Kentucky

Kentucky vs. Florida viewing info, what to watch for, and predictions

Published

3 days ago

January 1, 2025

Kentucky vs. Florida viewing info, what to watch for, and predictions

With the Kentucky Wildcats ranked in the top 10 with an 11-2 record, including big wins over Duke and Gonzaga, it’s been a good start to the Mark Pope era as the non-conference slate comes to an end.

However, the most difficult is yet to come.

Entering conference play in an SEC that is being discussed as one of the strongest conferences in recent memory, Kentucky has one of the toughest remaining schedules in the country. 14 of their 18 conference games will be Quad I opportunities. Their first opponent will be the Florida Gators on Saturday.

Considered one of the best young coaches in the country, Todd Golden has led Florida to a 13-0 record, holding the nation’s longest active win streak and No. 5 national ranking in the Coaches Poll. However, the Gators have played just one top-50 KenPom team in a struggling North Carolina squad.

Is Kentucky ready for the physicality of the SEC? Is Florida for real? Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Pace and Defense

Kentucky and Florida both rank top 10 in field goal attempts and average just more than 15 seconds per possession. Meaning, this is going to be a fast-paced contest with a lot of shots.

Just like Kentucky, Florida prioritizes attacking in transition. The best way to stop that is by scoring. So, in a way, Kentucky’s best defense against Florida is their offense. That means efficient movement, on and off the ball, and good shot selection.

When getting into halfcourt defense, Kentucky needs to be prepared for a lot of ball screens, an area they have been focusing on since the loss to Ohio State. “All of our guys were struggling to remember if there was anything involved in the game of basketball except for ball screen defense. We repped and repped and repped,” Pope said after the Brown win.

Offensive Rebounding Battle

Florida is the best rebounding team in the country by average. Statistically, Kentucky is, too, but there have been times they have lacked effort on the boards, most recently in the first half against Brown.

With Florida, it’s not just one player; it’s a balanced attack, with six players averaging more than five rebounds per game. All five Kentucky players on the floor will need to make the effort to box out and not look to leak out early.

Florida really excels on the offensive glass, rebounding 41% of their misses. That said, they give up nearly 10 offensive rebounds to their opponent per game, an area where Mark Pope prioritizes every game.

If the Cats can be in the net-positive with offensive rebounds, it would be huge for their chances to win.

Free Throws

Statistically, Florida’s biggest weakness is its free-throw shooting, which is 73.4% compared to Kentucky’s 73.8%.

Similar to Kentucky, the Gators have been inconsistent from the charity stripe, shooting nearly 82% on 33 attempts in one game this season to shooting 56% on 25 attempts in another.

All projections expect this to be a close game and taking advantage of FREE throws will always help your chances to win.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Walter Clayton Jr 6-3, 195 lbs

17.2 PPG (10th in SEC)
3.8 APG
37% 3P

G Will Richard 6-4, 206 lbs

14.2 PPG
5.0 RPG
2.2 SPG (8th in SEC)

F Alex Condon

11.2 PPG
7.5 RPG (10th in SEC)
1.5 BPG (8th in SEC)

Time: 11:00 AM ET on January 4th, 2024

Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky

TV Channel: ESPN

Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.

Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.

Replay: WatchESPN and ESPN network of channels (check local listings).

Rosters: UK | FLA

Stats to Know: UK | FLA

KenPom: UK | FLA

Team Sheet: UK | FLA

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook does not yet have a spread, so check back later for that. EvanMiya gives Kentucky a 43.9% chance of winning, Bart Torvik is at 54%, KenPom is at 47%, and ESPN is at 58.8%.

Predictions: EvanMiya has Florida winning 82-77. Bart Torvik has the Cats winning an 83-82 thriller. Haslametrics is going with an 84-78 Florida victory. KenPom has the Gators winning 82-81. I’ll give the home team the edge in this one and predict an 85-83 victory, Kentucky!

How do you see this one going? Send us your Kentucky vs. Florida score predictions in the comments section!

Go CATS!!

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Kentucky

Kentucky offers Yale transfer WR David Pantelis

Published

24 minutes ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky offers Yale transfer WR David Pantelis

Kentucky has some reloading to do in the wide receiver room for 2025. New position coach L’Damian Washington has his eyes on a talented pass-catcher from the Ivy League.

