GAMEDAY: Kentucky Hosts Florida in Primetime

by:Nick Roush•01/20/18•

@RoushKSR

The Kentucky Wildcats will battle for the top spot in the SEC tonight at 8:15 against the Florida Gators.  The Cats’ opponent has looked like the best team in the country at times thanks to excellent play in the backcourt.

Jalen Hudson leads the Gators in scoring with 16.5 points per game off the bench. Egor Koulechov puts up 15.1 per game.  Point guard Chris Chiozza is second in the SEC in assists (5.9) and steals (2.1) per game.  Keith Stone (not the Keystone guy) is knocking down 48 percent from three.  The only guard who doesn’t make more than 40 percent of his threes might be the Gators’ best player, KeVaughn Allen.

Kentucky’s length provides an advantage in the interior, but if Florida gets hot from three, it could be a long night at Rupp Arena.

Rupp Arena Hosts College Gameday

You only have one more hour to get in there.  There’s already quite a few people who arrived as soon as the doors opened at 9:00 a.m.

I am not sure how Jay Bilas will be able to do an hour television show at Rupp Arena without any ice cream.

Zion Williamson’s Decision Day

Clemson has been the apparent leader for weeks, yet we’ve had no reason to rule out John Calipari’s Wildcats.  However, what we learned yesterday probably doesn’t help Kentucky’s cause.  Zion’s announcement will be televised on ESPN2 from his high school at 8:15, right when UK tips-off with Florida.

Quade Green is a Game-Time Decision

Kentucky’s starting point guard is practicing, but Calipari’s comments on Quade’s status were measured.

“We’ll see,” Calipari told reporters. “It’s probably game time, to see if he’ll get some minutes. It’d be nice if he could give us some minutes just so Shai can sit out five minutes a half or so, but we’ll see.”

Is Calipari under-selling Green’s potential to play? Hopefully.  Florida’s dangerous backcourt can get hot quick to take down Kentucky’s crippled guards.  A look at the probable starting lineups:

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexader vs. Chris Chiozza
  • Hamidou Diallo vs. KeVaughn Allen
  • Kevin Knox vs. Egor Koulechov
  • P.J. Washington vs. Keith Stone
  • Nick Richards vs. Kevarrius Hayes

Meet Stephen Johnson

The Kentucky quarterback will be signing autographs this afternoon in front of Your Frame Of Mind Galleries on the food court level of the Lexington Center Shops. Even if you don’t have a ticket to the basketball game, you can meet Stephen and get an autograph from 6:00 till tip-off.

The Schedule

  • 11:00 — College Gameday airs on ESPN
  • 5:30 — The KSR Pregame Show begins on 630 WLAP
  • 6:00 — Stephen Johnson Autograph Signing at The Lexington Center Food Court
  • ~8:15 — Zion Williamson makes his college choice on ESPN
  • 8:15 — Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Maria Taylor call the Cats and the Gators on ESPN

The Cats opened as 3-point favorites over Florida.  If you can’t hear Tom Leach and Mike Pratt on the UK Sports Network, you can listen on Sirius-138 and XM-191.

Cat on Cat Crime

A lesson Devin Booker had to learn the hard way: do NOT steal Jamal Murray’s bow and arrow.

College Basketball on TV

Time Game Network
Noon #1 Villanova at Uconn CBS
Noon #3 Purdue at Iowa ESPN
Noon #7 Wichita State at Houston ESPNU
Noon Florida State at Virginia Tech ESPN2
1:00 LSU at Vandy SEC
2:00 Texas at #6 West Virginia CBS
2:00 #4 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State ESPN
2:00 #8 Texas Tech at Iowa State ESPNU
2:00 Georgia Tech at #15 North Carolina ESPN2
2:30 #11 Xavier at #19 Seton Hall Fox
4:00 Notre Dame at #20 Clemson ESPN
4:00 #14 Arizona at Stanford CBS
4:00 Mizzou at Texas A&M ESPN2
6:00 Baylor at #10 Kansas ESPN
6:00 Georgia at #17 Auburn SEC
6:00 #21 Tennessee at South Carolina ESPN2
10:15 UCLA at Oregon ESPN

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