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Kentucky vs. Penn: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Predictions

Published

12 months ago

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The Kentucky Wildcats take on the Penn Quakers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Kentucky has entered the stretch of their schedule where they will play just three games in three weeks, all on Saturdays. While this certainly gives the team plenty of time to practice and learn more about themselves, a positive for a young team, it can also be a negative.

After losing to UNC Wilmington as an 18.5-point favorite this past Saturday, many fans have voiced their frustrations and participated in debates as we wait for the next game. Fortunately, that game is now less than 48 hours away as the Wildcats will have an opportunity to redeem themselves this Saturday as they take on the Penn Quakers in Philadelphia.

Played at the Wells Fargo Center, the home of the Philadelphia 76ers, the game will serve as a homecoming of sorts for several Wildcats including Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards, Tre Mitchell, Adou Thiero, DJ Wagner, and Kareem Watkins who are all from or grew up in the area. This will be just the second matchup between the two teams, with Kentucky winning the first, 86-62, back in 2011.

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Penn has just one NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008, but historically, they are arguably the most storied program in the Ivy League. Leading the Ivy League with 39 conference titles, the Quakers went to the Final Four in 1979, and hold an overall NCAA Tournament record of 13-26.

This season, Penn is projected to finish fifth in the Ivy League and is currently just above .500 at 6-4. The Quakers have played a common opponent of UK in St. Joseph’s, losing 69-61. That said, they also beat Villanova in mid-November.

Penn is a team that Kentucky should be able to take care of business against and need to. Let’s take a look at some things to watch.

Guard Play

Saturday’s game will come down to guard play. Kentucky has one of the best backcourts in the country, when fully healthy. However, Penn has two all-conference-level guards in Tyler Perkins and Clark Slajchert, who combine to average 35 points per game, nearly half of Penn’s points.

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While talented, Kentucky’s biggest issue this season has been perimeter defense, and specifically staying in front of their man. Fortunately, Penn’s guards are not as quick as UNCW’s, but they are better shooters. Kentucky’s backcourt will still be able to be aggressive in looking for steals and transition opportunities, but they need to do so with discipline.

DJ Wagner

Speaking of guards. After suffering an ankle injury toward the end of the first half of the Miami (FL) game, DJ Wagner has consistently been in a boot and receiving treatment. While the injury isn’t very severe, it is more than a simple tweak.

Sitting out of the UNCW game, it is clear that Kentucky missed him. While inconsistent at times this season, Wagner is a leader on the floor, a solid perimeter defender, and is the best on the team at taking his man off the dribble to create for himself and others. Without him, the Wildcats just looked uncomfortable.

Kentucky is a more talented team than Penn and has had more time to prepare to play without him this time around, if needed. That said, Wagner suffered his injury nine days ago and by the time of the game, 11 days. A typical sprain takes 2-3 weeks to recover and it has been announced if he will be available or not.

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My prediction, knowing the type of player Wagner is and the toughness he has, I would expect him to give it a go.

Statement

Prior to Saturday’s loss, Kentucky may have been the hottest team in the country. The Wildcats had scored 95 or more points and shot nearly 60 percent from the field during that stretch, culminating in the dominant win over Miami. Then the UNCW loss provided a wake-up call, and maybe a needed one for a young team.

In his postgame press conference, Tre Mitchell talked about the disappointing performance but said the team is already looking ahead to their next game and ready to make a statement.

“I feel bad for whoever we got next, short and sweet,” Mitchell said. “These dudes are not going to take this lightly. Whoever we got next better come with everything they got. These dudes feel like they’ve got something to make up for.”

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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Penn Quakers

  • Time: 12 pm ET on Saturday, December 9th
  • Location: Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • TV Channel: ESPN 2
  • Announcers: To be announced.
  • 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 | PENN
  • Stats to Know: UK | PENN
  • KenPom: UK | PENN
  • Odds: ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Kentucky just a 68.3% to win, which is surprising given that Penn is ranked near 200th in KenPom. Bart Torvik and EvanMiya are substantially higher at 92% and 88%.
  • Predictions: The projections have Kentucky winning but the margins are not very consistent. Bart Torvik projects the Wildcats to win 86-70, while Haslametrics projects a tad smaller margin of victory, 86-74. EvanMiya falls in between, projecting an 84-71 win.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

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

Published

3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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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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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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Men's Basketball

ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
ESPN

Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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