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 vs. Jackson State viewing info, what to watch for, and predictions
The Kentucky Wildcats are back in action Friday to face the Jackson State Tigers in the second game of the BBN Invitational.
To put it simply, Jackson State is bad, very bad. Sitting at 0-5 and ranked 321st in KenPom, the Tigers will likely be the worst opponent Kentucky will play all season.
Coached by Mo Williams, one of LeBron James’ old teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Tigers have only finished above .500 twice in the last decade. This season, Jackson State is predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC.
Mark Pope recently said he wanted to build a standard, regardless of opponent and, and that will be tested on Friday.
Let’s take a look at the matchup.
More 3-Point Attempts
Admittedly nitpicking, one of the things that Mark Pope was not happy with in Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb was the amount of three-point attempts. While they shot nearly 50 percent from deep, going 12-25, Pope wants to see the number of attempts closer to 35.
The Tigers have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.8 percent from deep, the second-worst mark in the country. Pope and the staff will certainly generate a game plan to take advantage of this. Expect to see 30+ attempts.
Ball Movement
Despite beating Lipscomb by 29 points, the Wildcats had a season-low in assists with just ten. For context, Kentucky had averaged more than 23 assists per game entering the matchup.
“That’s not us. That’s not who we are,” Pope said after the game.
While there wasn’t a lot of selfishness, the ball just wasn’t ‘flying’ as it has been early this season. This is a priority for the staff and this mature group, and they will aim for 25+ assists.
Keep JSU off Free-Throw Line
Jackson State ranks in the top 100 nationally in one area: Free throws made per game. So, Kentucky, defend without fouling.
Kentucky’s offense makes headlines, but the defense has played very well to start the season, holding all four opponents to under 73 points. Let’s see if they can get down in a stance and defend well for 40 minutes vs. a team that stresses contact and drawing fouls.
Opposing Players to Watch
C Shannon Grant 6-11, 290 lbs
- 7.5 PPG
- 4.8
- Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection
G Jayme Mitchell Jr 6-5, 190 lbs
- 15.0 PPG
- 3.8 RPG
- 44.4% 3P
F Romelle Mansel 6-9, 220 lbs
- 10.8 PPG
- 5.8 RPG
- 31.7% FG (second most FG attempts on the team)
Time: 7 PM ET on November 22nd
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: This game will not be on TV and is streaming only,
Online Stream: SEC Network+, 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 | JSU
Stats to Know: UK | JSU
KenPom: UK | JSU
Team Sheet: UK | JSU
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check Thursday afternoon for an official spread. Multiple projections give Kentucky a 99% chance of winning: Bart Torvik (99%), EvanMiya (99.9%), and ESPN (99.0%). The exception is KenPom (92%).
Predictions: KenPom (93-63), Haslametrics (96-63), Bart Torvik (95-61), and EvanMiya (96-59) all are going with a 30+ point victory, Kentucky!
Be sure to send us your Kentucky vs. Jackson State score predictions! And Go CATS!!
Kentucky
Kentucky vs. Texas Injury Report: Deone Walker, JJ Weaver and others set to return
The Kentucky Wildcats are now getting prepared for one of their hardest games on the schedule as they travel to Austin for a date with the Texas Longhorns.
This disappointing season has also been riddled with injuries across the board for the Cats. Whether it has been offense or defense, Mark Stoops’ squad has not been close to full strength, really, one time this season.
That will be the case again in Austin, as the first injury report of the week has been released.
With D’Eryk Jackson and Gerald Mincey out alongside DJ Waller, it’s Courtland Ford and Kahlil Saunders who carry questionable designations as of Wednesday.
For some good news, however, JJ Weaver seems likely to play, as he is listed as probable.
In addition, Deone Walker, Barion Brown, and Jamon Dumas-Johnson are no longer on the injury report, so they’re set to return this week.
Going to be an interesting afternoon in Austin. Let’s see if any more names pop up on this report as the week continues.
Kentucky
Cassidy Rowe is 'Kentucky's favorite child', and Kenny Brooks is starting to see why
In Kentucky’s win over Purdue Fort Wayne, Cassidy Rowe played a huge part in giving the Cats the edge. For over 28 minutes, Kentucky played from behind, but Rowe made key shots and got momentum-swinging stops on defense to sway the game in Kentucky’s favor.
Kenny Brooks was quick to acknowledge the guard in his postgame press conference, pointing out just how proud he is of her.
“I’m really proud of Cassidy —not just for tonight,” Brooks said following the win over Purdue Fort Wayne. “Cassidy is Kentucky’s favorite child, and we got here, and we understand that, and her popularity is well-deserved. She’s a great kid.”
Brooks continued, “The way she’s handled everything, it has been tremendous because I think she played like, what, two minutes the other night [against Louisville], and she came back the next day, and we had practice, the starters didn’t play at all in practice, and she led her team. She is really trying to learn me. She’s really trying to learn me, and she’s trying to do it on the fly, and she’s doing it the right way.”
Part of what is contributing to Rowe’s overall growth is that she’s able to watch and learn from Georgia Amoore, one of the best guards in the country.
“She’s watching Georgia, she’s asking questions, and she’s catching on very quickly,” Brooks explained. She doesn’t hang her head whether she gets two minutes or 30 or 29 minutes — she’s got the same reaction. I think she likes what’s going on here. She’s enjoying playing basketball, and it’s just really fun. This is what you do it for. So, I coach college basketball because of opportunities. Like both of these young ladies right here, they just want to work hard. They just want to win, and you have one play 40 minutes, one and play two minutes, and they both came to practice with the same energy the next day.”
“Cassidy is waiting for her time, and Cassidy is building trust with me,” Brooks added. “She’s building a lot of trust with me. I could probably play her two minutes the next game, and she’s still going to come to practice and work her butt off to do what she can for the team, and that’s why we really relied on her tonight. So, both of them, I trust them, and their energy was fantastic.”
Rowe spoke to that — having her number called and being ready to contribute and bring the energy that the team needs to get over the hump.
“I know personally when you hear your number called, you have got to be ready,” Rowe said. “I felt like before the game, I was ready and locked in. Building off of your teammates too, if we are not all bringing the energy, then we are not in a good spot. So, just doing a better job encouraging the teammates to bring it, if somebody looks down, I say, ‘Lets bring it back up’.”
From last season to this season, Rowe is a completely different player. Now, as a junior, she’s one of the leaders of this team.
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot, even the confidence side of things,” Rowe mentioned. “Last year was the first time I was getting playing time, I felt like I was still timid. I was playing not to make a mistake, rather than playing to help my team win. This year, the coaching staff has helped me build that confidence and play more physically. I feel like my teammates have helped a lot in that too. It’s just my teammates having trust in me, and I have trust in them. It built my confidence a lot.”
And as for her relationship with Georgia Amoore, it was interesting to see how that would unfold before the season. Rowe elected to not transfer out, even when she knew Amoore would come in and be the starting point guard, but why?
Well, for one, she’s a Wildcat through and through, but she’s also very appreciative of the opportunity to learn from one of the best guards there is.
“It means everything that I am still at Kentucky, it has always been a dream to play here,” Rowe noted. “Even when I heard that Georgia was coming in, that thought [of transferring] never crossed my mind. Georgia is one of the best point guards in the country, and the fact that I get to learn from her and pick her brain it’s truly been a blessing for me even building my own game.”
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