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Men's Basketball

TV Info and Three Things to Watch: Kentucky vs. Gonzaga

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UK Athletics

After beating South Carolina State on Thursday, 106-63, the Kentucky Wildcats look to start a winning streak and pick up their first-ranked win of the season against the No. 2-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Both Kentucky and Gonzaga are 2-1, with losses to ranked teams. However, the Bulldogs did beat the same Michigan State team that Kentucky lost to on Tuesday.

Sunday night’s game will be the first game of the new six-year series, and the Wildcats will look to go up 2-0 in the all-time series record, with Kentucky beating the Bulldogs in their first matchup in 2002.

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Entering the game with each team having struggles of their own, it will be an interesting battle. Let’s take a deeper look at things to look for on Sunday night.

Oscar Tshiebwe vs Drew Timme

Two of the best big men in the country will go head-to-head on Sunday, Oscar Tshiebwe and Drew Timme.

Tshiebwe missed the first two games of the season recovering from minor knee surgery, but already looks to be close to his old form. In his season debut against Michigan State, Tshibwe put up 22 points and 18 rebounds. However, he played just 14 minutes against South Carolina State in order to rest for Sunday’s matchup.

As for Timme, he has been equally as impressive and looks to have even gotten better, averaging a career-high 20.7 points (34th in the NCAA) on 60.5 percent shooting from the field.

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However, the two have played before back in 2020 when Tshiebwe was still with West Virginia. In that game, Gonzaga won in a close one 87-82, as Timme recorded 17 points and 3 rebounds, compared to Tshiebwe’s 14 points and 9 rebounds.

John Calipari has seen a similar matchup before, “It was Marcus Camby and Tim Duncan… You would have thought no one else was in the game and there were no coaches. It was one-on-one.”

Which player will get the upper hand?

Can Kentucky take advantage of Gonzaga’s guard play?

While Drew Timme will do Drew Timme things, Gonzaga does not have the guard they have had in recent seasons.

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Despite four of their five leading scorers being guards, the Bulldogs do not have a true point guard. In fact, there are only three players for Gonzaga averaging more than 2 assists per game, and two of them are forwards.

With that said, Julian Strawther is the Bulldog’s clear second option, but things get cloudy behind him between Nolan Hickman, Hunter Salis, and Malachi Smith.

Despite still looking for their balance, Sahvir Wheeler and Cason Wallace have proven to be the better guards thus far. If they can produce and play good defense as they have, Kentucky will be in good shape.

Can Kentucky force turnovers and generate offense?

One of Gonzaga’s biggest weaknesses thus far has been their lack of ball security, as they turn the ball over as much as anyone in the country. In fact, they average 17.3 turnovers per game, ranking 324th in the country.

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Just in their last two games alone against Michigan State and Texas, Gonzaga has recorded 18 and 20 turnovers, giving up an average of twenty points off turnovers. The main source for these turnovers, especially against Texas, has been defensive pressure.

With their length and size, Kentucky should be able to force Gonzaga into some turnovers, especially if they bring pressure as they have at times this season.

This would be very beneficial if the Wildcats were to struggle in the half-court offense, as their defense would provide them with some transition scoring opportunities and open up the floor.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Time/Date: 7:30 pm ET November 20th
Location: Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington
TV Channel: ESPN
Announcers: Jon Sciambi and Jimmy Dykes are on the call.
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 | GU
Stats To Know: UK | GU
Team SheetsUK | GU
Live Stats

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Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has Gonzaga -3ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Wildcats just a 22.3% chance of winning, and Bart Torvik has it at 24%. KenPom has it at a more friendly 44%.

PredictionsBart Torvik has Kentucky losing with a final score of 83-75, while KenPom went with a 79-78 margin for the Zags. TeamRankings is going Gonzaga 79-76.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

Denzel Aberdeen And Otega Oweh Could Form Dynamic Backcourt Duo For Kentucky

Former Florida guard joins Oweh to give Kentucky one of the nation’s most dynamic pairings.

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Eddie Justice | UK Athletics


It’s rare for a team to poach a key player from within its own conference — and even more unlikely to lure one away from the reigning national champions. So when Mark Pope and Kentucky landed senior guard Denzel Aberdeen after three seasons at Florida, his former SEC foe turned teammate Otega Oweh — along with Big Blue Nation — was buzzing with excitement over the possibilities ahead.

While most projections have Aberdeen slotted into the two-guard spot in Kentucky’s starting lineup, Oweh believes his versatility could make an even greater impact, particularly at point guard.

