KSR GAMEDAY: Cats vs. Canes in the SEC/ACC Challenge

Kentucky is currently 2-1 against power conferences opponents this season, and with a win a Miami, they’d be able to move to 3-1 while also getting a Quad 2 (but borderline Quad 1) win. Women’s basketball has never really been a strong suit for for teams down in the Sunshine State, but in the world of NIL, that old sentiment has been flipped on its head.

Read up on what Kentucky is going up against in their third game (1-1) in the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Bio Blast

Like Kentucky, Miami is 1-1 in the SEC/ACC Challenge. In 2023-24, they went on the road and beat Mississippi State. Last year, Vanderbilt beat them by 18 in Coral Gables. The Canes got off to a hot 7-0 start last year before that loss to Vandy, and unfortunately for them, that loss would end up being a trend-setter. Miami finished last season with a dismal 14-15 (4-14 ACC) record.

Of course, last year is last year and in Tricia Cullop’s second year at the helm, Miami is off to yet another good start. The Canes currently sit at 5-2, but those two losses came to No. 12 Iowa and No. 24 Oklahoma State. Additionally, both of those losses were by just three points and both occurred on a neutral court.

Cullop had a pretty solid tenure at Toledo from 2008-2024, where she won 25+ games in seven seasons there. In her last three years leading the Rockets, Toledo went 86-17 overall and even made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023. It’ll be interesting to see what she can do with increased funding and talent at her disposal.

Scouting Report

Miami’s biggest (literally) get of the offseason was Ra Shaya Kyle, a 6-foot-6 center who transferred in from Florida. She is currently in her sixth season of college basketball. Kyle struggled against Kentucky last season, putting up just four points, six rebounds and three turnovers in 25 minutes of action. This year, Kyle is averaging 16.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game on 59.4% shooting from the field.

Gal Raviv is another big name to know for Miami. A year ago, she became the first freshman (men’s or women’s) to be named MAAC Player of the Year, and she’s over her scoring prowess thus far. Through seven games at Miami, Raviv is averaging 15.3 points per game.

As a whole, however, Miami isn’t a great scoring team, and it starts with the fact that they are horrible from three-point range. The Canes are shooting just 26.4% from beyond the arc, which is the worst in the ACC and 292nd in the nation. To a degree, it may be a “make ’em beat ya from deep” type of game defensively for Kentucky.

Miami Hurricanes roster

Projected Kentucky Starters

#5 – Tonie Morgan

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – SENIOR

11.6 PPG – 8.7 APG – 3 RPG

#0 – Jordan Obi

6-FOOT-1 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

12.3 PPG – 6.7 RPG – 0.9 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – SENIOR

10.7 PPG – 6.8 RPG – 1.8 BPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-5 – FORWARD – SENIOR

11 PPG – 5.2 RPG – 1.8 BPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – JUNIOR

15.6 PPG – 11 RPG – 2.8 BPG

Phoenix’s Prediction

Score: 69-58, Kentucky

MVP: Jordan Obi

I think the term “sneaky good” gets thrown around too often, but I think it’s a term that applies to this Miami team. Kentucky could be put on upset alert here if they don’t bring their A-game, especially considering that this one will be on the road. However, after recently suffering an underwhelming loss to Maryland, give me the Cats in Coral Gables.

How to Watch/Listen

Location	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Watsco Center (Coral Gables, FL)	5 p.m. ET	ESPN2 (Ariya Massoudi and Nell Fortner)	630 WLAP, 790 WKRD, SiriusXM channel 106 or 190 (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Follow Along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG

Unable to watch the game? Don’t worry — we’ll be providing real-time updates throughout to keep you informed on the action. Follow along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG, which will get rolling on the website an hour before the game starts.

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 while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).