KSR Gameday: No. 16 Kentucky visits Baton Rouge to Battle No. 21 LSU

Kentucky is taking the road less traveled, one that takes them on the road. The last time the Wildcats played in a true road game, Notre Dame handed them an unexpected loss. That trip to South Bend appears to have been a turning point for this experienced Kentucky basketball team, but that will be put to the test tonight.

No. 16 Kentucky will take on No. 21 LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly. Tip-off is at 7 pm ET on ESPN.

The Bayou Bengals went largely untested for most of the non-conference season. They defeated one common opponent with UK, taking down Ohio 66-51. LSU enters this matchup off their only loss of the season, a 15-point setback at Auburn in LSU’s SEC opener. Kentucky has won five of the last six over the Tigers, Will Wade’s only victory over UK.

Dale Brown Day at LSU

You may get tired of hearing, “We’re everybody’s Super Bowl,” but LSU is proving John Calipari’s point. Tonight they will be naming the court at the PMAC after long-time head coach Dale Brown.

“When you play at Kentucky, you’re everybody’s biggest game,” said assistant coach Chin Coleman. “If you lose, there’s going to be a scrum, there’s going to be the court rushing. I think we understand that target that’s on our back.”

Davion Mintz also spent time Monday morning previewing the “statement game” at LSU. Watch for yourself.

TV, Radio Info

The game tips off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN with Karl Ravech and Jay Bilas on the call. If you can’t watch it, you can listen in a variety of ways:

• AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
• FM: 98.1 WBUL
• Satellite: XM-192, Sirius 85, SXM App: 963
• Online: iHeart Radio

The KSR Pregame Show will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET on 630 WLAP and iHeart Radio.

Vegas, KenPom Prediction

The home team opened as a one-point favorite over the Wildcats with a total of 139.5. The under has hit in 12 of 14 LSU basketball games, thanks to Will Wade’s newfound emphasis on defense. KenPom ranks Kentucky No. 8 overall, but only gives the Wildcats a 46% chance to win, predicting a 71-69 loss in Baton Rouge.

LSU Defense is Outstanding

Will Wade teams used to need to out-score you to win. Now the Tigers are suffocating opponents with defense. Ranked No. 1 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency by KenPom, LSU is limiting its opponents to just 55.3 points per game (second in the country) on 34.5% from the field (No. 1 in the nation).

Kentucky-LSU Tale of the Tape

Gonzaga Presses Pause

Kentucky’s planned COVID-postponement opponent is now taking some time away from the court. Gonzaga announced Monday night that Thursday’s game against San Francisco has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Bulldogs’ program. Mark Few and John Calipari reached a verbal agreement to play one another if a team canceled. That will not be happening anytime soon.

Transfer Portal Turns

Kentucky edge KD McDaniel revealed his next destination will be UCF. The Knights will be losing quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who initially planned on transferring to UCLA. Those plans changed when Caleb Williams entered the portal. Now Gabriel will play for Oklahoma, while Williams likely reunites with USC. What a wild offseason.

What Does It Mean?

While some college football fanbases wait for transfer portal news, the BBN is waiting to see who will stay or go. Wan’Dale Robinson‘s father released the following statement last night. Which choice should scare him most, to stay in Lexington or go to the NFL?

Go with the choice that scares you the most, because that’s the one that’s going to help you grow!#themakingofaguru #LifeLessons

— Dale Robinson (@DRobinson_Guru) January 4, 2022

Two New Football Podcasts

To wrap up an incredible Citrus Bowl win, Freddie Maggard, Drew Franklin and Charles Walker joined me for one hour on the KSR Football Podcast. I’m sure you are hungry for more than one UK football podcast after a 10-win season. Luckett and I are going to give Twitter Spaces a try around lunchtime today to share stories from Orlando on 11 Personnel.