KSR Gameday: Kentucky hosts Bellarmine in a Holiday Matinee

It’s Festivus, but we’re fresh out of grievances here at the KSR headquarters because we get to watch Kentucky Basketball this afternoon. At 1 p.m. ET, the Cats host the Bellarmine Knights, a rare holiday matinee at Rupp Arena.

Had Kentucky not come back to beat St. John’s, the mood around Big Blue Nation would probably be very different; however, thanks to Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance, the Cats have new life. Today is a big step down in competition, but a chance to build on momentum nonetheless. Even if Lowe doesn’t play to rest or protect his shoulder, the Cats should roll against the Knights, who are No. 262 in KenPom. Kentucky is a 36.5-point favorite on BetMGM; past games against cupcake teams suggest they’ll cover.

This is just the second meeting all-time between Kentucky and Bellarmine. The first took place on Nov. 29, 2022, at Rupp. Kentucky won that game 60-41, but it was tied at halftime. Doug Davenport took over for his father Scotty this past offseason and is 5-6 thus far. The Knights have lost to Georgia, Kansas State, Wofford, Notre Dame, Murray State, and Northern Kentucky. They’re led by senior Jack Karasinski, who averages a team-high 20.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Bellarmine ranks No. 362 in Division I in rebounding (28.5 RPG) and No. 334 in KenPom defensive efficiency. The deck was already stacked against the Knights, but now, they’re running into a buzzsaw as Kentucky looks to build on its big win in Atlanta.

With the early tip, today’s schedule is a little different. Let’s run through it to start things off:

• 10:00 AM: KSR the Show – Ryan Lemond and Jack Pilgrim will be live from KSBar and Grille, which is also opening at 10 a.m. and serving breakfast.
• 10:30 AM: KSR Pregame Show – Thirty minutes in, the gang will switch into pregame show mode to get you ready for the Cats vs. the Knights.
• 11:30 AM: Countdown to Tipoff
• 1:00 PM: Kentucky vs. Bellarmine (SEC Network+)
• 4:00 PM(ish): KSR Postgame Show with Ryan Lemond
• 5:30 PM: Matt Jones and Myron Medcalf call the New Orleans Bowl on ESPN Radio

More on that last one in a bit.

How to Watch, Listen

Today’s game is “on the computer,” meaning it’s streaming exclusively on SEC Network+ through the ESPN app. Thankfully, that’s the last time I have to say that this season. Also, Maggie Davis is today’s sideline reporter, which is always a treat.

• Tipoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
• TV: SEC Network+ (Noah Frary, Ravi Moss, Maggie Davis)
• Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
• FM: 98.1 WBUL
• Online: iHeart Radio
• Sirius XM: 106 or 190

You can also follow along on the KSR LIVE BLOG, which will start a few hours before tipoff, and join the conversation on KSBoard.

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.

Mark Pope Show Highlights

Jaland Lowe update

Will Jaland Lowe play today? The junior guard played 15 minutes after his injury scare in the first half of the St. John’s game and was sensational, finishing with 13 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and a team-high +20 in efficiency. The health of Lowe’s shoulder is the key to the season right now, so it would make total sense to rest him today ahead of Kentucky’s ten-day break.

“He’s pretty sore today, we’ll see how it is tomorrow,” Mark Pope said last night of Lowe’s shoulder. “We’ll continue to proceed with caution with these guys. He’s bounced back really fast, so I know he’s got some great basketball in him.”

“Not sure we’re shopping” for a backup PG

There were rumblings on Monday that Kentucky is exploring adding another point guard to the roster over the break as insurance if Lowe reaggravates his shoulder at some point. For what it’s worth, Pope said they’re good with the roster as is.

“We have a great roster. I’m not sure we’re shopping a lot right now,” Pope said of a mid-year addition. “We have an unbelievable amount of faith in our guys, first of all, with Jaland. Jasper is going to grow into a starring role. He’s been so good. D.A. is becoming more and more and more comfortable becoming a full-time point, but also being on the move at the two.”

“I have every expectation Jaland is going to be with us the whole season, and we’re excited about it,” he added later.

