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TV Info and Things to Know Ahead of Kentucky vs. Duquesne

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UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats got off to a great start, defeating Howard 95-63 on Monday. Now, the focus turns to the Duquesne Dukes, who Kentucky will play on Friday night.

Compared to Howard (241st in KenPom), Duquesne (122nd in KenPom) will be a bit more of a challenge for the Wildcats, but who are they?

Duquesne University is based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and plays in the Atlantic-10 conference. As for their program history, they did go to the Final Four in 1940 but have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1977.

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Starting this season 1-0, the Dukes enter the season on a high note but are projected to finish last place in the A-10, and finish .500 or worse for the third straight season.

Friday’s game will not be the first matchup between the Dukes and Wildcats, as they have faced off twice in the past (most recently in 2016), with Kentucky winning both games.

Now, let’s take a look at what to look for in this contest.

Can the offense keep its form?

Despite being short-handed in the last exhibition game and season opener, having just 8 scholarship players available, the Kentucky Wildcats have had back-to-back great offensive performances, scoring 111 and 95 points.

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While another 95+ point performance shouldn’t be expected, a strong offensive game should be.

In his first collegiate game (on his birthday as well) on Monday, Cason Wallace looked like a natural at directing this offense, recording 9 assists but also playing within the offense to score 15 points himself.

Of course, it also helps to have CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves to pass to. The offensive duo have combined for 79 total points in their last two outings, as well as 16 of Kentucky’s 23 made threes.

Can the Wildcats keep it up?

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Who will set themselves apart?

With Damion Collins, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Sahvir Wheeler all potentially out, this is a chance for several role players to go out on the court and play their way into more minutes.

John Calipari echoed as much in his postgame press conference on Monday.

“The greatest thing about this game and I believe next game is everybody’s getting minutes to show what they are. And if there’s any separation you’ll see it.”

This is another big game for Ugonna Onyenso, Adou Thiero, and Lance Ware to show what they can bring to this team.

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When three of Kentucky’s seven best pieces come back into the lineup — which could happen as early as Michigan State on Tuesday — expect the rotations to be shortened, which makes this a very important game for Thiero, Onyenso and Ware.

Keep Dae Dae Grant in check

There have been countless opponents that have come into Rupp Arena and had the game of their lives, and the Dukes have a player that is coming off a career game, Dae Dae Grant.

In their opening game against Montana, Duquesne won 91-63 with Grant going for a game-high 25 points on a perfect shooting performance, including 6/6 from three.

While Duquesne, may not have a lot of explosive weapons, Grant will be one to keep in check, and I would assume Cason Wallace will be ready to make his night very tough.

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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Duquesne Dukes

Time/Date: 7:00 pm ET on November 11th, 2022
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: SEC Network
Online Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, SEC Network+, or the ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the UK radio network call on WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1, and the UK Sports Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | DU
Stats To Know: UK | DU
Team SheetsUK | DU
Live Stats

Odds: No line has been set, but ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Wildcats a 95.2% chance of winning, KenPom gives them a 97% of getting the win, and Bart Torvik has it at 94%.

Predictions: KenPom projects an 81-62 victory for Kentucky, while Bart Torvik went with an 82-65 margin.

Also published on a Sea of Blue.

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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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Mark Pope and staff may have everything they need from the transfer portal.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Following 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”.

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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.

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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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Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

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Kentucky basketball Travis Perry talks about growing more comfortable on the court.
Jordan Prather | IMAGN

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.

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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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Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky.
UF Athletics

Another 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. 

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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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