KSR Gameday: Kentucky hosts North Carolina during Will Stein Time in the Bluegrass

by: Tyler Thompson55 minutes agoMrsTylerKSR

What a whirlwind few days it’s been. On Saturday evening, the mood was as low as it’s been in BBN for some time as we digested the 41-0 loss to Louisville and worried about Year 14 with Mark Stoops. Two days later, his successor is in place, and he could make an appearance at Rupp Arena tonight during Kentucky Basketball’s big game vs. North Carolina.

On Monday night, news broke that Will Stein will be Kentucky’s head coach, a five-year deal, per Pete Thamel. Just a few hours later, it was confirmed. The Louisville native is the son of Matt Stein, who played for Jerry Claiborne at Kentucky in the 1980s. Whether or not Will had an offer to play for Kentucky as a preferred walk-on under Joker Phillips remains a mystery, but he took the opportunity to play for Steve Kragthorpe at Louisville despite being a staunch Kentucky fan, one whose family had season tickets in “section 128, row 13” at Commonwealth Stadium. Only a true fan recalls the exact section and row where their family sat for years upon years. It’s probably the reason he was quick to jump on board after a promising run as Oregon’s offensive coordinator.

We should get some details on Stein’s arrival and introduction today. How cool would it be to see him walk out on the Rupp floor tonight, the night before Signing Day?

Join me as we talk about it all. First off, special thanks to our gameday sponsor, Friends of Coal.

Friends of Coal is dedicated to informing and educating Kentucky citizens about the coal industry and its vital role in the state’s future. We provide a united voice for an industry that has been and remains a critical economic contributor to Kentucky. By working together, we can provide good jobs and benefits for future generations. Coal is RESILIENT, RELIABLE, and AFFORDABLE.

Friends of Coal is a volunteer organization. All are invited to be a part of our organization, which consists of proud Kentuckians as well as residents from beyond our borders. Head to friendsofcoalkentucky.org to learn more.

Kentucky vs. North Carolina, ACC/SEC Challenge

There is a very big basketball game being played tonight, one that would otherwise dominate the headlines. After going 0-2 in its first big tests, No. 18 Kentucky hosts No. 16 North Carolina in the ACC/SEC Challenge. We’re gonna have to wait until at least 9:30 p.m. ET for tipoff at Rupp Arena on ESPN, but it will be well worth it to see where this team stands — and if a certain 36-year-old football coach makes an appearance.

Unfortunately, the Cats will probably be without two of their starters tonight. Last night, Mark Pope said he does not expect Mo Dioubate (ankle) nor Jaland Lowe (shoulder) to play vs. North Carolina. Sources tell KSR that Dioubate, who injured his ankle late in the loss to Michigan State on Nov. 18, did not practice on Monday, while Lowe was a loose, non-contact participant. Not exactly what you want to hear before going up against a ranked team. Thank goodness this game is in Rupp Arena.

The Tar Heels are coming off their first loss of the season to an opponent that also beat Kentucky. Michigan State beat North Carolina 74-58 in the Fort Myers Tip Off last week. As I’m sure you recall, the Cats lost to the Spartans by 17 points in the Champions Classic two weeks ago. An inevitable storyline tonight will be Caleb Wilson, North Carolina’s five-star freshman, who has scored in double figures in every game and pulled down 10+ rebounds in four of their seven. If Dioubate can’t go, that makes Collin Chandler’s job even more important.

With the late tipoff, we’ve got plenty of time to talk about this one.

How to Watch, Listen

Dick Vitale will be back in Rupp Arena tonight, calling the game alongside Dave O’Brien and Jay Williams for ESPN. It’s the first of two Kentucky games the legendary broadcaster will call this month. On Dec. 13, he, O’Brien, and Charles Barkley will call the Cats’ game vs. Indiana. I’m sure Vitale will get a big ovation tonight at Rupp, his first trip back since stepping aside to focus on his battle with cancer.

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN (Dave O’Brien, Jay Williams, Dick Vitale)
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 191

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

Take advantage of our KSR+ Introductory Offer to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including game threads, in-depth scouting reports, and the latest recruiting and roster intel. $1 for a week.

Odds

Kentucky opened as an 8.5-point favorite on BetMGM, which seemed very high given the Cats’ injuries and track record in big games. The spread has since moved to Kentucky -5.5. The total is 161.5 points. Kentucky’s team total is 83.5 points, North Carolina’s 78.5.

