No. 14 Kentucky vs. South Carolina: Preview, Odds & How to Watch

It hasn’t been the best week for Kentucky basketball, losing two straight and four of the last five to dip below .500 in the SEC. What’s ahead for the Cats? The opportunity for a feel-good bounce-back effort at home, taking on a South Carolina team that is currently winless in the league and just 10-12 overall.

The Gamecocks aren’t pushovers — they’ve actually been a thorn in the side for some of the best teams in the SEC this season — but it’s the best opportunity for UK to ask for at this stage of the season as Mark Pope and the gang return to Lexington.

KSR has everything you need to know about the head-to-head matchup inside Rupp Arena this weekend.

Kentucky vs. South Carolina: How to Watch, Listen

• Time: Noon EST
• Television: ESPN2 (John Schriffen, Daymeon Fishback)
• Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• Online Radio: iHeart
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 84
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tip-off, or join the conversation on KSBoard.

Early season rewind

Kentucky: KenPom 22

• 11/4: 103-62 W vs. Wright State
• 11/9: 100-72 W vs. Bucknell
• 11/12: 77-72 W vs. No. 6 Duke
• 11/19: 97-68 W vs. Lipscomb
• 11/22: 108-59 W vs. Jackson State
• 11/26: 87-68 W vs. Western Kentucky
• 11/29: 105-76 W vs. Georgia State
• 12/3: 70-66 L at Clemson
• 12/7: 90-89 W OT vs. No. 7 Gonzaga
• 12/11: 78-67 W vs. Colgate
• 12/14: 93-85 W vs. Louisville
• 12/21: 85-65 L vs. Ohio State
• 12/31: 88-54 W vs. Brown
• 1/4: 106-100 W vs. No. 6 Florida
• 1/7: 82-69 L at Georgia
• 1/11: 95-90 W at No. 14 Mississippi State
• 1/14: 81-69 W vs. No. 11 Texas A&M
• 1/18: 102-97 L vs. No. 4 Alabama
• 1/25: 74-69 L at Vanderbilt
• 1/28: 78-73 W at No. 8 Tennessee
• 2/1: 89-79 L vs. Arkansas
• 2/4: 98-84 L at No. 25 Ole Miss

South Carolina: KenPom 77

• 11/4: 74-71 L vs. North Florida
• 11/8: 86-64 W vs. South Carolina State
• 11/12: 80-54 W vs. Towson
• 11/16: 87-71 L at No. 16 Indiana
• 11/21: 84-72 W vs. Mercer
• 11/25: 75-66 L vs. No. 22 Xavier
• 11/27: 70-60 W vs. Virginia Tech
• 12/3: 73-51 W at Boston College
• 12/7: 75-68 W vs. East Carolina
• 12/14: 73-53 W vs. USC Upstate
• 12/17: 91-88 W OT vs. No. 25 Clemson
• 12/22: 74-48 W vs. Radford
• 12/30: 69-59 W vs. Presbyterian
• 1/4: 85-50 L at No. 17 Mississippi State
• 1/8: 88-68 L vs. No. 5 Alabama
• 1/11: 66-63 L vs. No. 2 Auburn
• 1/15: 66-63 L at Vanderbilt
• 1/18: 82-62 L at Oklahoma
• 1/22: 70-69 L vs. No. 5 Florida
• 1/25: 65-60 L OT vs. No. 14 Mississippi State
• 1/28: 71-60 L at Georgia
• 2/1: 76-72 L vs. No. 13 Texas A&M

Series History

Kentucky leads the all-time series 54-15 including a 29-3 record at home vs. South Carolina. Despite the overwhelming lead in the head-to-head, the Gamecocks are actually taking a two-game winning streak in the series to Lexington. Playing just once each of the last two seasons, USC earned a 71-68 win over UK inside Rupp Arena on Jan. 10, 2023, followed by a 79-62 blowout win in Columbia a year later on Jan. 23, 2024. Rob Dillingham had 16 in that blowout loss with Antonio Reeves adding 15 and Tre Mitchell going for 13. Ta’lon Cooper led the Cocks with 20 while Meechie Johnson and Jacobi Wright added 14 apiece.

Lamont Paris, in his third season at South Carolina, is 2-0 against the Wildcats while Mark Pope is 0-0 against the Gamecocks. As a player, Pope was 4-0 in the matchup, averaging 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest in the series.

Kentucky vs. South Carolina Odds

Spread: Kentucky -10.5
Total: 149.5

KenPom and Bart Torvik both project wins for Kentucky, the former going with an 82-70 final score and the latter rolling with an 83-70 finish in favor of the Wildcats. ESPN’s BPI likes UK by 11.6 points while giving the home team an 86.4 percent chance to pull off the win.

