Men's Basketball
Kentucky vs. Texas: TV/Streaming Info, Preview, and Betting Odds/Predictions
Published
2 months agoon

Fresh off sweeping the season series against the Tennessee Volunteers, the Kentucky Wildcats will now travel to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns this Saturday. Game time is set for 8 PM ET on ESPN.
This being the Horns’ first year in the SEC, this will be the first conference matchup between the two teams. That said, it will be just the third-ever meeting between the programs. The last came in 1993 in the Maui Invitational (Kentucky won 86-61), followed by the 2014 meeting in the Big 12/SEC Challenge (Kentucky won 63-51).
Picked to finish seventh in the conference, the Longhorns are underperforming compared to expectations. With a 4-8 record, they are currently tied with Georgia for 11th. However, six of their eight losses have come to ranked teams.
In addition, the Longhorns are ranked 33rd by NET and are one of the last projected teams in the latest ESPN Bracketology, so they still have plenty to play for. But to make the field, they’re going to need a big win at some point in the final weeks, and Kentucky is very vulnerable right now with Jaxson Robinson and Lamont Butler almost certain to be out.
Led by Rodney Terry, who is currently in his third season, the Longhorns have one of the most talented freshmen in the country in Tre Johnson, who previously had Kentucky as a finalist. However, the pieces around him have been inconsistent, leading to the team’s inconsistencies.
Kentucky gets everyone’s best shot, though, and needs to prepare for Texas at its best.
Let’s take a look at the matchup.
Control the Pace
Averaging less than 67 possessions per game, with an average possession length of more than 17 seconds, Texas likes to play at a slower pace.
Kentucky is one of the worst teams in the country in forcing turnovers, but their defensive intensity has picked up in the last two games. That is one area in which they could speed up the game.
However, that will be a difficult task without Lamont Butler spearheading the defense. The more likely scenario is to control the boards.
Texas has only won the rebounding battle in just four of their 12 SEC games, and they have not been a strong rebounding team for the season. The biggest threats that Kentucky will have to watch on the boards are Arthur Kaluma and Kadin Shedrick. However, Kaluma is iffy to play as he battles knee soreness.
Commit to the boards, and Kentucky can play the game at a pace they are comfortable with.
Point Guard Woes
The big story for this Kentucky team over the past several weeks has been injuries. Unfortunately, it has only gotten worse, not better, especially at the point guard position.
After missing three games with a shoulder injury, Lamont Butler returned against South Carolina, only for Jaxson Robinson to suffer a wrist injury in practice the day before. After Robinson reinjured his wrist against the Gamecocks, he is expected to be out for multiple games.
Then, Butler reaggravated his shoulder injury against Tennessee and is also expected to be out multiple games.
While Pope expects to have both of them back in time for March, the Kentucky staff will have to get even more creative with both true points guards out in Butler and Kerr Kriisa, and the stand-in point guard in Robinson out as well.
It will likely be a point guard by committee, with Travis Perry, Otega Oweh, Koby Brea, and Amari Williams all playing their part. Brea is the most interesting case.
On a points-per-possession basis, Brea is the highest-rated high-major player in the country as the pick-and-roll ball handler (1.412 PPP), per synergy. In the last two games, he has eight assists to zero turnovers. He also ran the point for much of Kentucky’s 20-6 run to end Tuesday’s win over a top-five Tennessee squad.
However, this will be the first game where the opponent knows Brea is going to be the lead guard for much of the game. Will he be able to handle an opponent that’s actually game-planned for him to be the primary ball-handler?
Team Effort
When a team is suffering through injuries, players have to step up. That is exactly what has happened for Kentucky over the last month that they have been dealing with injuries.
First, it was Ansley Almonor who stepped up in place of Andrew Carr. Of late, the trio of freshmen has stepped up in their own ways to help the Wildcats.
Trent Noah has a knack for the ball and getting rebounds. He’s also proving himself to be a shooting threat. Travis Perry has taken some point guard duties and is shooting 4/6 from 3 over the last four games, while Collin Chandler is using his athleticism on the defensive end.
This only helps the team in the long run when considering as March nears, providing more depth, but can they sustain the level of production as they are asked to play bigger roles due to injuries?
Opposing Players to Watch
G Tre Johnson 6-6, 190 lbs
- 19.3 PPG (Leads SEC)
- 2.6 APG
- 38.6% 3P (9th in SEC)
- Knee soreness vs Alabama
F Arthur Kaluma 6-7, 225 lbs
- 12.9 PPG
- 7.9 RPG (7th in SEC)
- 39.7% 3P
F Kadin Shedrick 6-11, 231 lbs
- 8.6 PPG
- 6.2 RPG
- 56.5% FG
Kentucky Basketball vs. Texas Longhorns
Time: 8 PM ET on February 15th
Location: Moody Center in Austin, Texas
TV Channel: ESPN
Announcers: Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes will be calling the action.
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | UT
Stats to Know: UK | UT
KenPom: UK | UT
Team Sheet: UK | UT
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Texas -1.5 with an over/under of 157.5. KenPom is the lone site in the Wildcats’ favor, giving them a 52% chance at victory. BartTorvik is nearly a coin flip at 48%, while ESPN is at 44.7%, and EvanMiya is at 39.4%, while DRatings is at 48.5%.