KenPom likes Kentucky 84-74, giving the Cats an 80% chance of victory. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor is even more bullish, at 86.2% Kentucky. I hope the computers are right because the Cats sure could use a big win.

A Battle between Blue Bloods returns to @Rupp_Arena tomorrow night. #GoBigBlue 😼 pic.twitter.com/QOW2CqmtAJ
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 1, 2025

ACC/SEC Challenge Schedule

Our very long night starts with the College Football Playoff ranking show at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. After that, No. 15 Florida takes on No. 4 Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Pray for no fouls, or the tip of our game will be pushed back. It’s set for 9:30 p.m. ET, but it would be a miracle if it starts on time.

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Here’s the complete ACC/SEC Challenge schedule. So much good college hoops, including Louisville at Arkansas tomorrow night.

TUESDAY

Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Location
7:00 PM	No. 13 Tennessee at Syracuse	ESPN2	JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY
7:00 PM	Virginia Tech at South Carolina	SEC Network	Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC
7:00 PM	Oklahoma at Wake Forest	ACC Network	LJVM Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
7:00 PM	Texas A&M at Pittsburgh	ESPNU	Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA
7:30 PM	No. 15 Florida at No. 4 Duke	ESPN	Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC
9:00 PM	Miami at Ole Miss	SEC Network	Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss, Oxford, MS
9:00 PM	Georgia at Florida State	ACC Network	Tucker Center, Tallahassee, FL
9:00 PM	Missouri at Notre Dame	ESPNU	Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, IN
9:30 PM	No. 16 North Carolina at No. 18 Kentucky	ESPN	Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY

WEDNESDAY

Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Location
7:15 PM	No. 6 Louisville at No. 25 Arkansas	ESPN	Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville, AR
7:15 PM	Clemson at No. 12 Alabama	ESPNU	Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL
7:15 PM	LSU at Boston College	ACC Network	Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA
9:15 PM	SMU at No. 17 Vanderbilt	SEC Network	Memorial Gymnasium (TN), Nashville, TN
9:15 PM	NC State at No. 20 Auburn	ESPN	Neville Arena, Auburn, AL
9:15 PM	Virginia at Texas	ESPNU	Moody Center, Austin, TX
9:15 PM	Mississippi State at Georgia Tech	ACC Network	McCamish Pavilion, Atlanta, GA

Thanks to Friends of Coal for powering KSR’s game day coverage.

Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, left, former Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, and former Oregon coach Rich Brooks talk before the game as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.

It’s Will Stein Time

During Kentucky’s four-game losing streak in October, the powers that be reportedly started vetting candidates to replace Mark Stoops. That early prep paid off on Monday when Kentucky hired Will Stein, the 36-year-old Oregon offensive coordinator from Louisville. Word started to leak out around Louisville that it could happen early Monday, with our own Steven Peake hearing from a source close to Stein’s family that the process was already in motion. When the news became official, there was no one happier than Peake, who played baseball with Stein growing up and now gets to cover him as Kentucky’s new football coach.

Even though it was an incredibly fast hire, 14.5 hours from UK’s announcement that Stoops was gone to its announcement that Stein would take his place, it’s being universally praised. The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel called Kentucky’s hire the best in the SEC on his podcast this morning. Kentucky quarterback commit Matt Ponatoski, who was recruited by Stein to Oregon, shared his excitement over the hire on social media. How could he not? Stein developed quarterbacks Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and Dante Moore over the last three years at Oregon. Cutter Boley must appreciate having a Kentucky kid in charge as well.

Stein will remain in his role as Oregon’s OC and playcaller during the College Football Playoffs, which is free publicity for Kentucky, even if it creates a daunting juggling act as he goes back and forth to get started in Lexington. As mentioned, National Signing Day is tomorrow. The transfer portal opens one month from today. There’s a lot of work to do and not much time to do it, but he’s beyond ready to get going.

“I’m honored and excited to become the next head coach at Kentucky,” Stein said in a release from UK. “Growing up in Kentucky and sitting in the stands at UK games as a kid, I could only dream of one day leading the Wildcats. This is truly a dream come true. My goal is to lead with purpose and help young men grow on and off the field. I’m deeply thankful to President Capilouto, Mitch Barnhart, and Big Blue Nation for the trust they’ve placed in me. I also want to thank Coach Dan Lanning and the entire Oregon staff for their support and mentorship, they’ve been incredible. Now, I can’t wait to get started and make Kentucky proud.”

We’ve written a lot about Stein in the last 24 hours and have plenty more coming. Check out the links below and our Rapid Reaction to the news: