Kentucky

Kentucky vs. Ohio State: Preview, Odds & How to Watch

Published

1 year ago

December 21, 2024

Kentucky vs. Ohio State: Preview, Odds & How to Watch

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.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville

Published

17 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Montavin Quisenberry isn’t the only former Kentucky wide receiver to switch out blue for red this offseason.

Hardley Gilmore IV announced Thursday that he has committed to the Louisville football program.

He’s the fifth Wildcat to transfer to the Cardinals in this cycle, following Quisenberry, who committed earlier in the day, cornerback D.J. Waller plus defensive ends Jerod Smith II and Jacob Smith.

Gilmore is also the 11th portal pickup for UofL in the last three days, and their 15th transfer commitment overall in this cycle, beginning to offset 23 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up this past Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.

Despite Kentucky’s instability at quarterback this past season, Gilmore put together a productive 2025 campaign. Playing in all 12 games while starting five, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound receiver caught 28 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown. His reception and yardage total was second on the team to Kendrick Law.

The Belle Glade, Fla. native got immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2024. Appearing in seven games, Gilmore was able to haul in six passes for 153 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown vs. Murray State.

While Gilmore has shown high end potential on the field, he comes with some off-the-field baggage from last offseason. Last January after opting to transfer to Nebraska following his true freshman season, he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching someone in the face at a storage facility in Lexington. Then this past April, he was dismissed from the Huskers for unknown reasons, and wound up returning to Kentucky.

“Nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that,” Huskers head coach Matt Rhule said at the time regarding Gilmore’s dismissal. “Just won’t be with us anymore.”

Gilmore and Quisenberry are the first of likely multiple transfer pieces that Louisville will add to their wide receiver room. Between graduation and the portal, the Cardinals are losing six receivers – including Chris Bell & Caullin Lacy.

In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

Kentucky

Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect

The invasive spotted lanternfly has been confirmed in eight new Kentucky counties in 2025, bringing the total to 16.
Native to China, these insects pose a significant threat to agriculture, including orchards, vineyards, and various trees.
Spotted lanternflies damage plants by feeding on them and leaving behind a waste product that encourages mold growth.
Officials advise residents to inspect their property for the bugs and their egg masses, especially around dusk.
Sightings in Kentucky should be reported to the Department of Forestry or the University of Kentucky.

Entomologists have confirmed spotted lanternflies in eight more counties in Kentucky during 2025, according to a recent announcement.

These include Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford. The invasive insect was first found in the commonwealth in October 2023, in Gallatin County, and spread to counties including Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Henry, Kenton and Owen in 2024.

Here’s what to know.

What is a spotted lanternfly?

In short, the spotted lanternfly is a moth-like bug that’s not supposed to be in the U.S. The bugs tend to be red with black and/or white spots on their wings, according to the Department of Agriculture.

They’re native to China and first showed up in the U.S. in 2014. They’ve mostly been found in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the USDA reports, but they’ve also been found in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia.

One of the things that makes them so risky as an invasive species is that the eggs are thought to travel well, on everything from packages being shipped to moving boxes on U-Hauls.

Why are spotted lanternflies dangerous?

Spotted lanternflies can pose a major threat to the things such as orchards, vineyards and logging facilities. How? They tend to swarm and devour what they land on quickly, causing serious damage.

Their “waste product” — known as “honeydew” — can also attract molds and other bugs that further damage plants.

They pose a threat, according to the USDA, to everything from almonds, apples and hops to maple, oak and pine trees and more.

Is the spotted lanternfly in Kentucky?

Yes. The Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist said in a post to Facebook that the spotted lanternfly was confirmed in eight new commonwealth counties during 2025.

The species has been located in 16 counties total — Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford.

What to do about spotted lanternflies

The biggest thing you can do, according to the USDA, to help control the spread of the spotted lanternfly is to keep an eye out for them.

It is recommended that you inspect trees, plants and other surfaces on your property for bugs. It’s best to do that around dusk, the USDA says, because that’s when bugs tend to congregate, making them easier to spot.

Signs that a plant may be infected include the plant oozing, becoming moldy or developing a fermented odor, according to the USDA. You may also see a “buildup of sticky fluid” beneath the infected plant.

The agency also recommends you keep an eye out for egg masses on everything from plants to boxes that hold things such as holiday decorations and often sit unattended for much of the year. If you spot an egg mass, you should scrape it “into a plastic zippered bag filled with hand sanitizer, then zip the bag shut and dispose of it,” according to the USDA.

In Kentucky, you should report sightings to your Department of Forestry regional office or reach the UK at 859-257-7597 or forestry.extension@uky.edu. UK experts also ask that anyone who finds one send a picture with the location to reportapest@uky.edu.

