Kentucky

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

Published

2 years 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

Cyclospora parasite cases in Kentucky, health officials warn

Published

6 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Cyclospora parasite cases in Kentucky, health officials warn

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Health officials are warning residents about a rise in Cyclospora cases, a parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis and can leave people sick for weeks.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health reported 67 cases between June 14 and July 2 — nearly double the approximately 35 cases the state typically sees in an entire year. While cases normally rise in the spring and summer months, Kentucky is among several states seeing a larger-than-typical increase.

Cases likely undercounted, health official says

Cassie Prather of the Woodford County Health Department said the reported numbers are likely an undercount.

“At this point, we have an underreported number of cases because a lot of people will deal with this and their immune system can kick it in a few days,” Prather said. “For those with a suppressed immune system it can lead to quick dehydration or even a hospital visits if they’re dealing with symptoms that don’t go away for 3-5 days.”

How the parasite spreads

People can become infected after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Fresh produce has been linked to outbreaks in the United States, but the CDC says it is still working to pinpoint the cause of the current increase.

Symptoms and timeline

Symptoms often begin about a week after exposure but can appear as soon as two days or more than two weeks later. The most common symptom is watery diarrhea. People may also experience stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, bloating, and weight loss. Symptoms can last weeks and sometimes return after improving.

“You’re going to endure stomach cramps, nausea, sometimes you can have a low-grade fever with that,” Prather said.

Prevention guidance

Public health experts urge people to follow food-safety guidelines to reduce the risk of cyclosporiasis and other intestinal illnesses. That includes washing hands with soap and water before and after handling raw fruits and vegetables, and refrigerating cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables within two hours.

Health officials say people whose symptoms last more than a few days, keep returning, or cause signs of dehydration should contact a healthcare provider for evaluation and possible testing.

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Kentucky

Kentuckians deserve honesty about McConnell’s health | Letters

Published

16 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Kentuckians deserve honesty about McConnell’s health | Letters

Letter to the Editor
| Louisville Courier Journal

Like many Kentuckians, I have been following the recent questions surrounding Senator Mitch McConnell’s health and ability to carry out the responsibilities of his office. Every elected official deserves privacy regarding personal medical matters. But when legitimate questions arise about an officeholder’s ability to serve, the public deserves transparency.

Unlike the presidency, the Constitution provides no mechanism for addressing the incapacity of a sitting member of Congress. That makes accountability even more important. At a time when every vote and committee decision can have significant consequences, Kentucky cannot afford uncertainty about whether one of its two senators is fully able to represent the Commonwealth.

Governor Beshear, Senator Rand Paul and Kentucky’s six members of the U.S. House should insist on transparency on behalf of their constituents. Kentuckians deserve an honest assessment of whether Senator McConnell is able to fulfill the duties of the office to which he was elected.

If he is well enough to continue serving, that should be communicated clearly. Weeks of unanswered questions are not fair to Senator McConnell, nor are they fair to the people he was elected to serve. I hope my fellow Kentuckians will join me in urging our elected officials to be transparent and put the interests of Kentucky first.

— Kate Caverno, 40245

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Kentucky

US 51 Cairo bridge to remain closed for period of time

Published

1 day ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

US 51 Cairo bridge to remain closed for period of time

By West Kentucky Star staff

Jul. 07, 2026 | 10:07 PM
| PADUCAH

The US 51/Cairo Bridge will remain closed for a period of time.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced Tuesday the connector between Wickliffe and Cairo was closed Monday as crews conducted a special inspection and identified a problem with a bearing pad on the Kentucky approach.

A bearing pad shifted out of place, causing the bridge deck to become misaligned by approximately two to three inches at an expansion joint. A repair is needed.

Bearing pads function like cartilage between joints, supporting steel beams while accommodating the bridge’s natural expansion and contraction.

There are no concerns about the bridge’s overall structural integrity.

The repair will require crews to lift a heavy section of the bridge deck to replace the bearing pad. State engineers are working with the contractor and design team to finalize a repair plan as quickly as possible.

There is currently no estimated timeline for reopening the bridge. Motorists should continue to use alternate routes and expect the bridge to remain closed until the necessary repairs have been completed.

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