Kentucky vs. Stonehill: Preview, How To Watch

It’s time to put Kentucky’s performance in the Champions Classic in the rearview mirror because tonight, the Cats face a new opponent. The Stonehill Skyhawks of the Northeast Conference are in Lexington for a 7 p.m. ET tip at Rupp Arena.

Stonehill is Kentucky’s second opponent in the Wildcat Challenge, a multi-team event also featuring Texas A&M-Commerce and Saint Joseph’s. The Skyhawks are 1-3 this season, the lone win over Army. They’ve lost their other three games — including vs. No. 6 UConn — by an average of 43 points. Right now on FanDuel Sportsbook, Kentucky is a 33.5-point favorite. That’s a lot of points, but given the competition, the Cats may cover.

Here’s what you need to know about the game, starting with a very important note about how to watch it if you’re not at Rupp.

How To Watch

No. 17 Kentucky (2-1) vs. Stonehill (1-3)
7 p.m. ET | Friday, November 17 | Rupp Arena

• Streaming: SEC Network+/ESPN+ (Darren Headrick, Cameron Mills) – fuboTV — limited time offer: $40 off Fubo’s Pro, Elite and Premier plans today!
• Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• Online Radio: iHeart
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 84
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Tonight’s game is only available on SEC Network+/ESPN+, aka “the computer.” If you’re new to this, SEC Network+ and ESPN+ are only accessible through the ESPN app. That means you won’t be able to watch the game on traditional TV; you’ll only be able to see it on smartphones, tablets, TV-connected devices (Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, SmartTV, etc.), or via espn.com/watch. 

This is the final SEC Network+/ESPN+ game of the season — rejoice!

---

Team Records

No. 17/16 Kentucky: 2-0 (KenPom: 14)

• 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

Stonehill: 1-3 (KenPom 349)

• 11/6: 89-44 L vs. George Washington
• 11/9: 57-44 W vs. Army
• 11/11: 107-67 L vs. UConn
• 11/14: 100-56 L vs. Saint Joseph’s (Wildcat Challenge)

---

Series History

This is the first-ever meeting between Kentucky and Stonehill. Chris Kraus is in his tenth season as the Skyhawks’ coach, holding a 145-119 record. Stonehill made the move from Division II to Division I in July 2022, joining the Northeast Conference. As part of the NCAA transition rules, the Skyhawks won’t be eligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament or NIT until the 2026-27 season.

Stonehill was picked to finish sixth in the Northeast Conference. In their debut season in the NEC, the Skyhawks finished with a 14-17 record, 10-6 in league games.

---

Kentucky vs. Stonehill Odds on FanDuel

Spread: Kentucky -37.5 (Opened at -33.5)
Total: 146.5 points
Kentucky Total: 91.5 points (Opened at 89.5 points)
Stonehill Total: 54.5 points (Opened at 56.5 points)

We’re excited to partner with FanDuel Sportsbook. Head to FanDuel.com/kysports. New customers get $150 in BONUS BETS with any winning $5 moneyline bet.

FanDuel.com/kysports

---

Kentucky Projected Starters

(Starting lineup based on the last game)

#21 – DJ Wagner
6-4 • 192 • GUARD • FRESHMAN
9.3 PPG, 2.7 APG

#12 – Antonio Reeves
6-6 • 195 • GUARD • SENIOR
18.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG

#3 – Adou Thiero
6-8 • 222 • GUARD • SOPHOMORE
10.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG

#1 – Justin Edwards
6-8 • 203 • FORWARD • FRESHMAN
9.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG

#4 – Tre Mitchell
6-9 • 231 • FORWARD • GRADUATE STUDENT
11.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.0 APG

---

Stonehill Projected Starters

#2 – Max Zegarowski
6-8 • 205 • FORWARD • GRADUATE
9.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG

#3 – Jackson Benigni
6-1 • 180 • GUARD • SENIOR
9.8 PPG (38.5% 3PT), 2.5 RPG

#10 – Tony Felder
5-10 • 165 • GUARD • SOPHOMORE
6.8 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.0 RPG

#11 – Shane O’Dell
6-6 • 225 • GUARD/FORWARD • JUNIOR
10.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.3 APG

#22 – Pano Pavlidis
6-8 • 205 • FORWARD • GRADUATE
3.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG

For more on the Skyhawks’ personnel, I encourage you to read Brandon Ramsey’s very thorough scouting report.

---

Pregame Storylines

SECOND GAME OF THE WILDCAT CHALLENGE

As mentioned, this game is part of the Wildcat Challenge, Kentucky’s MTE featuring Stonehill, Texas A&M-Commerce, and Saint Joseph’s. Kentucky is 1-0 in the Wildcat Challenge thus far, beating Texas A&M-Commerce 81-61 a week ago. Stonehill is 0-1, losing to Saint Joseph’s (Monday night’s opponent) 100-56 on Tuesday. Texas A&M-Commerce and Saint Joseph’s play each other tonight.

LITTLE SIZE, LOTS OF THREES, LOTS OF ZONE

Like Kentucky until the seven-footers take the court, Stonehill lacks size. The tallest players on the roster are 6’8″ and their starting point guard is only 5’10”. In turn, the Skyhawks play a LOT of zone. According to Brandon Ramsey’s scouting report, they use a 3-2 zone on nearly 25% of their possessions. John Calipari famously asked Kentucky State not to play zone a few weeks ago in an exhibition. The Cats will see plenty of it tonight, which could be a good opportunity for Antonio Reeves and Kentucky’s other shooters to have a field day from the three-point line.

WHICH FRESHMAN/FRESHMEN WILL SHINE?

Rob Dillingham has stolen the spotlight on more than one occasion this season, most recently in the first half vs. Kansas. Reed Sheppard also provides a spark off the bench, prompting the BBN to call for more playing time for the legacy Wildcat. Yet, Kentucky’s most highly-touted freshmen, DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards, have yet to truly shine. Wagner and Edwards have the two worst field-goal percentages of Kentucky’s rotational players. After disappointing performances vs. Kansas, is tonight the night one or both bust out of their shooting funks?

---

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 Zack Geoghegan are at Rupp Arena and will 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.

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