Kentucky vs. Marshall: Preview, Odds, How to Watch

MrsTylerKSR

Happy Black Friday, BBN. After flexing your credit card at the mall and stuffing your face with leftovers, it’s time to settle in for some Kentucky Basketball action. Tonight at 7 p.m., Kentucky hosts the Marshall Thundering Herd at Rupp Arena, the fifth game of the season.

The Cats were tested on Monday vs. Saint Joseph’s, needing overtime to secure the 96-88 victory. How will they perform against the Thundering Herd from nearby Huntington, West Virginia? Let’s break down the matchup.

How To Watch

No. 16 Kentucky (4-1) vs. Marshall (2-3)
7 p.m. ET | Friday, November 24 | Rupp Arena

TV: SEC Network (Mike Morgan, Pat Bradley)
Streaming: Fubo (Try for free) Fubo’s holiday offer just kicked off – For a limited time, new subscribers can save $40 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite, and Premier plans ($20 off the first and second months)
Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
Online Radio: iHeart
Satellite Radio: Sirius 210 or 190
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Team Records

No. 16 Kentucky: 4-1 (KenPom: 19)

11/6: 86-46 W vs. New Mexico State
11/10: 81-61 W vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (Wildcat Challenge)
11/14: 89-84 L vs. Kansas
11/17: 101-67 W vs. Stonehill (Wildcat Challenge)
11/20: 96-88 OT W vs. Saint Joseph’s (Wildcat Challenge)

Marshall: 2-3 (KenPom: 172)

11/6: 89-73 W vs. Queens
11/10: 66-62 L vs. Radford
11/19: 83-60 L vs. Utah State
11/20: 80-69 W vs. FIU
11/21: 78-71 L vs. Oakland

Series History

This will be Kentucky’s 13th meeting with Marshall. The Cats own the series 12-0, 8-0 in Lexington. John Calipari is 6-0 vs. Marshall, 1-0 as Kentucky’s coach. The last game took place on Dec. 22, 2012, with Ryan Harrow scoring 23 points to lead the Cats past the Thundering Herd 82-54.

Marshall is coached by Dan D’Antonio, the older brother of former NBA coach Mike D’Antonio. He is 166-131 in ten seasons as the Thundering Herd’s head coach. This will be his first time coaching against Kentucky.

Kentucky vs. Marshall Odds on FanDuel

Spread: Kentucky -17.5
Total: 157.5 points
Kentucky Team Total: 88.5 points
Marshall Team Total: 68.5 points

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Kentucky Projected Starters

(Starting lineup based on the last game)

#21 – DJ Wagner
6-4 • 192 • GUARD • FRESHMAN
11.8 PPG, 3.4 APG

#12 – Antonio Reeves
6-6 • 195 • GUARD • SENIOR
18.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG

#3 – Adou Thiero
6-8 • 222 • GUARD • SOPHOMORE
8.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG

#1 – Justin Edwards
6-8 • 203 • FORWARD • FRESHMAN
10.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG

#4 – Tre Mitchell
6-9 • 231 • FORWARD • GRADUATE STUDENT
14.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.4 APG

Head Coach: John Calipari (32nd season, 15th at UK) – 836-254 overall, 391-114 at UK

Marshall Projected Starters

#11 – Kamdyn Curfman
6-1 • 190 • GUARD • SENIOR
10.4 PPG, 3.2 APG, 2.0 RPG

#25 – Obinna Anochili-Killen
6-8 • 222 • FORWARD • JUNIOR
13.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG

#4 – Jacob Conner
6-10 • 209 • GUARD/FORWARD • SOPHOMORE
6.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.8 APG

#41 – Nate Martin
6-8 • 232 • FORWARD • JUNIOR
13.0 PPG, 9.4 RPG

#0 – Kevin Voyles
6-3 • 198 • GUARD • GRADUATE
15.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.3 APG

Head Coach: Dan D’Antoni (10th season at Marshall, same overall): 166-131

Statistical Comparison

(via Kentucky’s game notes)

Fun stats from UK’s game notes:

Kentucky’s average possession length is 14.9 seconds, which ranks among the 25 fastest in the nation. The Cats are also scoring an average of 20.0 fastbreak points, which leads the SEC and ranks 15th in the country.
Kentucky has made 12 or more three-pointers in three straight games for the first time since March 11-13, 1994 at the SEC Tournament.
The Cats lead the SEC and rank fourth nationally with a 2.32 assist-to-turnover ratio. Kentucky is averaging 18.6 assists per game, with five Wildcats totaling 11 or more assists thus far.

Pregame Storylines

ALL EYES ON AARON BRADSHAW

Will Aaron Bradshaw play tonight? This is the rumored return date for the seven-footer, who reportedly returned to practice this week; however, if Bradshaw did just become a full participant in practice on Wednesday as reports suggest, it’s hard to see him suiting up and playing tonight. Next Saturday’s game vs. Penn in Philly — a stone’s throw from Camden, where Bradshaw played his final years of high school ball alongside DJ Wagner — seems like the safer bet.

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LONG ROAD TRIP FOR THE THUNDERING HERD

This is Marshall’s fifth straight road game. The Thundering Herd are coming off the Cayman Islands Classic, where they beat Florida International but lost to Utah State and Oakland. Kevin Voyles, a grad transfer from Maryland-Eastern Shore, has scored at least 17 points in four of the first five games.

FAMOUS FATHERS

You’re aware of the famous lineage on Kentucky’s roster. DJ Wagner and Adou Thiero’s fathers played for John Calipari, while Reed Sheppard is the son of Kentucky Basketball greats Jeff and Stacey Sheppard. There are also some famous dads on Marshall’s roster.

Sophomore guard Kyle Braun is the son of Rick Braun, who co-wrote “Hear With Me” with REO Speedwagon. He’s also toured with several famous bands, including War, Crowded House, Natalie Cole, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Sade, Glenn Frey, and Tom Petty. Sophomore forward Chase McKey is the son of Derrick McKey, who played 18 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Seattle Supersonics, and Philadelphia 76ers. He totaled over 10,000 points, 4,300 rebounds, and 2,200 assists in his career.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

For the first time in over a decade, KSR will be without its in-game live blogs, a longtime tradition here on the blog. Unfortunately, the company that hosted the KSR live blogs no longer exists, so we are without the machine that made it all possible.

If you still want to interact with the KSR crew tonight, consider joining the conversation on KSBoard. New members can try 1 month for $1.

Rapid Reaction on the KSR YouTube Channel

Miss the game or don’t want to deal with the ESPN app? KSR’s got you covered. Drew Franklin, Jack Pilgrim, and Jacob Polacheck will be at Rupp Arena to share their Rapid Reactions on the KSR YouTube Channel. We’ll also have wall-to-wall postgame coverage on the website, including highlights, comments from John Calipari and the players, stats, and takeaways.

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