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Men's Basketball

Saturday Morning Wakeup: Kentucky vs. Texas Tech

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Good morning, big blue nation. Our University of Kentucky Wildcats take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders this evening for the first time since the 1994-95 season in a game that would be a huge win for both teams. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. EST on ESPN.

This Texas Tech team is not a good as last years Final Four team. The Red Raiders come into this game at 12-6 and 3-3 in Big 12 play. They are playing Kentucky, their Super Bowl, but are coming off a road loss to TCU, if they need any extra motivation.

Let’s take a look at this Red Raiders team.

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Offense

The Red Raider offense doesn’t necessarily blow you away. In their last four games, they have only scored over 70 twice. In their two games against No. 14 West Virginia and No. 1 Baylor, both losses, they scored 52 and 54 points.

They’re currently shooting 33% from behind-the-arc which ranks sixth in the Big 12, making 7 three’s per game. They’re also shooting 44% from the field, ranking third in the Big 12.

Best Players

Texas Tech has three players averaging over 30 minutes per game. Jahmi’us Ramsey, Davide Moreti, and Kyler Edwards. All three are averaging 12+ PPG.

Their best player is Jahmi’us Ramsey. In only 14 games, Ramsey is averaging 15.5 PPG, 5 RPG, and shooting 40% from behind-the-arc. But I’d also lookout for Kyler Edwards. His stats won’t blow you away, but he has scored over 20 in two of their last three games.

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The Game

  • Television: You can watch the game on ESPN, tip-off at 6 pm
  • Radio: You can listen to the game on 630 WLAP, with Tom Leach and Mike Pratt on the call
  • Spread: The Cats are currently a road underdog as the Red Raiders are favored by four
  • Streaming: You can stream the game on the WatchESPN app

This game would be a big win for both teams. Texas Tech is in danger of not making the tournament as they already have six losses. Their signature win this year is against the Louisville Cardinals who were ranked No. 1 when Tech took them down in Madison Square Garden.

For Kentucky, this win would be a resume’ booster. Not only would it be a win against a (for now) ranked team, but it being in Lubbock would add some bonus points. Kentucky has four bad losses that will hurt their seeding come tournament time, so adding this game to the win column will definitely give the Cats a boost

But, at the end of the day, this game is definitely Texas Tech’s Super Bowl. Red Raider fans have been camped out since Thursday.

Go Cats.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Guard Kerr Kriisa Enters Transfer Portal

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After one season with the Wildcats, Kentucky guard Kerr Kriisa enters the transfer portal.
Jordan Prather | IMAGN

The first domino of the Kentucky basketball offseason has fallen, as Kerr Kriisa has entered the transfer portal after receiving a medical redshirt.

Kriisa was an early fan favorite due to his energetic style of play and outgoing personality, but he appeared in just nine games for Kentucky this season after suffering a Jones fracture, which ultimately ended his season. He averaged 4.4 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds.

His last moment in a Kentucky uniform, was him getting back to play defense with that Jones fracture, and that says a lot about who Kerr Kriisa is.

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Following the Wildcats’ Sweet Sixteen loss to Tennessee, he was in tears when talking to KY Insider.

“We brought the joy back to Kentucky,” Kriisa said. “To watch a group play, that plays for each other. That would take a bullet for each other. I’m just so sad.”

Krissa loved this team and he gave it all for the Cats when he was on the court this season.

Kriisa enters the portal with one year of eligibility remaining.

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Men's Basketball

Can Kentucky Take Down Tennessee for the Third Time This Season? Here is What History Says

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Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea (4) shoots the ball over Tennessee Volunteers.
Jordan Prather | IMAGN

The Kentucky Wildcats will face-off with the Tennessee Volunteers for the third time this season in the Sweet Sixteen, where Kentucky won each of the first two matchups. 

Head Coach Mark Pope and the heart-filled ‘Cats will look to beat Tennessee for the third time in a single season for the first time since 2005.

While previewing the game, Pope had nothing but nice things to say about the rival Volunteers. 

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“If we really parse details, there’s certainly the emotional advantage of winning two that you feel like you know you can,” said Pope. “This is a great Tennessee team. It’s one of the top teams in the country. It’s the best defensive team in the country.” 