Yale transfer WR David Pantelis announced an offer from the Wildcats on Friday. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound slot receiver is coming off a First-Team All-Ivy League selection that saw him haul in 69 receptions for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns across 11 games played in 2024. For reference, Kentucky as a team had just 15 receiving touchdowns in 2024.

After spending the last four seasons at the FCS level, Pantelis is garnering plenty of Power 4 interest now that he’s exhausted his Ivy League eligibility. He’s also announced offers from the likes of Stanford, Missouri, Michigan, West Virginia, and California. He’s scheduled to visit Michigan soon, according to The Wolverine’s EJ Holland, and could very well make a trip to Lexington as well.

Pantelis has one year of college eligibility remaining.

An All-State wide receiver at Upper St. Clair High School in Pennsylvania (the same school attended by Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz), Pantelis received some light Division I interest before choosing Yale. He was productive right away as a true freshman in 2021, recording three touchdowns on six receptions while filling on special teams. His play continued to improve as a sophomore with 39 catches for 518 yards and a pair of scores.

An injury in 2023 limited Pantelis to just five games played, but he still managed to produce 13 receptions, 125 yards, and a touchdown when healthy. His breakout season would follow as a senior with career-highs across the board. Could he bring those skills to Kroger Field in 2025?

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Kentucky

Muñoz Canó gets Kentucky suspension for clenbuterol positive

Published

8 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Muñoz Canó gets Kentucky suspension for clenbuterol positive

Photo:

Kentucky HBPA / YouTube

Owner-trainer Juan
Muñoz Canó was suspended indefinitely by Kentucky racing authorities after
federal regulators said a horse who suffered a fatal breakdown in an October race
at Churchill Downs failed a drug test.

“The owner-trainer
license issued to Juan Muñoz Canó is hereby suspended pending his appearance
before the board of stewards for his alleged conduct against the best interest
of horse racing,” Kentucky stewards said Thursday in their written ruling. “During
his suspension, Juan Muñoz Canó is denied the
privileges of all facilities under the jurisdiction of the Kentucky Horse
Racing and Gaming Corporation. Entry of all horses owned or trained by Mr. Cano
is denied pending transfer to persons acceptable to the stewards.”

The case
against Muñoz Canó was opened Oct. 31 after La Bukana, whom he owned and
trained, suffered a leg injury that led to her being euthanized. Testing
revealed the banned medication clenbuterol was in the 2-year-old filly’s system
at the time of her death, according to the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare
Unit. Muñoz Canó was cited by HIWU on Dec. 20.

KHRGC did not
wait for federal wheels to turn. They voted 3-0 to suspend Muñoz Canó and
supersede federal rules that entitle Muñoz Canó to call for a second split
sample to be tested.

Muñoz Canó’s entry
Friday night at Turfway Park has been scratched, and the same is expected for
his three horses who were entered there for Saturday races. If Louisiana
stewards decide not to recognize the Kentucky penalties, he still would have
one horse on each of the programs Sunday and Thursday at Fair Grounds and two
more next Friday at Delta Downs.

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Kentucky

Here Comes the Boom: Predicting Where Kentucky's Top 2026 Targets Will Land

Published

19 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Here Comes the Boom: Predicting Where Kentucky's Top 2026 Targets Will Land

Kentucky basketball has narrowed in on five-star Caleb Wilson (someone frequently mentioned on Here Comes the Boom) as its No. 1 priority left on the board in 2025. However, the 2026 class is expected to be a deep one and UK has already extended several offers.

Here Comes the Boom is back to predict where Kentucky’s top 2026 targets will land. Jacob Polacheck of KSR+ goes through each of Kentucky’s offers in the class and predicts where each player will commit.

Take a Look:

More Kentucky News and Views on the KSR YouTube Channel

Kentucky Sports Radio has expanded its coverage of the Wildcats in the most ridiculous manner possible on our YouTube Channel. Here you will be able to find interviews with coaches and players, as well as commentary from the KSR crew. From Rapid Reactions following big events to our lengthy lineup of live shows, subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to stay up to date on everything happening around the Big Blue Nation.

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