Kentucky
Kentucky vs. Duke viewing info, what to watch for, and predictions
The Kentucky Wildcats finished the first week of the regular season 2-0.
But on Tuesday, they will have their first big test of the season, traveling to Atlanta to take on the Duke Blue Devils in the 2024 Champion’s Classic.
Duke comes in with a roster reminiscent of past Kentucky teams, full of elite freshmen. Meanwhile, Kentucky comes in with the oldest team in program history. It will be a true battle between youth and experience.
The Wildcats are just 1-6 in their last seven Champions Classic games and just 1-5 against Duke over their last six meetings.
Will the Wildcats be able to change course? Let’s take a look at what to watch for when the Wildcats take on the Blue Devils.
Rebounding Battle
Duke has the tallest team in the country, with an average height of 6’7.5”. That certainly helps them in their battle of the boards, where they are averaging 45 rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds through two games.
Meanwhile, Mark Pope has not been pleased with Kentucky’s effort on the boards to start the season. In their latest game against Bucknell, rebounding was a clear point of emphasis as the Cats grabbed 57 rebounds, including 22 offensive boards.
Kentucky doesn’t give up too much height, but they do give up some athleticism. With a lot of long rebounds from threes, all five Cats on the floor need to box out.
Turnover Battle
Duke has the height and length to be a pest on defense. Through two games, the Blue Devils have combined for 18 steals on defense, which allows them to create easy offense.
After turning the ball over 15(!) times against Bucknell, eight of which were between Amari Williams and Andrew Carr, they’ll have to be aware of the pressure inside and keep the ball moving.
Conditioning
Mark Pope has talked about improving his team’s conditioning. He wants them to be in shape reminiscent of Rick Pitino’s 90s teams, which Pope was a part of. They will be able to see where they stand physically and potentially use it to their advantage.
Currently, Kentucky ranks 26th in adjusted tempo, while Duke ranks 181st. However, both team’s average possession lasts less than 15 seconds. This means a fast-paced game should be expected.
Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg has cramped in each of the Blue Devils’ first two games. If Kentucky can push the pace, it will give them a better chance at winning.
The Stage
This is Kentucky’s most experienced team in program history. However, on Tuesday, many of them will be playing on the biggest stage of their career.
We have seen Kentucky freshmen struggle in this event in the past. Now, with a team of veterans, can they contribute when the lights shine the brightest?
This is exactly what they signed up for when they chose to come to Kentucky. Let’s see if they’re ready for the big stage against a legitimate national championship threat.
Opposing Players to Watch
G/F Cooper Flagg 6-9, 205 lbs
- 15.5 PPG
- 9 RPG
- 4 APG
- 2.5 SPG
G/F Kon Knueppel 6-7, 217 lbs
G Tyrese Proctor 6-6, 183 lbs
- 12.0 PPG
- 5 RPG
- 1.5 APG
- 50% 3P
Time: 9:00 PM ET on November 12th
Location: State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
TV Channel: ESPN
Announcers: Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas, Jess Sims
Online Stream: ESPN+, and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | DUKE
Stats to Know: UK | DUKE
KenPom: UK | DUKE
Team Sheet: UK | DUKE
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook does not yet have the lines for this game. Please check back Monday afternoon for official odds. But for the first time this season, the Wildcats are set to be underdogs. Bart Torvik (31%), EvanMiya (30.7%), ESPN (29.1%), and KenPom (26%) all give Kentucky less than a 35% chance of achieving victory.
Predictions: The early projections have Kentucky losing a close one, including KenPom (83-76), EvanMiya (84-77), Bart Torvik (81-76), and Haslametrics (82-78).
Be sure to send us your Kentucky vs. Duke score predictions in the comments section!
Kentucky
Kentucky State Police
Bear Branch, KY (January 24, 2026) – On Friday, January 23, 2026, at approximately 6:58 p.m., Kentucky State Police Post 13, Hazard, was notified of a structure fire on Turkey Foot Road in the Bear Branch community of Leslie County.
Kentucky State Police, along with Leslie County Fire Services and the Leslie County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the scene. After the fire was extinguished, the body of a deceased individual was discovered inside the residence. Detectives were notified and initiated an investigation. Preliminary findings indicate the deceased is believed to be the resident, Rex Smallwood, 68, of Bear Branch. Mr. Smallwood was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Leslie County Coroner’s Office.