Pope, frankly, is right. The No. 2 seed rivals allow only 62.9 points per game, ranking eighth in the nation and hold one of the best defensive efficiency ratings in the nation. 

Although these stats haven’t really translated against the Wildcats this season, when it’s March, everything goes out of the door. 

It’s hard to beat a team three times. We know it, and legends have admitted it.

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North Carolina vs. Duke (2024-25) 

North Carolina’s Dean Smith wrote in his memoir that “It was extremely hard to beat a good team three times in a row.” Look at his Tar Heels recently, who faced off against the Duke Blue Devils three times this season. Duke, by a landslide, was the better team all year, hinting at why the Cooper Flagg led team is still dancing.

Duke beat the Tar Heels by double-digit points in both of the regular season matchups, but in the ACC Tournament, no matter what the skill gap was, North Carolina outscored Duke 47-29 in the second half and would only lose by three points. 

When comparing a team who had lost only three games to one who had lost 13, you would think the score would be a landslide again. However, it’s hard to beat a team three times. 

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Kentucky vs Auburn (2018-19) 

The Wildcats have experienced this downfall first hand in their last trip to the Elite Eight, where the No. 5 seed Auburn Tigers defeated them 77-71 in a heartbreaker. 

Kentucky had defeated the Tigers on the road 82-80 on Jan. 19 that year and would go on to blow them out by 27 points inside of Rupp Arena on Feb. 23.

Tyler Herro and Reid Travis would only combine for 16 points in the Elite Eight loss and Kentucky was sent home. 

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Are we making some connections here? 

Michigan State vs. Maryland (2021-22) 

After Michigan State defeated Maryland on March 6 by a score of 77-67, this win would ironically, set up a rematch in the Big Ten Tournament the same week. 

After scraping by on the road earlier in the season by two points, and now beating them once again, Head Coach Tom Izzo would comment on the topic, stating “Now you’ve got to beat a team three times, but it is what it is.”

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The No. 7 seed Spartans would scrape by once again, this time, by four points and would advance in the tournament.


Tonight, at approximately 7:39 p.m. ET, the ball will go in the air inside of Lucas Oil Stadium, and for 40 minutes, nothing else matters except surviving and advancing. 

However, that day old adage will linger in every Kentucky fan’s mind. 

“Can we actually beat Tennessee a third time?” 

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Men's Basketball

Andrew Carr on Kentucky Battling Adversity: “We’ve Gone Through a Lot This Year… It’s Certainly Made Us Stronger”

In the face of multiple injuries and ever-mounting pressure, Andrew Carr insists that the ‘Cats have only been made stronger.

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entucky Wildcats forward Andrew Carr (7) reacts during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Benny Sieu | Imagn

All throughout the 2024-25′ season, there were innumerable intervals at which things seemed to be taking a turn for the worse for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats. Between consistent and recurring injuries sustained across the team’s core rotation to questions of bench strength, road resilience and minutes attribution, the horizon has been hazy more often than not.

And yet, the Wildcats are slated to play in Indianapolis this weekend in their first Sweet 16 since 2019. How is that?

Well, according to starting forward Andrew Carr, the hardships he and the team have endured only worked to make them stronger. “We’ve gone through a lot this year,” he said, following the Round of 32 win over six-seed Illinois. “It’s certainly made us stronger.”

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Carr, who finished with four points, six rebounds and two assists in the 84-75 victory, was among the team’s question marks earlier in the season, missing an extended period with back spasms and only returning in slowly increasing spurts.

Since his return, he’s played a crucial, starting role in the ‘Cats late-season run, winning six of their last seven games on the way to a second weekend appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

“I don’t think we’d be as successful as we are right now if we didn’t go through all those things.”

Where Kentucky would be given a fully healthy roster right now is a tantalizing question; though, to Carr’s point, it simply isn’t worth asking. The ‘Cats left to scratch are doing so at a higher level than ever.

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Their aforementioned strength will be tested once more on Friday as Kentucky faces off against the Tennessee Volunteers for the third time this season, looking to complete the season sweep and advance to the Elite Eight.

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