4-Point Play: One sleep 'til Georgia

If you thought the Saturday to Wednesday turnaround felt quick, how is this Wednesday to Saturday jump treating you? Awesome, right? Maybe it’s just me, but those week-long breaks in the dead of winter are simply the worst. I get it, Camp Cal is important, but five games in December? I’m selfish, give me three in eight-day stretches. That’s how the basketball gods intended it.

Mike White — definitely not still the coach at Florida — and the Georgia Bulldogs come to Lexington this time around, tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. ET inside Rupp Arena on Saturday. Admittedly, they’re not that interesting offensively with just two double-figure scorers at 75.5 total points per game on 42/35/71 shooting splits, but it’s a top-50 defense and they’ve won 11 of their last 12.

Not world-beaters, but not pushovers, either. And they’re old with eight upperclassmen in a deep rotation.

Let’s hit on some late notes ahead of the matchup, shall we?

Karter Knox arrives in Lexington for official visit

A special guest will be in attendance for the matchup, a familiar face and name. Five-star wing Karter Knox, the younger brother of former Cat Kevin Knox, is in Lexington for his official visit to Kentucky this weekend. He arrived on campus Friday, attending practice this afternoon ahead of Saturday’s game vs. UGA.

Knox shared a photo from practice on his Instagram story:

The 6-6, 211-pound forward out of Riverview, FL is down to Kentucky, Louisville, USF and the G-League Ignite. Ranked No. 13 overall and No. 5 among small forwards, Knox is the highest-ranked target left on the board in 2024.

UK is expected to ramp up its efforts with the five-star wing following VJ Edgecombe’s commitment to Baylor while also monitoring potential reclass candidates in 2025 to round out the class — Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson, Meleek Thomas and Jasper Johnson among the names to keep an eye on. The program will also watch the transfer portal and international path for pieces to close things out.

It starts with Knox this weekend. Add him, and you probably just need one more home run hit in the class, an opportunity to be selective, regardless of where.

Don’t expect Adou Thiero vs. UGA

Take a closer look at Knox’s practice photo, what do you see? How about Adou Thiero in the corner, plain t-shirt watching from the sideline while his teammates are full-go? You see where this is going.

Calipari’s general rule of thumb is if you don’t practice the day before a game, you don’t play. That should be the expectation for Thiero with the Bulldogs in town on Saturday.

The sophomore forward is dealing with a back issue, which has kept him out each of the last five games. He was dealing with back spasms in early December, then took a hard fall at Louisville, further tweaking his back and keeping him out indefinitely from there. Coach Cal has said Thiero will be taking further tests to determine a return timeline, but it’s probably safe to assume we won’t see him through this weekend and into next week, at minimum.

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It’s unfortunate considering Kentucky’s defensive and rebounding struggles — two of his best traits — but if it means getting things right ahead of postseason play, so be it. Everyone else just has to step up in the meantime.

Go inside the huddle with John Calipari

How did Kentucky get the job done vs. Mississippi State? Take a look inside the huddle to see what it took in the mid-week battle.

Inside the huddle 👀 pic.twitter.com/hStDxLvyfG
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 19, 2024

Not gonna lie, it’s pretty cool seeing Coach Cal drawing things up in real time and watching the Cats respond and execute. And how about the shot being drawn up for 7-1 freshman Aaron Bradshaw?

“If he’s open, give it to him.”

That won’t hurt when it comes to recruiting. Can’t watch that and say Calipari doesn’t put his players in spots to succeed, regardless of position.

And to his credit, Bradshaw executed.

Rob Dillingham is a fan of ‘Reed & Rob’

Curious to know if the Shift King himself has heard the new hit “Reed & Rob,” Kentucky basketball’s new anthem? Dillingham is here to tell you he has, and he’s a fan.

Lexington-based realtor and rapper Scotty Frys dropped the song this week, catchy lyrics singling out the bench duo’s standout play — because, why not?

“I ain’t gonna lie, I’ve definitely seen that. That was hilarious,” Dillingham said. “I heard a little snippet. It was solid, for sure. Little pregame (music).”