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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

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reaching Closer To Coveted Finals MVP

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Alonzo Adams | Imagn Images

After trading wins through the first four games of the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City broke the series tie to command a 3-2 lead with back-to-back wins.

The Thunder dominated in their return to Paycom Center as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams combined for 71 points en route to a 120-109 victory. Indiana took a narrow 12-11 lead with 9:03 left in the first quarter and never reclaimed it. 

Oklahoma City’s defense stirred havoc on the Pacers all game. 

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Game one hero Tyrese Haliburton was battling a lower leg injury and was held to only four points. Haliburton went 0-6 from the field, only scoring from the free-throw line.

Gilgeous-Alexander recorded four blocks and two steals in addition to his 31-point performance. The Thunder outnumbered Indiana in blocks 12 to four and steals 15 to nine.

In the fourth, the Thunder shook off a rally by the Pacers that closed their 18-point lead to only two points. 

A behind-the-back pass from Gilgeous-Alexander led to a Williams deep ball. Followed by a scoop-and-score by fellow ex-Wildcat Cason Wallace, the OKC lead extended to seven.

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Indiana continued to be outmatched by the Thunder defense.

Gilgeous-Alexander persistently split through the Pacers’ double teams and found open teammates, fueling an 18-to-2-point run to close out the win. Claiming the first back-to-back victory for either team this series.

The Kentucky alum finished with a double-double with 31 points and 10 assists, his first of the series. 

Game five marked Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth 30-point performance of the NBA Finals. Currently, he is averaging 32.4 points, 5.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 2.4 steals per game.

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A Finals victory almost looks certain for the Thunder. Given Halliburton’s injury and the palpable momentum swinging in Oklahoma City’s favor with consecutive wins.

Gilgeous-Alexander is one win away from claiming the first Finals MVP for any Kentucky player in NBA history. Additionally, Gilgeous-Alexander would join an exclusive club of legends to earn Finals MVP and league MVP in the same season.

He would become the first double-crowned MVP since LeBron James in 2013.

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope On Coaching Kentucky Players At USA U19 Camp: “A Sneak-Peek Into What’s Going To Be”

Pope got to coach two of his own at the USA U19 camp, in newcomer Wildcats Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno.

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Mark Pope got to coach two Kentucky natives at the USA U19 camp.
Chet White | UK Athletics

What does Mark Pope do in the offseason? Well, when he’s not recruiting, signing autographs, or answering countless questions, he’s coaching Team USA at the U19 camp.

Coach Pope, in lieu of his uber-successful first season at the helm for Kentucky, was brought on to coach the group of young athletes prior to the beginning of their college careers.

Amongst the fray of recruits committed elsewhere, Pope got to coach two of his very own players in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno – both Kentucky natives, playing under a Kentucky alumni, for a team USA.

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Big Blue Nation, you aren’t dreaming. No pinch necessary.

Jaw-Dropping

“It was awesome,” Pope said of the opportunity, in an interview with KSR’s Jack Pilgrim. “It’s the first time I’ve been allowed to coach them… it’s like a sneak-peek into what’s going to be.”

“They were both incredible, like jaw-dropping great. So, the chance to coach them, the chance to be in some live-play, some competition against other players… I loved that part and I loved getting to see their competitiveness come out, their fearlessness come out, their hearts come out.”

While the original USA U19 roster was much larger, part of the process is a “cut down” of sorts, in which only 18 players remain as a part of the next unit. Jasper Johnson made it, whilst Malachi Moreno did not – although, the latter was the result of a minor injury he sustained during play.

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Reportedly, it was a mutual decision between Moreno and the team that he would return to Lexington in order to manage his injury ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Either way, Coach Pope getting an early chance to lead two of his incoming players can only be taken as a good omen. With his second season at Kentucky creeping closer, fans can only look on, and take in what little new information is available whilst they wait.

It won’t be long before Johnson and Moreno both are electrifying their hometown crowd at Rupp Arena. November is circled in blue on everyone’s calendar.

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Ansley Almonor Joins Kentucky’s La Familia Alumni Team

The latest to hop on the TBT train is Ansley Almonor, adding to Kentucky’s already stacked La Familia alumni roster.

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Ansley Almonor officially joins LaFamilia.
Chet White | UK Athletics

In a turn of equally surprising and exciting news, a freshly graduated Ansley Almonor will be returning to Lexington this summer to play for the TBT alumni team, La Familia.

Almonor, who provided a legendary midseason spark off the bench for the Cats just last season, announced his decision live on BBN Tonight, saying, “What’s up BBN! I’ll be coming back to Lex this summer to play for La Familia.”

“I already miss playing in front of BBN… so I can’t wait to go out there and represent you guys one more time.”

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After multiple seasons at FDU and transferring to Kentucky as a sub-300 ranked player in the portal, Almonor proved his worth and then some as one of the Wildcats’ most consistent shooters from downtown.

Not only that, but he stood as a shining example of what can be achieved in the transfer portal in spite of arbitrary rankings and miscalculated projections.

A truly one-of-a-kind story that, with this latest development, has been given another chapter.

Almonor joins the Harrison twins (Aaron and Andrew), Willie Cauley-Stein, Doron Lamb, and DeAndre Liggins as the youngest player on a roster full of former fan-favorite Cats, and he likely won’t be the last.

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Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat: whether you wore the jersey for the last time nearly two decades ago, or barely more than two months.

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