Good morning, folks! It’s Gameday once again for the Kentucky men’s basketball team. On today’s schedule? A matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes (7-4) up in Madison Square Garden as part of the CBS Sports Classic. The No. 4 ranked Wildcats opened as a 5.5-point favorite on Friday but have since been bet up to an 8.5-point favorite. Considering Ohio State fans have a football team playing at home in the College Football Playoff this evening, MSG should be nothing but a sea of blue.

A key for Kentucky will be running Ohio State off the three-point line. The Buckeyes are 4-1 this season when hitting 10 or more made triples (the lone loss in overtime) and just 3-3 when under that mark. OSU hasn’t made at least 10 threes since Nov. 29. Freshman John Mobley Jr. is one of the best outside shooters in the country (53.6% on 5.1 three-point attempts per game) though. Bruce Thornton (14.8 PPG) and Devin Royal (15.6 PPG) will be tough to slow down.

But Ohio State is without Meechie Johnson (9.1 PPG) and Aaron Bradshaw‘s status is still uncertain as of this morning. The former Wildcat hasn’t played since Nov. 19. Kentucky will be the better team regardless of whether he plays or not though. Our Staff Predictions are nothing but double-digit wins for the ‘Cats across the board. Lamont Butler‘s ankle had another full week of good rest.

Make sure to enjoy this game a little bit more, BBN. Kentucky won’t play again for another 10 days after this one. Let Kerr Kriisa get you excited for what should be a fun night of hoops “in Big Apple”.

• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• Television: CBS (Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, Jenny Dell)
• Streaming: Paramount+
• Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• Online Radio: iHeart
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 158 or 191
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tipoff, or join the conversation on KSBoard.

3 new portal commits

It was another busy day in the world of the transfer portal. Kentucky football received three commitments yesterday, two of them happening back-to-back. Alabama WR Kendrick Law (1 year of eligibility), Nebraska RB Dante Dowdell (2 years), and Wyoming DT Jaden Williams (1 year) will all join the program in 2025.

All three are quality additions to the roster. Law is a former Top 100 high school recruit with track athlete speed, Dowdell ran for 614 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season as a sophomore, and Williams committed to UK despite having a Georgia visit lined up for this weekend. Not a bad Friday haul in the portal for the staff.

That puts Kentucky at 11 committed transfer prospects so far this offseason, a group that ranks 12th in the country and fifth in the SEC, per On3.

OG Josh Braun
OT Alex Wollschlaeger
OL Wallace Unamba
LB Landyn Watson
EDGE Sam Greene
WR J.J. Hester
QB Zach Calzada
TE Henry Boyer
WR Kendrick Law
RB Dante Dowdell
DT Jaden Williams

Belmont gives Kentucky WBB a scare

It was a Christmas-themed night in Memorial Coliseum on Friday, but Belmont was trying to bring some coal to Kentucky women’s basketball this holiday season. Belmont even led 39-33 at the break. But a 20-point second half from star point guard Georgia Amoore fueled the No. 16 Wildcats (10-1) past the Bruins 84-78. She finished with 23 points, five assists, and five rebounds while shooting 7-13 from deep.

Amelia Hassett (16 points, 11 rebounds), Dazia Lawrence (15 points, five assists, five rebounds), Teonni Key (12 points, five rebounds), and Clara Strack (12 points, five rebounds) all finished in double-figures for the ‘Cats. UK shot 49.2 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep, both the second-highest marks of the season.

Click here for a full recap. Make sure to check out KSR’s Rapid Reaction from the win while you’re at it.

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Andrew Carr gets a New York slice

One of my favorite bits from The Office is early on in the show when Michael Scott visits New York. He hypes up his favorite “local” pizza joint, only for the camera to pan to him running towards a Sbarro. A classic moment. Kentucky forward Andrew Carr recreated that hilarious scene while in New York with his teammates.

Flawlessly executed, Andrew.

After Notre Dame took care of Indiana 27-17 last night in the first-ever College Football Playoff game, we’ve got three more on the schedule today. The FCS Championship semifinals are also on the docket if you’re a true football sicko. But the CFP is all any will be talking about today (other than a big Kentucky basketball win, of course).

• No. 11 SMU @ No. 6 Penn State (12:00 PM EST | TNT/Max) PSU -7.5
• No. 12 Clemson @ No. 5 Texas (4:00 PM EST | TNT/Max) TEX -13.5
• No. 9 Tennessee @ No. 8 Ohio State (8:00 PM EST | ABC/ESPN) OSU -7

Download the KSR/On3 App for all things KSR, including breaking news alerts, podcasts, schedules, and access to KSBoard, our message board.

