KSR Gameday: Kentucky hosts Florida, presented by Sumner County Tourism

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Experience beautiful Sumner County, Tennessee, just minutes from Nashville! Discover our storied history and strong country music heritage. Indulge in our delicious dining options.

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Another day, another opportunity for the Kentucky Wildcats (15-7, 6-3), as the men’s basketball team is set to host the Florida Gators (13-9, 6-3) inside Rupp Arena on Saturday. It’s a chance to extend the program’s four-game winning streak to five, while doing so against a resume-boosting opponent — Florida sits just outside Quad 1 status at No. 41 overall in the NET.

The Gators are coming off a statement victory vs. No. 2 Tennessee, defeating the Volunteers in Gainesville by a final score of 67-54, closing out the matchup on a 29-10 to pull off the double-digit win. As things stand now, UF now sits at No. 144 overall in offensive efficiency (71.5 points per game), but No. 8 in defense, allowing teams to score just 64.5 points per game on 39.1% shooting and 30.4% from three on the year.

Time to dive in on this beautiful Saturday morning.

How to Watch, Listen

  • Date: 8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Feb. 4
  • Location: Rupp Arena (Lexington, KY)
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, SEC Network
  • Commentators: Tom Hart (Play-
  • Home Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens are on the call for UK Sports Network (630 WLAP, 840 WHAS)
  • Satellite Radio: Sirius 84, SXM App 84

The KSR crew will get you ready for the matchup with the KSR Pregame Show, which airs LIVE at 6 p.m. ET on 630 WLAP, 840 WHAS or iHeart Radio.

Vegas, Computers

The Wildcats opened as a five-point favorite against the Gators, with various betting sites moving that line either a half-point up or down at -4.5 and -5.5 as of Saturday morning — Fanduel has it at -4.5, while BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook going with -5.5. WynnBet Sports, BetRivers, Sports Illustrated Sportsbook and UniBet all remain at -5 for Kentucky.

The money line sits firmly at -210 in favor of the home squad, while the over/under has been set at 135.5 points.

ESPN’s matchup predictor gives UK a 72.3% chance to pull off the win, while KenPom also favors the Wildcats, giving Kentucky a 64% chance to win and predicting a 70-66 victory. Bart Torvik likes Kentucky, but in a close one at 68-66 (-2) with a 58% chance for the home team to come out on top.

Florida has been solid against the spread (ATS) this year, sitting at 12-10-0 overall, while Kentucky has underwhelmed in that area at 9-13-0, though the Wildcats have covered in five of their last six outings.

UK-UF by the numbers

Mike Pratt’s jersey retirement will take place at halftime

The University of Kentucky is set to honor the late Mike Pratt, a former player and longtime analyst on radio broadcasts, during halftime of tonight’s matchup. The UK Athletics legend, who died June 16, 2022, will have his jersey retired during the mid-game break.

“It is with deep gratitude that we recognize the contributions of Mike Pratt by raising his banner in the rafters of Rupp Arena,” athletics director Mitch Barnhart said.  “From his time as an All-America and All-SEC player, helping lead us to championship seasons, to his two decades of insightful commentary on our radio broadcasts, Mike occupies a special place in the hearts of the Big Blue Nation and the history of UK Athletics.  We look forward to honoring the Pratt family at this event.”

Pratt will be represented by his wife, Marcia, and additional members of the family on Saturday.

“I could not be more excited for Mike and his family to be honored in this way,” John Calipari added. “His jersey in the rafters ensures he will be remembered forever and there is not a player or representative of this program that is more deserving of this special recognition.”

Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler preview Florida

Kentucky took home back-to-back wins over Florida a season ago, defeating the Gators by 21 at home on Feb. 12 (78-57), then again by eight in Gainesville on March 5 (71-63). Two key contributors in those wins? Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler, with the former finishing with 27 points in each of the matchups, while the latter combined for 22 points and 11 assists.

A year later, the pair of Wildcat veterans took the podium once again to preview this season’s matchup and what they expect out of the Gators when they take the floor inside Rupp Arena on Saturday. They broke down Kentucky’s slow starts, role changes, Antonio Reeves’ recent string of hot shooting performances, the head-to-head battle between Tshiebwe and Colin Castleton and keeping spirits high.

Check out the media opportunity in its entirety below:

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Todd Golden previews Kentucky

What does Florida first-year coach Todd Golden think of his team’s chances in Lexington on Saturday? He’s excited to find out, making his return to Rupp Arena for the first time since his time as an assistant at Auburn.

“Awesome environment,” he said. “We went there my first year at Auburn and they got us pretty good, but this is why you want to coach in this league. For opportunities like this to go coach against Cal, coach against their team.”

He knows Kentucky is playing better as of late, maybe even as one of the top 15 teams in all of college basketball. It may have been easier to catch the Wildcats earlier on in the SEC schedule when they were struggling a bit, but now, the opportunity for yet another statement win is on the table for his program.

“They’re playing a lot better lately. You kind of look at how they’ve gone and obviously that South Carolina loss at home was kind of a wake-up call for them,” Golden added. “And to their credit, they’ve really picked it up since then. They’re playing like a Top 10, Top 15 team since then, and they looked like they figured some stuff out. So, maybe wish we would have gone a little earlier in the conference schedule, but at the same time, if we beat them it’ll be another awesome win for us. So it’s a great opportunity. … It’s going to be a great environment, pretty excited to go out there and compete against those guys.”

DJ Wagner, Aaron Bradshaw put on a show in Frankfort

Kentucky signees DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw made their debuts playing in front of Big Blue Nation, taking on Combine Academy in Frankfort on Friday. The five-star Camden (N.J.) High School teammates took the floor inside the William Exum Center at Kentucky State University in a high-profile matchup loaded with blue-chip talent.

The result? An 80-57 blowout victory, one that saw the pair of future Wildcats combine for 39 points, along with new Kentucky target Billy Richmond III adding 15, as well.

“It was real fun because I saw a lot of blue out there,” Bradshaw, who led the way with 21 points, said of the opportunity to play in front of UK fans for the first time following his commitment to the program. “I really appreciate them for coming out. It felt like I was in Rupp Arena.”

It may as well have been, with Kentucky fans packing the venue from top to bottom while head coach John Calipari and assistant Chin Coleman were courtside, as were some of the duo’s potential future teammates — Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin, Lance Ware, Adou Thiero, Chris Livingston and Kareem Watkins were all there, as well.

“It was fun. It was a great experience,” said Wagner, who finished second on the team with 18 points. “I’m very appreciative of them coming out to support us.”

Check out KSR intern Daniel Hager’s complete game recap right here.


Go Cats. Beat the Gators.

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2024-03-28