An early look at the Brown Bears as the wait continues for Kentucky's next game

Today is a rare Saturday off for Kentucky Basketball, part of a 10-day drought between games. You can watch Kentucky’s women’s team play Western Kentucky at 4 p.m. today. As a matter of fact, you should watch the Wildcats versus the Hilltoppers from Historic Memorial Coliseum.

You can also use this weekend’s downtime to get better prepared for Tuesday’s game against Brown University, the final non-conference game on the schedule before the calendar turns to 2025 and SEC play. Here, I wrote a few general things to know about Brown as we patiently wait for the next game in Rupp Arena.

Some facts about the Bears for your Saturday:

Brown won six straight before losing to Kansas, the best start in more than 20 years

The Bears were hot until a trip to Allen Fieldhouse last Sunday. Before the 35-point loss to the eighth-ranked Jayhawks, Brown stacked six consecutive wins against Sacred Heart, Canisius, Stony Brook, Vermont, Bryant, and Rhode Island in double overtime. Brown went a calendar month without a loss after a 1-3 start in Mike Martin’s 12th season.

Kino Lilly Jr. is one of the best scorers in the country

Kino Lilly Jr. is the name to know. The senior guard has the 18th-highest scoring average in college basketball, scoring an even 20.0 points per game for Brown this season. A First Team All-Ivy League selection a year ago, the six-footer has lit up the scoreboard in all but one game. Stony Brook held him to six points on the day before Thanksgiving. Otherwise, he’s had games of 18, 18, 26, 24, 20, 21, 23, 23, 23, and 18 points.

Lilly hit a game-winning 3 to beat Bryant at Bryant earlier this month:

KINO. LILLY. JR. #EverTrue pic.twitter.com/SWZPjEx6yH

— Brown Men's Basketball (@BrownU_MBB) December 7, 2024

More on Lilly’s place in Brown’s history

Historically, Lilly ranks third on Brown’s all-time scoring list, and he needs only 43 more points to move into second.

Lilly also tops Brown’s record book for 3-pointers made with 284 in his career, one better than Kentucky’s all-time leader in 3s, Tony Delk, who hit 283 as a Wildcat.

The Bears lost a three-time captain before the season

Nana Owusu-Anane had high expectations for his senior season until shoulder surgery derailed his plans. Brown announced in October that it would be without its senior captain and Second Team All-Ivy League forward indefinitely .

Last season, Owusu-Anane averaged 14.7 points and 8.8 rebounds as a junior, with six games of 20 or more points and 25 games with at least double digits.

A returning Bear stepped up

Landon Lewis, a 6-7 junior, stepped up in Owusu-Anane’s absence, averaging 13.9 points and 7.0 rebounds inside, where Owusu-Anane played more than 80% of the minutes last season, and Lewis played sparingly.

One of Lewis’ big 2024-25 breakouts came when he scored a career-high 21 points in the win over Bryant. Currently, Lewis ranks 17th nationally in field goal percentage (63.21%), and he and teammate N’famara Dabo lead the Ivy League in blocks. Lewis is also the Ivy League’s best offensive rebounder.

Brown lacks size

Brown is one of the shortest teams in college basketball, ranked No. 347 of 364 teams on KenPom’s size rankings (yes, that’s a thing). The average height on Brown’s roster is 75.7 inches, or just shy of 6-foot-4. The starting lineup measures 6-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-5, and 6-7. Kentucky has a significant size advantage across the board.

Brown slows it down and limits 3s

Brown is No. 305 in adjusted tempo, so Rupp Arena will play host to contrasting styles of basketball on Tuesday. Kentucky is No. 36 in tempo, with six more possessions than Brown per 40 minutes.

Brown also cuts off the 3, ranking 13th nationally with only 31.7% of opposing teams’ shots coming from outside. Opponents hit 31.8% of 3s against Brown when they get them.

Brown’s season statistics