Other basketball quick-hitters:

Kentucky is still outside the Top 25: The win over St. John’s wasn’t enough to get Kentucky its Top 25 ranking back. The Cats are No. 26 in both the AP and Coaches Polls this week.

Otega Oweh named SEC Co-Player of the Week: Jayden Quaintance and Jaland Lowe stole the headlines on Saturday, but it was Otega Oweh who won SEC Player of the Week for his performance vs. St. John’s. It’s the Preseason SEC Player of the Year’s first weekly honor of the season. He’s scored 20+ points twice in the past three games.

Want more basketball talk? Check out the new episode of “Sources Say,” which includes special guest Michael Moreno, Malachi’s older brother.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

Jayden Quaintance, Kam Williams talk St. John’s, preview Bellarmine

On Monday, Jayden Quaintance and Kam Williams met with reporters to talk about the win over St. John’s and today’s game vs. Bellarmine. You’ll be happy to hear that Quaintance felt absolutely fine after his first game back after nine months. He talked a lot about his recovery, including just how bad the initial injury was. He not only tore his ACL, but also his meniscus. He also had a fracture in his knee. Nine months later, he’s back to dominating on the court, a testament to the hard work of him and his performance team.

In-state star visiting

There will be a very special guest at Rupp Arena today. 2028 four-star point guard Josh Lindsay is taking an unofficial visit to Kentucky for the game, our Jacob Polacheck reports. Kentucky started recruiting the St. Xavier star this fall. He’s considered the No. 16 prospect in the 2028 class and the top sophomore in the state of Kentucky, and already has offers from Auburn, Virginia Tech, and Indiana. Several other top programs have also expressed interest, including Louisville, Arkansas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia.

I hope he enjoys the trip, his first visit to the University of Kentucky.

Matt Jones calls a bowl game

It’s also a big day for our fearless leader. Matt Jones will call Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl alongside Myron Medcalf on ESPN Radio. It’s Matt’s play-by-play debut, and he’s spent the last week cramming for it, so tune in to hear him call the Hilltoppers vs. the Golden Eagles at the Caesars Superdome at 5:30 p.m. ET. The game should start just as the Kentucky vs. Bellarmine postgame show wraps up, giving you even more KSR in your life.

The New Orleans Bowl is one of three bowl games today, all airing on ESPN. First up is Louisville vs. Toledo in the Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl (2 p.m. ET, ESPN). Is this Jeff Brohm’s final game as Louisville’s coach? The rumors are swirling in Card Nation that he’s considering taking the Michigan job, which could make for an entertaining afternoon. ICYMI, Toledo RB Chip Trayanum put his Ls Down at yesterday’s press conference, proof that once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat when you play Louisville.

The day wraps up with UNLV vs. Ohio in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl.

College Football

Time (ET)	Matchup	Bowl Game	Location	TV/Streaming
2:00 PM ET	Toledo vs Louisville	Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl	Flagler Credit Union Stadium – Boca Raton, FL	ESPN
5:30 PM ET	Western Kentucky vs Southern Miss	New Orleans Bowl	Caesars Superdome – New Orleans, LA	ESPN
9:00 PM ET	UNLV vs Ohio	Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl	Ford Center at The Star – Frisco, TX	ESPN

College Basketball

Time (ET)	Matchup	Location	TV/Streaming
1:00 PM ET	Bellarmine at Kentucky	Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY	SECN+
2:00 PM ET	Grambling at Ohio State	Value City Arena – Columbus, OH	BTN
2:00 PM ET	UCF at Florida Atlantic	Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena – Boca Raton, FL	—
4:00 PM ET	UC Riverside at UCLA	Pauley Pavilion – Los Angeles, CA	BTN
6:00 PM ET	Harvard at St. John’s	Carnesecca Arena – Queens, NY	FS1
7:00 PM ET	WVU Tech at Marshall	Cam Henderson Center – Huntington, WV	ESPN+
7:00 PM ET	Villanova at Seton Hall	Prudential Center – Newark, NJ	Peacock