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KSR GAMEDAY: Kentucky MBB vs. Gonzaga, VB vs. UCLA

Jack PIlgrimby: Jack Pilgrim6 hours ago

As the old saying goes, no one beats Kentucky basketball four straight times in games that actually matter! The Wildcats came up short against Louisville, Michigan State and North Carolina, and now, it’s time to see what they’ve got in Nashville, taking on the No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs. It’s a Mark Few-led squad with wins over Oklahoma, Creighton, Arizona State, No. 12 Alabama and Maryland and just one slip-up — albeit a 40-point slip-up against arguably the best team in college basketball, Michigan. They’re ranked No. 5 in the NET and KenPom for a reason, and Mark Pope’s team has no choice but to find a way in the Music City to avoid a 5-4 start with essentially no resume nearly a third of the way into the regular season and two more ranked foes ahead of the start of SEC play in 2026.

Win this one and you can start to feel better about the long-term trajectory of this group, especially knowing Jaland Lowe, Mo Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance have been out as three potential starters with. Lose and the panic button is being smashed, whether the team likes it or not. That’s just how things work around here in Lexington.

It’s not total uneasiness, though, because Kentucky volleyball is also taking the floor at the same time and Craig Skinner has these Wildcats playing like national championship favorites. They swept Wofford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, and tonight, they take on UCLA for a shot at the Sweet 16.

Mark Pope previews Gonzaga

What do you need to know about the Zags in Nashville? They rank No. 13 offensively and No. 8 defensively, according to KenPom, with four top-100 wins on the year already. The Wildcats, meanwhile, have zero.

How did Few’s team get there?

“They’re good, they’re physical,” Pope said Thursday. “Back-to-back games, their leading scorers are their starting four and five. The only difference is their four and five are bigger and more skilled and more physical and play at an even higher pace. They’re really dangerous.”

They’re led by standout bigs Braden Huff and Graham Ike, who average 15.8 points and 5.3 rebounds and 15.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest, respectively.

“They play incredibly fast, they’ll dominate you on the glass, they’ll kill you with paint points, just crush you in every different way,” Pope added. “They’ve got veteran, veteran bigs that can beat you on the short roll. … On the perimeter, they’ve got a couple of kids that get down in a stance and guard. They’re a really talented team. They’re one of the top teams in the country. It’s gonna be an incredible challenge for us. We can’t wait.”

No Dioubate, but ‘we’ll see’ on Lowe

Pope also shared updates on two of Kentucky’s injured players, declaring one out while adding the other’s status is TBD.

Mo Dioubate, dealing with a high-ankle sprain, will not play — a massive blow, considering Gonzaga’s toughness in the frontcourt.

“He’s got a high-ankle sprain. He’s doing good, won’t be available tomorrow. There’s a chance maybe next week, we’ll see,” Pope said. “These things sometimes can be weeks and weeks and weeks, so he’s doing everything he can to get back.”

As for Jaland Lowe, KSR can confirm that he was a full-contact participant in practice on Thursday with no setbacks, but his availability remains in question on Friday.

“He’s kind of working his way back in and we’ll see how that goes,” Pope added. “Today we’re gonna let him kind of — you guys can all come and take a shot at it if you want, just roll in. We’re gonna see what happens. I don’t know (about Gonzaga), we’ll see. Don’t know, I’m not sure.”

Cats explore Nashville before the game

Kentucky arrived in the Music City on Thursday to get a feel for Bridgestone Arena, otherwise known as the House that Otega Oweh Built. The Cats got some shots up ahead of Friday’s 7 PM ET tipoff, live on ESPN2.

After that, the Wildcats were special guests at a special VIP event with the country music group Old Dominion, meeting and greeting with Big Blue Nation as Mark Pope took the stage and shared a few words.

Hopefully they’re loose and ready to go tonight. Need this one.

Kentucky Volleyball sweeps Wofford to begin NCAA Tournament

Skinner’s Winners did exactly what they were supposed to do to begin their December Madness push for a second national championship in five years. Taking on Wofford in the opening round inside Historic Memorial Coliseum, the Wildcats swept the Terriers 3-0 to advance to the Round of 32.

The SoCon champs held their own in set two, but it was smooth sailing the rest of the way (25-11, 25-19, 25-12).

Brooklyn DeLeye led the Cats with 14 kills and only one error to hit .419. Eva Hudson and Lizzie Carr added nine kills apiece, the latter also earning a pair of blocks while hitting .400.

Up next? No. 8 seed UCLA, who defeated Georgia Tech (24-26, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 15-10) in five sets to advance on Thursday in the same building. The Wildcats and Bruins will face off at 7 PM ET inside HMC with tickets to watch the action in person still available.

I was there last night and enjoyed every second. You should do the same tonight.

KHSAA State Championships Begin!

The bright lights of Kroger Field will be shining bright over the next two days as the 2025 UK HealthCare Sports Medicine State Football Finals kick off in the Commonwealth, bringing six total state championship battles to Lexington on Friday and Saturday — three games apiece with 12 of the best high school teams in Kentucky exchanging haymakers. They start with Class 1A, 2A and 4A on Friday, followed by 3A, 6A and 5A on Saturday.

Those matchups include 10 ranked teams in KSR’s second-to-last Top 25 poll of the season, including the entire top four.

Friday, December 5

Saturday, December 6

You can watch all six games over at PrepSpin.com ($) and NFHS Network ($), or follow the action from afar by chiming in over on KSBoard‘s championship weekend thread.

Come watch the state title games with PrepSpin at KSBar!

Want to get out of the house, but don’t want to take on the cold at Kroger Field? Head to KSBar and Grille, where you can eat the most delicious wings in the world and drink a cold beer or three while checking out all six title games LIVE on the TVs, free of charge.

Well, the food and drinks will cost money, but you won’t have to spend a dime on the KHSAA state championships, thanks to our friends at PrepSpin!

Oh, and KSBar will also have the two big Kentucky matchups tonight, too, as it will transition into a Watch Party for the Gonzaga basketball game and UCLA volleyball match — both at 7 PM ET.

We’ll see you there.

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2025-12-05