At this time, no foul play is suspected. The remains have been transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. This incident remains under investigation by Detective Darrell Hicks.
# # #
Kentucky
Kentucky Gov Clowns Ted Cruz for Getting Duped By European Pic: ‘Sorry For Missing This… Been Busy Leading My State’
(Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) had a laugh at Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) expense over a fake X post accusing the governor of being out of town during the massive winter storm that brought dangerous amounts of snow and ice to many parts of the U.S.
Cruz posted a “thinking” emoji along with a retweet of a post by the Kentucky Freedom Coalition showing Beshear and his wife posing in front of a church in Europe.
The account, that’s also followed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) posted, “The liberal media went wild when Ted Cruz wasn’t in Texas for the major freeze a few years back. Well, Kentucky is in a declared emergency and @AndyBeshearKYis touring Europe. The media won’t say a word though.”
Beshear responded, “Sorry for missing this earlier, @tedcruz. Been busy leading my state’s emergency response all day. From Kentucky.”
Washington Post reporter Aaron Blake added some additional context, writing, “This photo of Beshear in Europe is a full week old. He gave a briefing in Kentucky today.”
According to WKYT, Beshear spent last week in Europe “with a delegation from Team Kentucky, attending the World Economic Forum and meeting with company leaders in Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland.”
Cruz famously received massive backlash in 2021 after escaping to sunny Cancun as a brutal winter storm left millions of his constituents “stranded in sub-freezing temperatures without electricity and water,” according to The Hill.
The contrite senator returned to Texas within 24-hours of being spotted on his travels. Cruz eventually apologized, saying, “It was obviously a mistake, and in hindsight, I wouldn’t have done it.”
This week, as Texas braced once again for an onslaught of weather, a Texas political strategist posted, “Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was spotted earlier today, January 20, 2026, on a plane heading to Laguna Beach as the state of Texas braces for a rare ice threat and arctic cold front.”
Of the California trip, a Cruz spokesperson told KXAN that the work trip “was scheduled weeks in advance.”
The spokesperson continued, “He will be back in Texas before the storm is projected to hit.”
Cruz posted that he did, in fact, return to Texas the day before the storm hit.
This isn’t the first time Cruz has been called out for retweeting a fake post. In 2023, Cruz shared an image of what looked like a shark swimming on a flooded highway in Los Angeles.
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Kentucky
Sunday Headlines: Big week ahead for Kentucky Basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats have some momentum, which seems like a crazy thing to say after where this team was to begin conference play.
The Cats have been playing well, and actually are tied for second in the league following a wild day of SEC basketball yesterday.
However, the Cats will face a pair of big tests this week. The Cats go on the road Tuesday to take on Vanderbilt, who ended their three-game losing skid yesterday by demolishing Mississippi State in Starkville by a score of 88-56. The Commodores were once 16-0 and ranked in the top 10 nationally. They average 90 points per game, so Tuesday night’s showdown in Nashville will be a tall task for the Cats.
Then Kentucky travels to Fayetteville for a matchup with John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks next Saturday. The game won’t have quite the same emotion as Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena last year, but it still holds some extra meaning, at least to the fanbase.
The Hogs have one of the best freshmen in the country in Darius Acuff, who averages nearly 20 points and 6 assists per game. Acuff scored 31 in yesterday’s win at LSU.
In a perfect world, Kentucky wins both of these matchups, but they’ll most likely enter as underdogs in both. If they somehow manage to win both, it would be a major boost for this team and open up conversations about what this team’s ceiling actually is.
If Kentucky could manage to split these two games, I think it would be considered a success considering the level these teams have played at and both being on the road.
How are you feeling heading into this week?
All of us jumped out of our seats when he made that shot!
Still a really good crowd at Rupp despite the incoming weather.
Maybe we’ll see them back on the bench soon.
That stretch when he came in was a difference-maker.
There was the airball, and he never really got going.
A big milestone for Rick.
The AFC North will have 3 new coaches next season.
It seems like KAT and the Knicks are heading toward a split.
He’s about to earn a big payday.
One of the wildest things I’ve seen.
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