KSR Gameday: Morning Primer for Cats vs. Hilltoppers

Good morning, Big Blue Nation and all of you new readers visiting us from The Hill. It’s an exciting time in the Bluegrass because tonight Western Kentucky will wave their red towels throughout Rupp Arena in the seventh ever meeting between the state’s two best basketball teams.

Rick Stansbury’s Hilltoppers come to town having won seven of eight games on the season, the most recent against Louisville in Bowling Green. The last time WKU played Kentucky, the year was 2012 and the setting was the NCAA Tournament. Anthony Davis’ Wildcats won, 81-66, to advance to the Sweet 16 and on to the championship.

Before that, Western took the last meeting in Rupp Arena in 2001 with an upset of No. 4 Kentucky. The Toppers are excited to be back for another shot tonight.

📍Lexington

Gearing up for a Bluegrass Battle!#GoTops pic.twitter.com/NgIDK4RlaT

— WKU Hilltopper Basketball (@WKUBasketball) December 22, 2021

More to know about the game…

Where To Watch

ESPN | 6:00 p.m. ET
Play-by-play: Karl Ravech
Analyst: Chris Spatola

John Calipari’s Pregame Press Conference

Kellan Grady, Lance Ware’s Pregame Press Conference

Rick Stansbury’s Pregame Press Conference

Point Spread

Kentucky opened as an 11-point favorite over Western when VegasInsider.com posted the opening line Tuesday night. The number dropped a half-point at most places and even a full-point to -10 at others.

The total on the game sits at 143.5.

Cats vs. Hilltoppers Link Dump

Kentucky Basketball’s history vs. Western Kentucky
Nation’s leading shot-blocker, WKU’s Jamarion Sharp, will give UK issues
Matas Buzelis, Isaiah Miranda set to visit Kentucky for WKU game
John Calipari leaves open possibility of rescheduling Louisville game
Calipari hopes WKU game brings “light and honor” to tornado-ravaged region
5 Things To Know About the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

KSR Pregame Show

By my math, the 6 o’clock tip-off means a 3:30 p.m. start time for the KSR Pregame Show. Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, and I will be live at KSBar and Grille for an hour-long preview that can be heard in its entirety on 630 WLAP or the second half-hour on 98.1 The Bull.

Give us a call. We’d love to hear from you.

No KSR remote today

Due to Louisville’s absence from the game, KSR’s popular UK-Louisville pep rally remote at Bearno’s Pizza is on hold. We were originally scheduled to be across the river in Indiana for one of our biggest shows of the year, but it will be a normal show instead.

You can still tune in from 10 a.m. to noon and we hope you will.

Get fired up with “The Journey”

As you count down to the game, relive all of the fun from Saturday’s CBS Sports Classic in this new episode of “The Journey.” The cinematic recap of Kentucky’s win over UNC is a great look back at the scene and the victory in Las Vegas.

UKMBB Recruiting News

First, Reed Sheppard won the King of the Bluegrass MVP award Tuesday night following North Laurel’s runner-up finish in the tournament. Sheppard had a triple-double in the championship game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals, but it was Covington Catholic lifting the K.O.B. trophy in the end.

Also of note, soon-to-be Wildcat Shaedon Sharpe has a new N.I.L. deal with Blue Grass Motorsport in Louisville. He can park his Porche next to TyTy Washington’s in the Wildcat Coal Lodge parking lot.

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A post shared by Shaedon Sharpe (@shaedonsharpe)

Lots more Kentucky-Western Kentucky talk to come throughout the day, so stick with us.