Skip to main content

PREVIEW: Kentucky hosts Oklahoma for a top 10 matchup in Historic Memorial Coliseum

Screenshot 2023-11-10 at 1.25.30 PMby: Phoenix Stevens01/11/26PStevensKSR

Kentucky lost its last game at Alabama, and unfortunately for the Cats, they’re tasked with playing a top five Oklahoma team in order to try to get back on track. Without Teonni Key again, this is bound to be a tough one, and Kentucky’s undefeated streak at home this season could be put into jeopardy on Sunday.

KSR has everything you need to know ahead of the blockbuster top 10 matchup inside of Historic Memorial Coliseum.

Bio Blast

Oklahoma is currently 14-2 (2-1 SEC), and like Kentucky, the Sooners are coming off a loss to an opponent that — on paper — they should have beat. On Thursday, No. 18 Ole Miss marched into the Lloyd Noble Center and handed Oklahoma its first loss of SEC play 74-69.

The Sooners’ only other loss came to No. 4 UCLA 73-59 on a neutral court. So, unlike Kentucky at this moment, they’ve only lost to ranked teams. Oklahoma State, who was ranked No. 23 at the time but has since dropped out of the AP Poll, is the only other ranked team besides UCLA and Ole Miss that they’ve played, winning that one 92-70.

Kentucky and Oklahoma met twice last season, and both meetings ended up being amazing games. The first meeting came in Norman when Georgia Amoore tied a program record for points in a single game (43), leading the Cats to the 95-86 win. However, the Sooners got their revenge in the SEC Tournament, beating the Cats 69-65 in the Quarterfinals.

Scouting Report

Oklahoma is very talented across the board, but their most prolific scorer is freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez, who was the No. 1 overall recruit in Rivals’ 2025 Recruiting Rankings. Already, she has proven to be one of the most purely talented players in the country. Chavez is averaging 19.3 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and two steals per game while shooting 35% from deep.

Then, there’s senior center Raegan Beers, who is well-known across the SEC for her overwhelming physicality and relentless effort down low. This season, Beers is averaging 17.3 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. A year ago, she shot 36.4% from three-point range, but that number has plummeted to 14.3% this season.

Sahara Williams (13.4 PPG), Zya Vann (11.4 PPG) and Peyton Verhulst (10.1 PPG) are all very gifted on the offensive end of the floor, but as a team, Oklahoma does a great job battling on the glass. As a unit, the Sooners reel in 52.3 rebounds per game, good enough for first in the country.

Oklahoma Sooners roster

via espn.com

SEC Student-Athlete Initial Availability Report

Projected Kentucky Starters

#5 – Tonie Morgan

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – SENIOR

13.9 PPG – 8.8 APG – 3.5 RPG

#8 – Asia Boone

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – JUNIOR

10.4 PPG – 2.7 RPG – 2.3 APG

#0 – Jordan Obi

6-FOOT-1 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

10.6 PPG – 6.5 RPG – 1.2 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – SENIOR

9.6 PPG – 5.8 RPG – 1.8 APG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – JUNIOR

16.1 PPG – 10 RPG – 2.9 BPG

Phoenix’s Prediction

Score: 79-64, Oklahoma

MVP: Tonie Morgan

For the first time this season, I really have a hard time seeing how Kentucky can win. If Alabama was able to dominate Kentucky the way they did, then Oklahoma — a much better team in pretty much every aspect, especially rebounding — should be able to as well. For Kentucky’s sake, I hope the Alabama game was really just a one-off deal. Oklahoma is a top 10 team. I’m not sure Kentucky is without Teonni Key.

How to Watch/Listen

LocationTipoffTVRadioLive Stats
Historic Memorial Coliseum (Lexington, KY)4 p.m. ETSEC Network (Tiffany Greene and Carolyn Peck)630 WLAP790 WKRD (Darren Headrick)StatBroadcast

Catch up with the latest episode of The Memorial Memo

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

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).

Discuss This Article

Comments have moved.

Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.

KSBoard

2026-02-18