Predictions: While the percentages vary a bit, the score projections are all within one score. Again, KenPom is the sole projection to pick Kentucky, going with an 82-81 win. DRatings (81-80), EvanMiya (81-78), BartTorvik (82-81), and Haslametrics (80-78) are all choosing Texas. Winning a road game in the SEC is tough, especially without a full roster. That said, this Wildcats team is resilient, and I believe they find a way, so I’m going with a 79-73 victory, Kentucky!
Send us your Kentucky vs. Texas score predictions in the comments section!
Go CATS!
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Men's Basketball
CBS Sports: Kentucky Has “ended pursuits” in Transfer Portal Following Aberdeen Commitment
In the wake of yet another addition to Kentucky’s incoming roster, CBS Sports reports that Coach Pope and staff may have closed the portal.
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Published
2 days agoon
April 23, 2025Following another flurry of transfer portal additions in his second year at the helm, it appears that Mark Pope and staff are satisfied with their sophomore haul. The portal in Lexington may be officially closed for the 2025-26′ season.
Right after Kentucky received the surprising commitment of Denzel Aberdeen, Matt Norlander, an analyst for CBS Sports, posted the following on X (Twitter):
“Barring any portal defections, Kentucky has ended its pursuits of all other portal targets, sources told CBS Sports. Getting Aberdeen today [April 21] meant they’ve moved off Andrej Stojakovic, Rylan Griffen, etc. Otega Oweh going through pre-draft process-but I expect him back in Lex”.
With the addition of Aberdeen, the Wildcats’ roster ballooned to near-max capacity for next season. Seeing two of the team’s walk-on players, Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn, enter the transfer portal seemed to all but confirm this suspicion, too.
Losing One of Our Own
That is, until last night. With less than two hours remaining for players to do so, Travis Perry shocked much of the Big Blue Nation by throwing his name into the hat. This came just weeks after a string of comments from the Kentucky-native point guard seemed to confirm his return for a sophomore season.
Though all the same, given Kentucky’s bulk of back-court additions this offseason, his departure makes sense for the sake of playing time alone. The Lyon King will be sorely missed.
So while the Kentucky staff may still be very much content with their current roster, with hundreds of players remaining in the portal and an unexpected spot on the roster coming open, another grab is far from out of the question.
Who Coach Pope and company would go after is entirely unclear, as that potential player would likely have to accept a minimized role off the bench for a stretch of his time in Lexington. If anything, the logical replacement would be a direct fill-in at the PG2/PG3 spot in Perry’s absence.
Either way, the ‘Cats are set to come into next season as one of the most exciting teams in college basketball with a ceiling far out of view. Mark Pope continues to prove his prowess in the transfer market, too, easing the worries of Wildcats fans and closing the door on many supposed “insiders” who’ve spent the last month suggesting otherwise.
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The transfer portal has been kind to Kentucky in the Mark Pope era. Last season, the staff was able to build a Sweet Sixteen roster almost exclusively from the portal, and this offseason have put together a top-five portal class.
While the portal giveth, it also taketh. Just hours before the deadline to enter, Kentucky native and fan favorite Travis Perry has entered the transfer portal, per multiple reports.
Coming to Kentucky as the state’s all-time high-school scoring record holder, fans were excited to see how his career would unfold in Lexington.
Not expecting to play much freshman, he was called upon due to injuries and played some key minutes for the Wildcats into the postseason. He averaged 2.7 PPG and .6 APG on 32% shooting from three.
Looking at the depth chart, it was difficult to see where Perry would get much playing time next season, leading to his decision to enter the portal.
Perry has yet to release an official statement, but all the best to him in his future.
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Men's Basketball
Top Transfer Guard Denzel Aberdeen Commits to Kentucky
Former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky, likely closing the transfer portal for next year’s roster.
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Published
3 days agoon
April 22, 2025Another day, another “boom.” Denzel Aberdeen has officially committed to Kentucky for the 2025-26’ season.
A soon-to-be senior guard fresh off his championship win with Florida, Aberdeen spent his first three years of eligibility in Gainesville. Now, following an apparent conflict in the Gators’ rotation, he’s swapped teams in the southeast.
At 6 ‘5”, 190, Aberdeen spent much of this past season beating defenders off the dribble and making them pay at the rim. His speed and size made him a nightmare off the bench for opposing teams, and for the short stretch of play that he started during the year, Florida didn’t miss a beat.
In 19 minutes, Aberdeen averaged 8 points, two rebounds and one assist per game. His consistent contribution to the Gators’ title run made him one of the most coveted transfers in the cycle this season, and given his big blue commitment just days after entering the portal, Mark Pope clearly wasted no time in Kentucky’s pursuit.
Aberdeen slots in as yet another addition to what was already one of the strongest portal classes going into next season. His SEC experience and combo-guard intangibles make Aberdeen one of the most exciting portal players to come through Lexington in a long while, reinforcing Kentucky’s back court to what may be the final degree.
Whether or not Mark Pope is officially done for next season, nobody is sure, but this commitment only further cements the fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing. Just like the fanbase behind him, Coach Pope seems to never sleep.
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