Contributing: Mary Ramsey, The Courier Journal. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.

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Kentucky

Kentucky vs Missouri score today, UK basketball game updates

Published

2 days ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky vs Missouri score today, UK basketball game updates

LEXINGTON — Every time Jaland Lowe steps on the court, be it a practice or a game, is like rolling the dice. Or, as he described it during a news conference Tuesday morning, “it’s a risk” whenever he suits up for Kentucky basketball because of his ongoing shoulder injury.

He originally injured the shoulder during the Blue-White game on Oct. 17. He’s reinjured it twice more since then.

Expected to be the Wildcats’ starting point guard this season, Lowe has yet to appear in the lineup since the regular season tipped off. Each of his seven outings this season has been in a reserve role.

Stream Kentucky vs. Missouri

With the injury hanging over his head like a guillotine that could end his 2025-26 campaign at any moment, Lowe has had to learn to play a new way.

“I don’t know if y’all will notice on TV as much or in person,” he said. “But sometimes when you’re on the court, you can realize I’m not doing some things that I would love to do in the moment, just as a competitor and as a fighter. I can’t do some of those things. I have to pull back sometimes just to not put myself at a huge risk.”

Lowe acknowledged having to rein in his aggressive tendencies is “frustrating” to no end.

“But if I wanna play, I gotta do what I gotta do,” Lowe said.

Lowe and the rest of his teammates aim to help Kentucky bounce back from last week’s loss at Alabama. UK has that opportunity tonight, hosting Missouri at Rupp Arena in the Wildcats’ SEC home opener.

UK (9-5, 0-1 SEC) and Missouri (11-3, 1-0) are unranked in the two major polls (USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches and AP Top 25).

Courier Journal sports reporter Ryan Black and columnist C.L. Brown are at Rupp Arena and will have live updates throughout the game — here and on X, formerly known as Twitter — and complete coverage after. You can follow them on X at @RyanABlack and @clbrownhoops.

Follow along with live updates from today’s game between the Wildcats and Tigers below:

TV channel: ESPN2
Livestream: Fubo (free trial)

The game between the Wildcats and Tigers will air nationally on ESPN2.

Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN2 via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.

Those without cable can access ESPN2 via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial.

Stream Kentucky vs. Missouri on ESPN2

Betting odds: Kentucky is a 12 ½-point favorite (-112) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 149 ½ points (-115/-105).

Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington.

You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.

Oct. 17: Blue-White game (Click here to read takeaways from the intrasquad scrimmage.)
Oct. 24: exhibition vs. Purdue (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Purdue 65
Oct. 30: exhibition vs. Georgetown University (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Georgetown 84, Kentucky 70
Nov. 4: Nicholls (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Nicholls 51
Nov. 7: Valparaiso (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 107, Valparaiso 59
Nov. 11: at Louisville (KFC Yum! Center) | SCORE: Louisville 96, Kentucky 88
Nov. 14: Eastern Illinois (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 99, Eastern Illinois 53
Nov. 18: vs. Michigan State (Champions Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Michigan State 83, Kentucky 66
Nov. 21: Loyola University Maryland (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Loyola Maryland 46
Nov. 26: Tennessee Tech (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 104, Tennessee Tech 54
Dec. 2: North Carolina (Rupp Arena; ACC/SEC Challenge) | SCORE: North Carolina 67, Kentucky 64
Dec. 5: vs. Gonzaga (Bridgestone Arena; Nashville) | SCORE: Gonzaga 94, Kentucky 59
Dec. 9: North Carolina Central (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 103, North Carolina Central 67
Dec. 13: Indiana (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 72, Indiana 60
Dec. 20: vs. St. John’s (CBS Sports Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) | SCORE: Kentucky 78, St. John’s 66
Dec. 23: Bellarmine (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 99, Bellarmine 85
Jan. 3: at Alabama | SCORE: Alabama 89, Kentucky 74
Jan. 7: Missouri (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m.
Jan. 10: Mississippi State (Rupp Arena), 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 14: at LSU, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17: at Tennessee, noon
Jan. 21: Texas (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m.
Jan. 24: Ole Miss (Rupp Arena), noon
Jan. 27: at Vanderbilt, 9 p.m.
Jan. 31: at Arkansas, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 4: Oklahoma (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m.
Feb. 7: Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 8:30 p.m.
Feb. 14: at Florida, 3 p.m.
Feb. 17: Georgia (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m.
Feb. 21: at Auburn, 8:30 p.m.
Feb. 24: at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28: Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 2 p.m.
March 3: at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
March 7: Florida (Rupp Arena), 4 p.m.