Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Troy: TV/Streaming Info, Preview, and Betting Odds/Predictions

Published

4 weeks ago

March 21, 2025

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky guard Otega Oweh dunks the ball in warmups.

Chet White | UK Athletics

March Madness has arrived, my friends!

Just 11 months after taking the Kentucky basketball head coaching job, Mark Pope has not only led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament but to a 3-seed. However, Kentucky has fallen in the first round as a 3-seed or better in two of the last three seasons, while the program hasn’t been to the second weekend since 2019.

Will Pope earn his first NCAA Tournament win and make a run?

The first challenger will be the 14-seeded Troy Trojans. Led by sixth-year head coach Scott Cross, Troy is making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 and their third ever.

Described as a mid-major version of Texas A&M, the Trojans are a tough-nosed group with some strong defensive and rebounding metrics. They’re exactly the kind of team that can muddy things up and make this an ugly NCAA Tournament game that sees neither team build a big lead while they scratch and claw to the finish.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Win the Rebounding Battle

The Trojans’ strongest straight is their offensive rebounding, ranked fourth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (37.7%) and eleventh nationally in offensive rebounds per game (11.8).

Fortunately for the Wildcats, they have seen and beaten several teams that excel in offensive rebounding categories, including Texas A&M (1st), Florida (8th), and Duke (25th).

Kentucky will have a size advantage as Troy’s tallest starter is 6-foot-8. However, they attack the boards as a team. The Wildcats have to be the team that wants it more.

Dictate the Pace

Troy is a team that wants to play at a slow pace and “muck it up,” which has been the recipe for NCAA Tournament upsets in the past. While you’d like to think Kentucky can dominate a 14-seed, this Trojans team will likely keep that from happening.

Troy is a sneaky athletic team, but Kentucky has the size advantage and the talent advantage. Impose your will on an inferior team.

Or, as Mark Fox tells the team, “Be the hammer, not the nail.”

Win the Turnover Battle

Troy’s second-biggest strength is their ability to generate turnovers, forcing their opponents to turn the ball over more than 13 times per game, with an average of nine steals per game.

However, they also struggle to take care of the ball, coughing the ball up more than 13 times per game on average. Expect this game to be high on the turnover count.

What was once a strength for Kentucky, taking care of the ball has been a challenge as guard injuries have grown over the season. Over the last nine games, Kentucky has turned the ball over an average of 12.5 times per game, including 16 vs. Alabama in the SEC Tournament.

As powerful as the Wildcat offense is, they cannot afford to give up possessions nor allow a below-average Troy team to get easy looks off turnovers.

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball’s Path to a Final Four

If you look at Kentucky’s bracket, there should not be many complaints.

Of the 1-seeds, Houston is the worst offensively. Of the 2-seeds, Kentucky gets one they know well and have beaten twice in Tennessee. The Vols are still a very dangerous team, but this is still more favorable than having…say, Alabama as the 2-seed.

There are some dangerous double-digit seeds in McNeese and Utah State. However, there are no obvious ‘matchup nightmares’ for Kentucky. Even without Jaxson Robinson, everyone in Kentucky’s region appears to be beatable, which didn’t seem like something we could say if teams like Alabama, Florida, or Auburn were in it.

Another key advantage is travel. From a geographical standpoint, Milwaukee and Indianapolis are the best sites for fans to travel to and well within manageable drives for Kentucky fans, especially with Coach Pope willing to help with gas money.

Is Kentucky favored to make the Final Four from this region? No. In fact, FanDuel gives Kentucky the fourth-best odds to win it at +1000. Houston (+120) and Tennessee (+370) are obviously ahead, but you may be surprised to see 8-seed Gonzaga with better odds at +800.

Have injuries hurt the ceiling of this roster? Yes. In March, it’s all about giving yourself a chance. Pope and the Cats have a chance to make some noise. And you never know when upsets will open up a region much more than it looks ahead of the Big Dance.

All told, if Kentucky is going to make the Final Four, the path would likely be Troy, Illinois in the Orlando Antigua Bowl, Tennessee Round 3, and a Houston team that’s the likeliest 1-seed to come up short of making the Final Four.

Daunting, but not impossible.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Tayton Conerway, 6-3, 186 lbs

14.3 PPG

4.8 APG
4.6 RPG

Sun Belt Player of the Year

F Myles Rigsby, 6-6, 190 lbs

12.0 PPG
4.0 RPG

45.4% FG

F Thomas Dowd, 6-8, 225 lbs

9.8 PPG
6.8 RPG

1.0 SPG

Kentucky Basketball vs. Troy Trojans

Time: 7:10 PM ET on March 21st
Location: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV Channel: CBS
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy and Lauren Shehadi will call the action.
Live Online Stream: March Madness Live, but accessing that requires a valid login with a cable service. There is a one-hour free trial, however.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: Check local listings on CBS Sports Network and March Madness Live
Rosters: UK | TROY
Stats to Know: UK | TROY
KenPom: UK | TROY
Team Sheet: UK | TROY

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky listed as an 11.5-point favorite with an over/under of 152.5. ESPN gives the Cats an 89% chance to advance. BartTorvik (87%) and KenPom (86%) are close behind, while EvanMiya gives Kentucky a 79.5% chance of getting the W.

Predictions: BartTorvik and Haslametrics both go with an 82-69 win for Kentucky. KenPom has it at 82-70, while EvanMiya has it at 79-70. I believe that the team comes prepared and focused. Mark Pope gets his first NCAA Tournament win, so I’m going with an 84-70 victory, Kentucky!

Send us your Kentucky vs. Troy predictions in the comments!

And Go CATS!!

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

Related Topics:Kentucky Basketball NCAA Tournament Troy

Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Announces Return To Kentucky For The 2025-26 Season

Published

2 days ago

April 12, 2025

Kai McClelland

Chet White | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison isn’t going anywhere.

The 6-foot-10 forward will be returning to the Kentucky Wildcats for his junior season in the 2025-26 campaign.

Garrison took to social media first, posting a story on his personal Instagram that showed a simple graphic reading the words “I’m back.”

Brandon Garrison announces via his Instagram story that he will be returning to Kentucky for the 2025-26 season.#BBN #KentuckyWildcats #BrandonGarrison pic.twitter.com/AkDzaU4GAd— KY Insider (@KyInsider) April 12, 2025

Speculation and rumors have swirled around the Oklahoma native all offseason, and with the addition of Andrija Jelavic, Big Blue Nation worried that Garrison would be hitting the portal sooner than later.

Now, with his returning announcement public, Garrison will look to assert himself in the offseason as a dominant force that deserves the starting role.

Last season, he backed up 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.

It’s unclear if he’s guaranteed anything in regards to a starting spot. However, having played a year already in Mark Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the role over one of the transfer pickups.

Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly confident in the development of “BG” and see him as a vocal leader on and off the court.

With a full offseason ahead where he’ll be harnessing his skill set and bettering his game in any way possible, Kentucky fans will be glad that Garrison chose to stick around another year.

Men's Basketball

Five-Star Transfer Jayden Quaintance on Coming to Kentucky: “We Have a Real Chance to Win a National Title”

Following his recommitment to Kentucky, five-star big Jayden Quaintance shared high aspirations for his upcoming time in Lexington.

Published

3 days ago

April 11, 2025

Lane Mills

Jayden Quaintance speaks on his recommitment to Kentucky.

Connor Smith | ASU Athletics

“They’re gonna get a winner.”

That was Jayden Quaintance’s first response when he was asked, in an interview with the Field of 68 podcast, what Kentucky fans should expect from his commitment. “I go out to win every game I play.”

While many recruits change schools and the transfer portal is essentially the primary way to build a team in college basketball today, few players commit to a school, leave, and then are welcomed back with open arms. Quaintance’s case, however, is unique.

The five-star big had originally committed to Kentucky under John Calipari for the 2024-25′ season; once Cal left for Arkansas, like almost everybody else, Quaintance exercised the same option.

He’d go on to spend his freshman year at Arizona State where, before suffering an ACL injury that put him out for the season, he averaged nine points, eight boards, and a staggering three blocks per game. By all metrics, he’s one of the most tenacious and effective defenders in the nation when he’s on the floor.

And now? He’s back in Kentucky blue, for real this time.

“The best fit for me”

“The coach showed the most interest out of anybody I talked to. He seemed really excited to have me here…” said Quaintance, of being recruited to Kentucky by Mark Pope the second time around. “So I feel like this was the best fit for me, especially with Pope being like a bigger player… he kind of knows what I have to go through and what I have to work on really well.”

Quaintance also praised Pope’s offensive system, calling it “open,” and focusing on his ability to play in space and “make the next pass.” There are few scoring minds as proficient as Coach Pope’s, and plugging Quaintance into a system like Kentucky’s should mean endless opportunities for his game to grow on that end.

Regarding his injury, Quaintance expects to be back on the court in contact play by September, two months before the 2025-26′ season begins. “Recovery has been going really well,” he said.

The stars seem to be aligning for Kentucky to have “JQ” ready for action by tipoff this fall, and much like Kentucky fans, he’s got eyes on the prize: “We have a real chance to win a national title.”

Mark Pope understands the assignment, and so do the players he recruits.

BB Recruiting

Four-Star Guard Acaden Lewis Suddenly Decommits from Kentucky

Amidst a recent wave of positive recruiting news for Kentucky, the surprising decommitment of Acaden Lewis is an unfortunate wrench.

Published

4 days ago

April 10, 2025

Lane Mills

2025 four-star point guard prospect Acaden Lewis has decommited from Kentucky.

UK Athletics

In a shocking, late at night turn of events, four-star freshman Acaden Lewis has decommitted from Kentucky.

Lewis, a 6’3” point guard out of Washington, D.C. first committed to the blue and white in November of last year, following an in-person visit with Mark Pope in his hometown.

Since then, he’s made multiple appearances in Rupp Arena, been featured in photo shoots with his fellow incoming recruits, and spoken on multiple occasions about his excitement to join the team for the 2025-26’ season.

To say this development is surprising would be a serious understatement.

Lewis released a statement following the announcement, “This was an incredibly difficult decision, but I have to do what’s best for my future,” he said. “Thank you to Coach Pope and the whole Kentucky staff for all they’ve done for me so far.”

While the loss of Lewis is certainly disappointing, there is still much to look forward to next season for Kentucky, who maintain one of the highest rated transfer classes in the nation – and it likely isn’t finished.

To that point, if any reason can be derived immediately for Lewis’ decommitment, it may be found in the same place that Mark Pope and staff will be going to look for answers: the transfer portal.