that his recruitment could be wrapped up quickly after.

Oweh is a top 25 transfer according to 247Sports, 38th by EvanMiya, and 55th by ESPN. Listed at 6-5, 210 pounds, Oweh is a strong and physical guard. His strength and athleticism have been a strength dating back to high school, which allows him to impact the game defensively, and also to get to the rim and thrive in transition opportunities.

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In two years at Oklahoma, the area that Oweh has significantly improved in has been his shooting. As a freshman, he shot just 25 percent from three, on just four attempts for the season, to 37.7 percent as a sophomore, making 20 of his 53 attempts. Most of that success comes from catch-and-shoot opportunities, where he rates in the 87th percentile. His ability to shoot off the dribble is the polar opposite, rating in just the 4th percentile.

Oweh is a two-way player with two years of eligibility remaining, while he will bring experience, there is still room for development with NBA upside. While he may not be a primary option, he’s certainly a player that can impact the game.

Oweh is now Kentucky’s third addition from the transfer portal and sixth player overall. A handful of top transfers are visiting, or currently visiting, Kentucky this weekend. The staff is hopeful a few join the roster.

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BB Recruiting

REPORT: San Diego State Transfer Lamont Butler Commits to Kentucky

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San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler has committed to play basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Amidst anxiety from many of the Big Blue Nation, the Kentucky basketball program has added another player to the roster. On Friday Lamont Butler, a consensus top-60 transfer from San Diego State, committed to Kentucky, reported by On3.

Kentucky has been in contact with Butler since he entered the portal earlier this week. On Friday morning, four members of the Kentucky staff took a visit to Las Vegas, which we know now was to see Butler. It was enough to secure his commitment.

Coming out of a high school as a three-star prospect, Butler has been a true case of development. In four seasons with San Diego State, he improved his numbers year after year. As a three-year starter for the Aztecs, Butler averaged 7.7 points (41.2% FG), 2.6 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. He also received Mountain West All-Defense honors three straight seasons, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award this past year.

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Butler was a star for the San Diego State team that made it to the National Championship game in 2023, even hitting the buzzer-beater to send them to the title game. He will provide Kentucky with proven experience and the knowledge of what it takes to win.

As his defensive accolades show, Butler makes his biggest impact on the defensive side of the ball. However, he plays well within a system and is a really good passer for a guard who plays primarily off the ball, with a 21 percent assist rate. He also grades fairly well analytically on spot-up shots and in pick-and-roll situations as the ball handler.

With Butler on the roster, there are still many spots to fill, especially some spots for “dudes”. Fortunately, many big names are expected to be in Lexington this weekend for the visit.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky to Host Multiple Top Transfers This Weekend

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Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are hosting multiple top transfers this weekend for visits, looking to add to their roster.

With the deadline for players to enter the portal coming up on May 1st, Kentucky nearly has all their options on the table. Now two weeks since taking the job, Mark Pope has expressed interest in nearly two dozen names and has been keying in on some top names in the portal.

As of writing this article, top 25 transfer Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), is currently on a visit to Lexington, with three more players set to visit this weekend. There’s a good chance that some of those visits turn into commitments.

Let’s take a look at those names.

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Deivon Smith – Guard, Utah

Physicals: 6’0, 173 lbs
Stats: 13.3 PPG, 7.1 APG, 6.3 RPG, 46.% FG, 40.8% 3P
Ranking: 10th (Evan Miya), 38rd (247Sports)

Kentucky has had just three players record a triple-double in program history. Deivon Smith recorded five triple-doubles this past season alone, the second-most all-time for a single season in NCAA history.

While undersized, he is one of the best all-around guards in the country, as his numbers show. It’s still early, but Kentucky getting the first visit is significant. St. John’s and Texas Tech have also been mentioned here.

Andrej Stojaković – Guard, Stanford

Physicals: 6’7, 190 lbs
Stats: 7.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 40.9% FG, 32.7% 3P
Ranking: 183rd (Evan Miya), 51st (247Sports)

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Stojakovic is the son of former NBA All-Star, Peja Stojakovic. A familiar name for Kentucky fans from his high school recruitment. Stojakovic is a terrific shooter, and a top-25 recruit in the 2023 class.

On Thursday, Stojakovic cut his list to just three schools: California, UNC, and Kentucky. As a West Coast product, California was a school that showed interest when he was in high school, and so did Mark Pope when he was at BYU. Pope has made Stojakovic a priority, he could seal the deal this weekend.

Aidan Mahaney – Guard, Saint Mary’s

Physicals: 6-3, 180 lbs
Stats: 13.9 PPG, 2.6 APG, 38.6% FG, 35.5% 3P
Ranking: 96th (Evan Miya), 14th (247Sports)

One of the best guards in the portal. As a lead guard for Saint Mary’s, he displayed a good sense of playing under control, setting himself up and others. That said, his numbers were rather inefficient as the primary scoring option for the Gaels and shooting more than half of his shots from three. There are concerns about his playing against bigger guards.

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Mahaney visited UConn Thursday and it looks to be a race between Creighton, Virginia, UConn, and Kentucky.

Andrew Carr – Forward, Wake Forest

Physicals: 6-11, 230 lbs
Stats: 13.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 52.6% FG, 37.1% 3P
Ranking: 33rd (Evan Miya), Not Listed (247Sports)

A near 7-footer who is efficient and can stretch the floor, shooting over 37 percent from three, is a player that Mark Pope would love to add to his roster. That describes Andrew Carr who has played two years at each Delaware and Wake Forest and is looking to go elsewhere for his last season of eligibility.

Carr is coming off a visit to Texas Tech and will visit Villanova after he visits Lexington this weekend.

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