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Kentucky vs Vanderbilt SEC Tournament Edition: TV/Streaming Info and Keys to the Game

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2 years ago

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© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

After enjoying their double bye, the Kentucky Wildcats’ first SEC Tournament game comes against the Vanderbilt Commodores, who are coming off an easy 77-68 win over LSU in Thursday’s action.

This is an interesting matchup given that the season series was split, with Vandy getting the most recent win on Kentucky’s Senior Night last week.

This game will give Kentucky and their seniors the chance to avenge that loss and move into the semifinals, where they could grab another Quad 1 victory. However, Vanderbilt may have more on the line as it serves them a chance to move into the right side of the bubble heading into Selection Sunday weekend.

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This is the first SEC Tournament in Nashville — with a good Kentucky team — since 2019. Therefore, there should be a lot of blue in attendance, and if they make it to Saturday or Sunday, expect more fans to buy tickets and make the short trip.

Given that these two teams have matched up twice this season, both teams know the other relatively well. Let’s take a quick look at the game.

Take Advantage In the Paint, Make Free Throws

With Vanderbilt’s Liam Robbins out — he’s the SEC Defensive Player of the Year — the paint should open up for the Wildcats. However, this was something they didn’t take advantage of in their matchup last week.

In their first game of the season series, Kentucky scored 36 points in the paint, more than half of their total points (69). However, in the last week’s game, Kentucky scored just 18 points in the paint.

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One reason for that is a lack of aggression. When looking at attempts near the basket, Kentucky showed sixteen dunk/layup attempts in the first matchup, compared to just ten in the latter. However, it does need to be noted that Vanderbilt fouled quite a bit, forcing Kentucky to covert from the free throw line.

The game plan should be simple, get the ball inside and convert, and if they foul, make your free throws (preferably above a 71% clip).

Ball Movement and Shot Making

During Kentucky’s turnaround, one of the biggest keys for them has been their ball movement. Over their last seven games, the Wildcats had 14 or more assists in five of them, the two outliers being a foul fest against Tennessee and a season-low against Vanderbilt last week.

Of course, one reason for this was Kentucky’s lack of a point guard, as Cason Wallace sustained an ankle injury in that game. However, against Arkansas, the Wildcats showed they can move the ball as a team.

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If Kentucky can move the ball as they have done so recently, they will have open looks. With that said, they cannot shoot less than 25% from the field and less than 20% from three, as they did in their loss to Vandy. With Antonio Reeves coming off a 37-point performance, I expect him to contribute heavily to that, especially from the perimeter.

Overcoming Injuries

Injuries have been the biggest hindrance to this Kentucky team in their turnaround. CJ Fredrick, Cason Wallace, and Sahvir Wheeler have all missed time since the start of February. With Wallace and Wheeler both out, Kentucky has no point guard.

With that said, CJ Fredrick will continue to play through injury and Cason Wallace is expected to return this weekend. As proof, Cason Wallace was seen in practice gear on Thursday

For what it’s worth, Tucker has walked back on his belief and now believes Wallace is a true game-time decision, and it’s not a certainty he suits to Friday.

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Yet, there is a more surprising return that could potentially happen. According to Kyle Tucker of The Athletic, there’s “some chance that” Sahvir Wheeler could return. If Wheeler were to come back this season, it would ideally come this weekend, which would help him prepare for the NCAA Tournament next week.

Let’s ball.

Kentucky Basketball (21-10) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (19-13)

Time/Date: 9:30 EST (estimated) on Friday, March 10th, 2023
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee.
TV Channel: SEC Network
Online Stream: WatchESPN, ESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | VU
Team Sheets: UK | VU
Stats To Know: UK | VU

Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Kentucky favored by 8.5 points. KenPom gives the Cats a 68% chance of winning, while Bart Torvik has it at 67%, and ESPN BPI is at 78.2%.

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Predictions: KenPom predicts a 77-72 win for the Wildcats, while Bart Torvik is going with a 76-71 decision for Big Blue Nation. TeamRankings (via ESPN) is projecting a 76-67 victory, Kentucky!

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

Former Kentucky Player, Top Recruit Could Be Involved in Point Shaving Scheme

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1 day ago

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November 23, 2024

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Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw is alleged to be involved in a college gambling scandal.

Once a projected top-10 pick, former Kentucky Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw is now away from the Ohio State basketball program for unclear reasons.

On Friday, the program released a statement that Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities, but that they could not comment further due to federal privacy laws.

“Aaron Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities,” the statement read. “The university is following its established process. Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot share further information at this time.”

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Ohio State coach Jake Diebler held a press conference Friday night after the Buckeyes’ win over Campbell, where he said could not provide further comment and referred to the University’s public statement.

“Regarding Aaron, I understand you may have some questions,” Diebler said to open his postgame press conference. “As stated, have to refer to the statement that was released and can’t have any comment on that. Respect the job you have to do. Just know I cannot comment on that any further.”

This comes shortly after news of a federal investigation into sports wagering activities broke earlier this week. Former Temple and Virginia Tech guard Hysier Miller was dismissed from the Hokies last month due to the investigation which first started after the Owls were flagged in March by a watchdog group for suspicious gambling activity.

With more names expected to be released in the coming weeks, the investigation has begun to narrow its search to players with ties to Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Of course, Bradshaw is from Camden, New Jersey, just across the Deleware River from Philadelphia, and those with knowledge of the situation are suggesting he could be involved.

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Court documents do show that Bradshaw recently failed to appear in court following a speeding violation, where he was clocked at 102 mph in a 65 mph zone. However, similar situations of student-athletes speeding have not been handled in this fashion.

The wording of the statement does not make it seem like a minor incident that will soon blow over. This is certainly something to keep an eye on, with some believing it could lead to a nationwide ban on college sports betting.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Jackson State: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Betting Odds/Predictions

Published

2 days ago

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November 22, 2024

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Kentucky players encouraging each other at Rupp Arena.
Chet White | UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats are back in action Friday to face the Jackson State Tigers in the second game of the BBN Invitational.

To put it simply, Jackson State is bad, very bad. Sitting at 0-5 and ranked 321st in KenPom, the Tigers will likely be the worst opponent Kentucky will play all season.

Coached by Mo Williams, one of LeBron James’ old teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Tigers have only finished above .500 twice in the last decade. This season, Jackson State is predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC.

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Mark Pope recently said he wanted to build a standard, regardless of opponent and, and that will be tested on Friday.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

More 3-Point Attempts

Admittedly nitpicking, one of the things that Mark Pope was not happy with in Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb was the amount of three-point attempts. While they shot nearly 50 percent from deep, going 12-25, Pope wants to see the number of attempts closer to 35.

The Tigers have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.8 percent from deep, the second-worst mark in the country. Pope and the staff will certainly generate a game plan to take advantage of this. Expect to see 30+ attempts.

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Ball Movement

Despite beating Lipscomb by 29 points, the Wildcats had a season-low in assists with just ten. For context, Kentucky had averaged more than 23 assists per game entering the matchup.

“That’s not us. That’s not who we are,” Pope said after the game.

While there wasn’t a lot of selfishness, the ball just wasn’t ‘flying’ as it has been early this season. This is a priority for the staff and this mature group, and they will aim for 25+ assists.

Keep JSU off the Free-Throw Line

Jackson State ranks in the top 100 nationally in one area: Free throws made per game. So, Kentucky, defend without fouling.

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Kentucky’s offense makes headlines, but the defense has played very well to start the season, holding all four opponents to under 73 points. Let’s see if they can get down in a stance and defend well for 40 minutes vs. a team that stresses contact and drawing fouls.

Opposing Players to Watch

C Shannon Grant 6-11, 290 lbs

  • 7.5 PPG
  • 4.8
  • Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection

G Jayme Mitchell Jr 6-5, 190 lbs

  • 15.0 PPG
  • 3.8 RPG
  • 44.4% 3P

F Romelle Mansel 6-9, 220 lbs

  • 10.8 PPG
  • 5.8 RPG
  • 31.7% FG (second most FG attempts on the team)

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Jackson State Tigers

Time: 7 PM ET on November 22nd
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: This game will not be on TV and is streaming only,
Online Stream: SEC Network+, ESPN+, and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | JSU
Stats to Know: UK | JSU
KenPom: UK | JSU
Team Sheet: UK | JSU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check Thursday afternoon for an official spread. Multiple projections give Kentucky a 99% chance of winning: Bart Torvik (99%), EvanMiya (99.9%), and ESPN (99.0%). The exception is KenPom (92%).

Predictions: KenPom (93-63), Haslametrics (96-63), Bart Torvik (95-61), and EvanMiya (96-59) all are going with a 30+ point victory, Kentucky!

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

Published

6 days ago

on

November 18, 2024

By

Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
IMAGN

The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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