KSR Today: Kentucky MBB heads to Tuscaloosa

How do you build season momentum in college basketball? You stack good on top of good, building on short-term successes and transitioning those into long-term ones. That’s what the Kentucky men’s basketball program will have a chance to do as it prepares for its toughest competition of the conference schedule thus far — and do so on the road.

The Wildcats are gearing up to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on an Alabama team ranked No. 7 in the latest AP Poll, good for first in the SEC. It’s a Crimson Tide squad that enters the matchup rated in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, highlighted by six Quad 1 and 2 victories on the year. Individually, freshman forward Brandon Miller — a former Kentucky target, mind you — is averaging 19.1 points per contest to lead the SEC. As a team, the Tide put up 83.3 points per game on 44.1% shooting, 34.8% from three and 71.0% from the line.

What do the analytics say about Kentucky’s chances in Tuscaloosa? Well, they’re not good. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the Wildcats a 29.6% chance to pull off the upset, while Bart Torvik’s outlook is even worse at 20%. KenPom is a tad more optimistic, giving UK a 30% chance. The latter two predicted 79-70 and 78-72 losses for the Wildcats in the road matchup, respectively.

UK vs. Bama viewing information

• Time/Date: 1:00 pm ET on Saturday, January 7th, 2023
• Location: Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
• TV: ESPN
• Announcers: Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes
• Stream: ESPN+, WatchESPN or SEC Network+
• Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will be on the call on the UK Sports Radio Network

Alabama numbers to know

• 83.3 points per game (No. 8 in CBB), 71.0 points allowed per game (No. 195 in CBB)
• 46.5 rebounds per game (No. 1 in CBB), 37.4 rebounds allowed per game (No. 298 in CBB)
• 15.4 assists per game (No. 40 in CBB), 10.9 assists allowed per game (No. 51 in CBB)
• 0.939 assist/turnover rate (No. 206 in CBB), 0.874 opponent assist/turnover rate (No. 97 in CBB)
• 18.0 free throws made per game (No. 10 in CBB), 14.4 opponent free throws made per game (No. 285 in CBB)
• 52.1% effective field goal percentage (No. 89 in CBB), 42.7% opponent effective field goal percentage (No. 7 in CBB)
• 16.4 turnovers per game (No. 347 in CBB), 12.4 opponent turnovers per game (No. 224 in CBB)

Long story short, the proof of Alabama’s status as a top-10 offense and defense in college basketball is in the pudding. The Tide have some flaws, giving up baskets and rebounds while not forcing a ton of turnovers. Make no mistake about it, though, they’re about as good as anyone this season, hitting shots and defending hard while maintaining the pace head coach Nate Oats loves.

Oddly enough, that track meet style of play Kentucky has thrived against over the years thanks to its elite athleticism and length has been a struggle for the team this season. And oddly enough, the two best examples of that this year came on the road, first against Gonzaga in Spokane and then against Missouri in Columbia.

Chin Coleman speaks to the media

How are the Wildcats preparing for yet another run-and-gun battle on the road? Assistant coach Chin Coleman is set to break things down starting at noon ET in Lexington, right before the team boards the flight for Tuscaloosa.

Shortly after, Alabama coach Nate Oats and select student-athletes will speak to the media to provide their thoughts on the matchup.

KSR will have coverage of both media opportunities throughout the afternoon.

A look back at Kentucky’s win over LSU

“We’ve got a player of the year, we’ve got two of the best athletes in the whole country, young guys who are playing. We got Ugonna (Onyenso), who is seven feet tall. We’ve got a bench, we’ve got shooters, let’s start getting it together.”

That was John Calipari’s message for his team prior to its SEC home opener vs. LSU on Tuesday.

And after sputtering a bit in recent weeks, that’s exactly what the Wildcats did for the majority of the game, playing an all-around game that resulted in a double-digit lead midway through the second half. Things got sloppy toward the end offensively and the Tigers hit some big shots, but Kentucky still did enough to pull off the much-needed victory to get in the win column in conference play.

How did the win come together? The UK video team released its postgame recap late Thursday evening, providing fans with an inside look at the 74-71 victory. Take a look:

🎥 Recap: UK-LSU

Taking it one game at a time. pic.twitter.com/OP14L5vaqb

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 6, 2023

Kentucky WBB falls again

As for the Kentucky women’s basketball team, things aren’t going so well, losing its third consecutive game in conference play. Previously falling to Arkansas and Missouri, the Wildcats fell once again on Thursday, this time to the Georgia Bulldogs by a final score of 64-60.

Robyn Benton, back following a one-game absence due to a dislocated finger, led Kentucky with 19 points on 5-16 shooting to go with four turnovers.  As a team, the Wildcats committed 27 turnovers and shot 22-50 (44%) from the field and 8-22 (36%) from three.

UK now sits a hair above .500 on the year, moving to 8-7 overall and 0-3 in the SEC.

Looking ahead, the road doesn’t get any easier for Kentucky. The Wildcats face No. 7 LSU on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET before taking on No. 1 South Carolina just four days later.

A big day for Kentucky football

How about not one, but two key pieces returning for one final season at Kentucky? Offensive lineman Kenneth Horsey got things started for the Wildcats on Thursday, followed by tight end Brenden Bates later in the afternoon.

Both players will be sixth-year seniors, back for one last run with the offense in Lexington.

“I am more than ready to get back to work and do my part to help this offensive line and this team reach new heights,” Horsey announced.

“I have unfinished goals that I want to obtain for myself and for this team,” Bates added.

Two veterans back on a team in need of a bounce-back season. Just what the doctor ordered.

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Happy Friday, BBN. Go Cats.