Kentucky is desperate for something to go right, sitting at 9-6 on the season and 0-2 in SEC play following back-to-back losses at Alabama and vs. Missouri. Up next? The Dentist is coming to town — and he’s bringing a serious contender for SEC Player of the Year with him in Josh Hubbard, the Wildcats set to host the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 8:30 p.m. ET inside Rupp Arena.



Can Mark Pope finally get in the win column in 2026? KSR has everything you need to know about the late-night weekend matchup.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kentucky-vs-mississippi-state-how-to-watch-listen">Kentucky vs. Mississippi State: How to Watch, Listen</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. ET</li>



<li>TV: SEC Network (Matt Schumacker, Richard Hendrix)</li>



<li>Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)</li>



<li>AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP</li>



<li>FM: 98.1 WBUL</li>



<li>Online: <a href="https://www.iheart.com/live/newsradio-630-wlap-965/?autoplay=true">iHeart Radio</a></li>



<li>Sirius XM: 374</li>
</ul>



You can also follow along on the KSR LIVE BLOG, which will start a few hours before tipoff, and join the conversation on <a href="https://www.on3.com/boards/forums/ksboard.172/">KSBoard</a>.



<a href="https://www.on3.com/sites/kentucky-wildcats/join/?plan=annual">Want more Kentucky basketball intel? Join KSR Plus for access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-season-rewind">Season Rewind</h2>



Kentucky: KenPom 32



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>11/4: 77-51 W vs. Nicholls</li>



<li>11/7: 107-59 W vs. Valparaiso</li>



<li>11/11: 96-88 L at No. 12 Louisville</li>



<li>11/14: 99-53 W vs. Eastern Illinois</li>



<li>11/18: 83-66 L vs. No. 17 Michigan State</li>



<li>11/21: 88-46 W vs. Loyola (Md.)</li>



<li>11/26: 104-54 W vs. Tennessee Tech</li>



<li>12/2: 67-64 L vs. No. 16 North Carolina</li>



<li>12/5: 94-59 L vs. No. 11 Gonzaga</li>



<li>12/9: 103-67 W vs. NC Central</li>



<li>12/13: 72-60 W vs. Indiana</li>



<li>12/20: 78-66 W vs. No. 22 St. John’s</li>



<li>12/23: 99-85 W vs. Bellarmine</li>



<li>1/3: 89-74 L at No. 14 Alabama</li>



<li>1/7: 73-68 L vs. Missouri</li>
</ul>



Mississippi State: KenPom 67



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>11/5: 86-62 W vs. North Alabama</li>



<li>11/10: 96-80 L vs. No. 16 Iowa State</li>



<li>11/15: 75-68 W vs. Southeastern Louisiana</li>



<li>11/20: 98-77 L vs. Kansas State</li>



<li>11/21: 80-78 L vs. New Mexico</li>



<li>11/24: 81-78 W vs. New Orleans (OT)</li>



<li>11/28: 87-81 L vs. SMU (OT)</li>



<li>12/3: 85-73 W at Georgia Tech</li>



<li>12/7: 65-62 L vs. San Francisco</li>



<li>12/13: 82-74 W vs. Utah</li>



<li>12/16: 87-83 W vs. LIU</li>



<li>12/20: 71-66 W vs. Memphis</li>



<li>12/29: 94-56 W vs. Alabama State</li>



<li>1/3: 101-98 W (OT) vs. Texas</li>



<li>1/7: 72-53 W vs. Oklahoma</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-series-history">Series History</h2>



Kentucky leads the all-time series 104-21, including an impressive 52-5 record in Lexington, with the Wildcats entering the matchup on a five-game winning streak.



Mark Pope went 1-0 against the Bulldogs in his debut season, winning 95-90 in Starkville a year ago with Jaxson Robinson leading the way with seven made 3-pointers in the road victory. 



Chris Jans is 0-4 against UK entering tonight’s matchup.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kentucky-vs-mississippi-state-odds">Kentucky vs. Mississippi State Odds</h2>



The Wildcats have opened as 10.5-point favorites, <a href="https://www.ky.betmgm.com/en/sports/events/mississippi-state-at-kentucky-18815585">according to our friends at BetMGM</a>, with the over/under set at 153.5 and Kentucky’s point total sitting at 82.5 compared to 71.5 for Mississippi State.



As for the computers, <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Kentucky">KenPom</a> gives Kentucky a 79 percent chance to pull off the win with a projected score of 79-70 while <a href="https://barttorvik.com/team.php?team=Kentucky&year=2026">Bart Torvik </a>puts it at 82 percent with 79-69 as the final score. <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401808163/mississippi-st-kentucky">ESPN Analytics</a> also puts it at 79.7 percent for the Wildcats.



<a href="https://friendsofcoalkentucky.org/">Thanks to Friends of Coal for powering KSR’s game day coverage.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kentucky-potential-starters">Kentucky Potential Starters</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/4684270.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Jaland Lowe"/></figure>



#15 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/jaland-lowe-54079/">Jaland Lowe</a> 6-1 – 170 – GUARD – JUNIOR 9.0 PPG, 2.8 APG, 2.4 RPG



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/5105527.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Denzel Aberdeen"/></figure>



#1 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/denzel-aberdeen-147282/">Denzel Aberdeen</a> 6-5 – 195 – GUARD – SENIOR 11.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.1 APG



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/5106270.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Otega Oweh"/></figure>



#00 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/otega-oweh-94709/">Otega Oweh</a> 6-4 – 215 – GUARD – SENIOR 15.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.9 APG



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/4895780.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Mouhamed Dioubate"/></figure>



#23 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/mouhamed-dioubate-90492/">Mo Dioubate</a> 6-7 – 220 – FORWARD – JUNIOR 11.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.3 SPG



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/5101849.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Malachi Moreno"/></figure>



#24 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/malachi-moreno-162537/">Malachi Moreno</a> 7-0 – 250 – CENTER – FRESHMAN 8.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.3 APG



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mississippi-state-potential-starters">Mississippi State Potential Starters</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/4895740.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Josh Hubbard"/></figure>



#12 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/josh-hubbard-147259/">Josh Hubbard</a> 6-0 – 190 – GUARD – JUNIOR 23.0 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 RPG



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/5105791.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Jayden Epps"/></figure>



#10 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/jayden-epps-58641/">Jayden Epps</a> 6-2 – 190 – GUARD – SENIOR 16.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.8 APG



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/5105540.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Shawn Jones Jr."/></figure>



#5 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/shawn-jones-145376/">Shawn Jones Jr.</a> 6-6 – 205 – GUARD – SENIOR 5.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 APG



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/5107364.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Achor Achor"/></figure>



#99 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/achor-achor-241308/">Achor Achor</a> 6-9 – 230 – FORWARD – SENIOR 4.5 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 0.5 APG



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mens-college-basketball/players/full/4683134.png&w=350&h=254" alt="Quincy Ballard"/></figure>



#15 – <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/quincy-ballard-97367/">Quincy Ballard</a> 7-0 – 260 – CENTER – SENIOR 6.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.2 BPG



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-statistical-comparison">Statistical Comparison</h2>



(via Kentucky’s game notes)



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2026/01/10105146/Screenshot-2026-01-10-at-11.51.34%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-4136239"/></figure>



Fun stats from UK’s game notes:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Eight different players have led or co-led Kentucky in scoring in a game this season while six have paced the team in assists and six in rebounds.</li>



<li>UK has used six different starting lineup combinations this season.</li>



<li>Otega Oweh has scored in double-figures in all 15 games for Kentucky this season and has now reached double-figures in 48 of his 51 games as a Wildcat. He is averaging 21.0 points per game in SEC play thus far.</li>



<li>Kam Williams has made a 3-pointer in five straight contests and multiple 3s in three of those five games.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pregame-storylines">Pregame Storylines</h2>



WELCOME HOME, RUPP’S RUNTS!



Kentucky is set to host and honor one of the most iconic teams in program history vs. Mississippi State. The 1966 national runners-up and SEC champions, known as “Rupp’s Runts” with no player taller than 6-5, will be in attendance and brought out at halftime. That group finished 27-2 overall and was led by Pat Riley as the SEC Player of the Year and Louie Dampier as a first-team All-American.



“We’re excited to have those guys back,” Pope said of Rupp’s Runts. “A couple of guys we might actually suit up and see if they can help us in the game with all these changing rules. And so, it’s gonna be a great night for the Cats.”



STILL LOOKING FOR A FIRST SEC WIN…



Things did not go well for Kentucky in Tuscaloosa to begin conference play, falling behind by as many as 21 points before ultimately falling to Alabama 89-74. Then things continued to go poorly for the Wildcats against Missouri on Wednesday, falling 73-68 at home in a game they led by eight with four minutes and change to go. 



As things stand today with six losses and just two quality wins, UK’s resume reflects a bubble team. In fact, Pope’s group is officially on the bubble in ESPN’s latest Bracketology update, sitting uncomfortably as a No. 10 seed and one of Joe Lunardi’s last four byes. The Wildcats are ranked No. 34 in the NET and slipping by the day, desperate for a conference win. Will they get their first on Saturday?



HOW DO YOU SLOW DOWN JOSH HUBBARD?



If Kentucky is going to earn its first league victory, it’s going to have to keep potential SEC Player of the Year Josh Hubbard from going nuclear — and that’s much easier said than done. In fact, no one has been able to stop him to begin conference play, going for 38 points in an overtime victory at Texas and 30 in a home win over Oklahoma. On the year, he’s averaging 23.0 points, 3.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds as a true superstar in this league, someone the Wildcats have gotten to know all too well for three years now.



“Nobody’s been able to stop him yet,” <a href="https://youtu.be/9yh9UKhDlVk?si=kj9eutkRJY5BU7jl">Pope said Friday.</a> “He’s really good, man. I like watching him play. He’s really aggressive and he actually — he’s their leading assists guy, by far. … Stopping Josh Hubbard is more than just trying to reduce his points per game. Nobody’s been effective at it. I mean, he scored 30 on 1-7 shooting from three in his last game. That’s really impressive, so he’s a real challenge.”



JAYDEN QUAINTANCE IS OUT FOR KENTUCKY



Kentucky has opened SEC play with back-to-back clean availability reports, Pope having his entire roster to work with at Alabama and vs. Mizzou — even if it hasn’t led to much success. That is no longer the case, as star forward Jayden Quaintance, just four games into his career as a Wildcat, has been declared out going into the home matchup against Mississippi State.



Quaintance is experiencing knee swelling and is being held out until he’s 100%, sources tell KSR. Swelling has been off and on since his debut. He looked terrific in the second half against St. John’s, but hasn’t found his footing in the blue and white since. Now, a setback when UK really can’t afford one.



MISSISSIPPI STATE IS PLAYING VERY WELL



It was a horrific start for Chris Jans and the Bulldogs this season, opening the year with an abysmal 4-5 record with a Quad 3 loss to San Francisco weighing down their resume. 



Since then, though, they’ve rattled off six straight wins and are playing very good basketball, coming off a 19-point blowout win vs. Oklahoma and a true road overtime victory at Texas to open SEC play. They’ve turned the corner and are better than their record and resume suggest at this stage of the season — certainly hotter than the Wildcats through two league games.



Don’t expect a cupcake tonight inside Rupp Arena.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-join-the-discussion-on-ksboard">Join The Discussion on KSBoard</h2>



Want to interact with the KSR crew during the game? <a href="https://www.on3.com/sites/kentucky-wildcats/join/?plan=annual" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard</a>, where we’ll be sharing live updates as your eyes and ears in Lexington while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rapid Reaction on the KSR YouTube Channel</h2>



Miss the game? KSR’s got you covered with a Rapid Reaction from Rupp Arena immediately after the game, live on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxlgPWNLi8UInV0HHhfSQCg">KSR YouTube Channel</a>. We’ll also have wall-to-wall postgame coverage on the website, including highlights, comments from Mark Pope and the players, stats, and takeaways.



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxlgPWNLi8UInV0HHhfSQCg?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.</a>

hubbard38

KSR Basketball

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

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UK 85, Texas 80

Takeaways

Malachi's t-shirt stain