As the great philosopher Alicia Augello Cook once said, New York is the concrete jungle where dreams are made of and there is nothing you can’t do. Kentucky‘s dream is to leave with another big-time win, this time vs. Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic. The Wildcats are riding a three-game winning streak into this one while the Buckeyes are limping in losing three of the team’s last five. It’s a chance to start 11-1 on the season for the first time since the 2012 national championship with a victory putting the team one Brown win on New Year’s Eve away from a 12-1 non-conference finish going into SEC play in January.

What do you need to know about the matchup at Madison Square Garden? KSR has you covered from the Big Apple.

Kentucky vs. Ohio State: How to Watch, Listen

Kentucky vs. Ohio State is the second half of the CBS Sports Classic, which tips off with UCLA vs. North Carolina at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Cats will tip-off against the Buckeyes at approximately 5:30 p.m.

• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• Television: CBS (Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, Jenny Dell)
• Streaming: Paramount+
• Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• Online Radio: iHeart
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 158 or 191
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tipoff, or join the conversation on KSBoard.

Early season rewind

Kentucky: KenPom 12

• 11/4: 103-62 W vs. Wright State
• 11/9: 100-72 W vs. Bucknell
• 11/12: 77-72 W vs. No. 6 Duke
• 11/19: 97-68 W vs. Lipscomb
• 11/22: 108-59 W vs. Jackson State
• 11/26: 87-68 W vs. Western Kentucky
• 11/29: 105-76 W vs. Georgia State
• 12/3: 70-66 L at Clemson
• 12/7: 90-89 W OT vs. Gonzaga
• 12/11: 78-67 W vs. Colgate
• 12/14: 93-85 W vs. Louisville

Ohio State: KenPom 38

• 11/4: 80-72 W vs. Texas
• 11/11: 81-47 W Youngstown State
• 11/15: 78-64 L at Texas A&M
• 11/19: 80-30 W vs. Evansville
• 11/22: 104-60 W vs. Campbell
• 11/25: 102-69 W vs. Green Bay
• 11/29: 91-90 L vs. Pittsburgh
• 12/4: 83-59 L at Maryland
• 12/7: 80-66 W vs. Rutgers
• 12/14: 91-53 L vs. Auburn
• 12/17: 95-73 W vs. Valparaiso

Series History

The all-time series slightly favors Kentucky 11-10, though Ohio State enters the matchup on a two-game winning streak with CBS Sports Classic wins in 2019 in Vegas (71-65) and in 2015 in Brooklyn (74-67). Before that, it was Brandon Knight’s game-winner in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats upsetting the No. 1 seed Buckeyes in Newark. OSU leads the all-time neutral-floor series 6-4.

Mark Pope has not taken on the Buckeyes at his previous stops while this is first-year coach Jake Diebler’s first matchup against the Wildcats.

Kentucky vs. Ohio State Odds

Spread: Kentucky -5.5
Total: 160.5

Kentucky covered the spread in its first five games of the season before falling just short of that mark in back-to-back matchups vs. WKU and Georgia State. The Wildcats then lost outright as slight favorites at Clemson before winning outright against Gonzaga in Seattle as solid underdogs. They did not cover the spread vs. Colgate or Louisville despite the wins. KenPom projects an 83-78 victory for the Wildcats while Bart Torvik sees UK coming away with an 84-77 win inside Madison Square Garden.

Kentucky Projected Starters

#1 – Lamont Butler
6-2 – 208 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
15.1 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.1 RPG

#00 – Otega Oweh
6-4 – 215 – GUARD – JUNIOR
15.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.4 SPG

#2 – Jaxson Robinson
6-6 – 192 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
12.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.9 APG

#7 – Andrew Carr
6-11 – 235 – FORWARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
10.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.7 APG

#22 – Amari Williams
7-0 – 262 – CENTER – GRADUATE STUDENT
10.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.6 BPG

Ohio State Projected Starters

#2 – Bruce Thornton
6-2 – 215 – GUARD – JUNIOR
14.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.1 APG

#0 – John Mobley Jr.
6-1 – 175 – GUARD – FRESHMAN
12.1 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.5 APG

#8 – Micah Parrish
6-6 – 205 – GUARD – SENIOR
10.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG

#21 – Devin Royal
6-6 – 220 – FORWARD – SOPHOMORE
15.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.9 APG

#0 – Sean Stewart
6-9 – 220 – FORWARD – SOPHOMORE
5.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 0.5 APG

Statistical Comparison

(via Kentucky’s game notes)

Fun stats from UK’s game notes:

• Lamont Butler is coming off SEC Player of the Year and USBWA National Player of the Week honors following a 33-point effort vs. Louisville
• Kentucky leads the nation in scoring at 91.3 points per game with four 100-point performances. The Cats are No. 3 in assist-to-turnover ratio, No. 8 in assists per game and No. 9 in fastbreak points
• UK leads the country in defensive rebounding (32.73) and sits in fourth in total rebounds (44.45).
• The Cats are 5-5 in the CBS Sports Classic, but 0-2 against Ohio State in the event. This is the first head-to-head matchup against the Buckeyes since 2019-20.