“He’s fresh off of a ring. He’s a solid PG,” Oweh said. “You know he’s going to bring that calmness to our group.”

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Aberdeen steadily improved each year of his college career, raising his scoring average from 1.6 points per game in 2022-23 to 3.3 in 2023-24, and finishing last season with 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He shot 41.8% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc while helping Florida win a national championship.

When a player transfers out of a program, the reaction from that school’s fan base can speak volumes. In Aberdeen’s case, many Florida fans were visibly upset about losing him — especially to a conference rival like Kentucky.

They knew just how dangerous he could be when paired with a certain wing returning to the Wildcats. Regardless of where Aberdeen lines up in the backcourt next season, his combination with Oweh has the potential to become one of the most explosive duos in the country.

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh On Leading Kentucky’s New Roster: “If we win, everyone wins”

Otega Oweh, following his decision to return to Kentucky for a final season, is prepared to take on a leadership role.

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Otega Oweh is ready to take on a leadership role.
Chet White | UK Athletics

With his triumphant, last-second return to Lexington for a second and final season in the blue and white, last year’s breakout star Otega Oweh essentially tied a bow on the army knife that is Kentucky’s incoming roster. 

And while the talent coming in from all sides is full of athletes weathered in their own ways, Oweh, having already played under the big blue lights, looks to step into a leadership role.

“I’m definitely going to have to be one of the leaders, for sure,” he said. “…I’m going to do it in my own way. Being vocal, but also a little intense. I feel like that’s kind of my thing.”

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Oweh became a fan favorite Wildcat this year for a multitude of reasons, the least of which weren’t his game-winning buckets and highlight slams that seemed to occur on a regular basis.

But beyond the stuff that made it on SportsCenter, Oweh carried much of the team’s energy when he was on the floor. The game seemed to move through him on both ends; a ball of momentum that, at times, made or broke the result of a match.

While last year’s magical run came up short, Oweh, like his head coach, has his sights set on a banner this fall.

“We have a lot of guys who could get big accolades this year… so I feel like, with that, comes a national championship. If we win the natty, everyone is going to get what they want. If we win, everyone wins.”

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As Kentucky’s star returner, and a potential early favorite for SEC Player of the Year, Otega Oweh carries the weight of Rupp Arena on his shoulders.

But not only is he up for the challenge, he seems to embrace it. Coming back as the presumed best guy on the floor means not only meeting expectations, but exceeding them.

The most passionate fanbase in college basketball looks on as #00 leads the charge towards one of the most promising, exciting seasons Lexington has seen in years.

“It really felt like we had unfinished business,” said Oweh. A long awaited ninth banner hangs in the balance as Mark Pope, Otega Oweh, and the Kentucky Wildcats gear up for the 2025-26 season.

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Men's Basketball

Travis Perry Clears The Air On Kentucky Exit

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Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Kernel

Before his decision to transfer to Ole Miss, Travis Perry had long been considered one of Kentucky’s most iconic high school basketball players.

“I was devastated when Travis left,” Mark Pope told reporters. “I think he was on his way to becoming a legend here at Kentucky.”

As a junior at Lyon County High School in Eddyville, Kentucky, Perry broke the state’s all-time scoring record, eventually reaching 5,481 career points, a milestone that was just the beginning of his growing legacy.

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He capped his historic high school résumé in 2024 by leading Lyon County to a state championship, earning Sweet 16 MVP honors, being named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball and claiming his second Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year award, solidifying his place among the greats to come out of the Bluegrass State.

As a freshman for the Wildcats, Perry took on a limited role, primarily serving as a shooter off the bench. Eventually, he decided he wanted something for his game that Kentucky wasn’t offering.

“Whenever I got in the portal, I felt that Coach Beard’s vision for me was exactly what I was looking for,” Perry said in his first media appearance as a Rebel.

Perry emphasized that one of the main reasons for choosing Oxford was the opportunity to grow beyond the label of a pure shooter, something he felt had limited him at Kentucky.

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In his lone season as a Wildcat, Perry averaged 2.7 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 9.8 minutes per game, and despite shooting efficiently, he rarely had plays run for him.

“Travis and I share a vision for his game that he’s much more than a shooter. He’s a guy who can play multiple positions,” Rebels head coach Chris Beard said.

For one of Kentucky’s most accomplished high school players, the move to Oxford is less about leaving home and more about finding the right fit to unlock his full potential.

With a fresh opportunity under Coach Beard, he’s focused on expanding his game, helping the team win and proving he’s more than just a shooter off the bench.

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