Pregame Storylines

A BATTLE OF 3-POINT SHOOTING

Kentucky was stuck in a shooting funk leading up to Louisville before finally getting back on track with an 11-21 finish (52.4 percent) against the Cards. That pushed the Cats back up to No. 78 nationally in efficiency while sitting at No. 30 in total makes per game, though no one is doubting this team’s ability to shoot long-term. As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes are a bit flipped — No. 13 in efficiency, but No. 85 in makes and No. 222 in attempts. Of those with at least 10 attempts on the year, Kentucky has six shooting at least 30 percent while Ohio State has four hitting that mark. Which side will come out on top Saturday?

REUNITING WITH AARON BRADSHAW

The former five-star forward signed with Kentucky out of high school, one of John Calipari’s top recruits in the program’s top-ranked class in 2023. Suffering a broken foot in the spring, Bradshaw was then limited to 26 games played in Lexington, averaging 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per contest. He struggled to carve out a clear role alongside Zvonimir Ivisic and Ugonna Onyenso before deciding to transfer for his sophomore campaign, opting against following Coach Cal to Arkansas in favor of the Buckeyes in Columbus. He’s played in four games at OSU, averaging 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game before being held out while being investigated by the school since November 22. Bradshaw has since been cleared to return to team activities, but “it’s not a clear answer yet on his availability” for Saturday as he ramps back up physically, Diebler said.

WILL MEECHIE JOHNSON PLAY?

Bradshaw was the first major loss for the Buckeyes, and now, Meechie Johnson has taken a leave of absence with the team, as well. The fifth-year guard is away to  “address some personal matters,” the team announced, and his return remains unclear. “Meechie is still working through his personal stuff,” Diebler said this week. Transferring in from South Carolina where he was an All-SEC member a year ago, Johnson is second on the team in minutes played at 28.8 per contest with 10 starts while scoring 9.1 points per game on 35.7 percent shooting from three.

OSU IS JUGGLING THE CFB PLAYOFF

The very first line of the official game notes says this is “the second biggest game for an Ohio State team this weekend.” The basketball program knows its place as the football team takes on Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff, that matchup scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET in Columbus. What does that mean for Madison Square Garden? Well, don’t expect a strong showing from the Buckeyes in terms of fan support while Big Blue Nation travels anywhere for anything. NYC at Christmas? You better believe it is a sea of blue up here.

A NEW YORK HOMECOMING

Koby Brea is a native of Washington Heights, NY while Ansley Almonor is from Spring Valley, NY. Otega Oweh isn’t too far, either, as a native of Newark, NJ — just 15 miles away from Madison Square Garden. Andrew Carr’s hometown of West Chester, PA is just 122 miles away, too, making it a short drive for friends and family. Go down the list and there are connections all over the place, including with Mark Pope, who grew up in Yorktown Heights, NY.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates as your eyes and ears inside Madison Square Garden while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).

New members can get KSR+ for seven days for just $1.

Rapid Reaction on the KSR YouTube Channel

Miss the game? KSR’s got you covered with a Rapid Reaction live on the KSR YouTube Channel. We’ll also have wall-to-wall postgame coverage on the website, including highlights, comments from Mark Pope and the players, stats, and takeaways.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

The Kentucky Wildcats stayed hot on the recruiting trail this week as they have started to fill out their roster with transfers to kick off this offseason.

With a quarterback in place, a rebuilt offensive line, and several key players added to the receiver room, Mark Stoops and his staff have now landed the running back they plan to pair alongside Jamarion Wilcox in the 2025-26 season.

According to a report by Hayes Fawcett of On3, Nebraska transfer running back, Dante Dowdell, has committed to Kentucky on his visit. He becomes the tenth transfer commitment of this offseason.

Dowdell, a former four-star recruit and top-200 player in the class of 2023, originally committed to Oregon out of high school before transferring to Nebraska last offseason. Now the Mississippi native will look to play his final two years of eligibility in Lexington.

He did have a solid season in Lincoln this year for the Cornhuskers. Dowdell finished the season with 143 carries for 614 yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry, while also adding seven catches for 21 yards on the year.

After an OC change for Nebraska, Dowdell will now look to bring his power running game to the Cats, and be a nice complementary player alongside Wilcox next season.

Things are starting to take shape folks. There is still a lot that needs to be seen, but an argument can be made that the staff has attacked the portal this offseason in the way they needed to.