Kentucky Projected Starters

#2 – Jaxson Robinson
6-6 – 192 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
13.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.6 APG

#00 – Otega Oweh
6-4 – 215 – GUARD – JUNIOR
16.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG

#4 – Koby Brea
6-7 – 215 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
10.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.8 APG

#15 – Ansley Almonor
6-7 – 235 – FORWARD – GRADUATE STUDENT
6.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG

#22 – Amari Williams
7-0 – 262 – CENTER – GRADUATE STUDENT
10.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.4 BPG

South Carolina Projected Starters

#6 – Jamarii Thomas
5-11 – 190 – GUARD – SENIOR
13.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.3 APG

#1 – Jacobi Wright
6-2 – 185 – GUARD – SENIOR
8.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.4 APG

#2 – Zachary Davis
6-7 – 200 – GUARD – JUNIOR
9.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.8 APG

#30 – Collin-Murray Boyles
6-7 – 245 – FORWARD – SOPHOMORE
15.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.5 APG

#5 – Nick Pringle
6-10 – 225 – FORWARD – GRADUATE SENIOR
9.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 APG

Statistical Comparison

(via Kentucky’s game notes)

Interesting stats from UK’s game notes:

• Amari Williams is coming off a triple-double against Ole Miss, the fourth player in program history to accomplish the feat. He joins Isaiah Briscoe, De’Aaron Fox and Chris Mills to hit the mark and is the first 7-footer in the last 20 years to have a triple-double in points, rebounds and assists.
• Otega Oweh’s double-figure scoring streak continues, going for 10-plus points in every game this season. He’s the only player in the SEC to do so and one of 13 players in all of Division I to hit that mark.
• The Wildcats have been stung by the injury bug this season. UK has played just seven games at full strength this season with Kerr Kriisa out since Dec. 11 and Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr also missing time.
• In league play, Jaxson Robinson is averaging a team-high 16.1 points on 47.9 percent shooting from three. He’s made at least three 3-pointers in each of the last seven games.

Pregame Storylines

A MUST-WIN FOR THE CATS

Kentucky has lost two straight and four of its last five to drop below .500 in the SEC, sitting at 4-5 in league play and 15-7 overall. The Wildcats have taken care of business in the big-time matchups with seven Quad 1 wins, but mediocre losses have limited this group from separating itself among the best of the best in college basketball. There are still six Quad 1 opportunities remaining this season to build a superstar resume, but this is also one of two Quad 3 matchups left on the schedule capable of tanking that same resume. As a double-digit home favorite, there are no excuses in this one. Just go beat the worst remaining team on your schedule, currently ranked No. 89 in the NET.

COCKS PLAY TOUGH AGAINST TOP COMPETITION

USC opened the season with a home loss vs. North Florida as a 17-point favorite. Since then, they’ve gotten destroyed at No. 16 Indiana, at No. 17 Mississippi State, vs. No. 5 Alabama, at Oklahoma and at Georgia. On the other hand, the Gamecocks have also lost by three vs. No. 2 Auburn, three at Vanderbilt, one vs. No. 5 Florida, five vs. No. 14 Mississippi State and four vs. No. 13 Texas A&M. The losses have piled up and there are plenty of bad losses mixed in there, but they’ve also stepped up against solid competition. They’re not winning those games — a Quad 2 win over Clemson at home is the team’s best win — but they’re still competing until the final horn in many. Kentucky can’t expect for South Carolina to roll over and die in Lexington.

MAKING PROGRESS WITH LAMONT BUTLER

Out since the Vanderbilt loss on Jan. 25, Butler’s absence has been felt in a major way on both ends of the floor for the Cats. They’ve been a wreck defensively while turnovers have been an issue on the other end, teams looking to make Kentucky’s makeshift ball-handling unit uncomfortable for 94 feet. The good news? The fifth-year senior returned to non-contact practice this week with Pope pushing for his starting point guard to “get back in a position where we have the next chance of not having another setback,” similar to the way he handled Andrew Carr’s back injury. Above all else, he’s “making progress,” which is exactly what this team needs right now.

KENTUCKY TO HONOR 1975 TEAM COACHED BY JOE B. HALL

Some legends will be in the house on Saturday as the Wildcats are set to honor the 1975 team that finished as the national runner-up at halftime. Led by SEC Coach of the Year Joe B. Hall and senior All-American Kevin Grevey, that squad claimed the SEC regular-season title while also knocking off No. 1 Indiana — winners of 34 straight — to advance to the Final Four. UK finished the season 26-5 overall and 15-3 in league play, while knocking off nine ranked foes. Now, they’ll be back inside Rupp Arena 50 years later.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during the game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates as your eyes and ears inside Rupp Arena while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).

New members can get KSR+ for seven days for just $1.

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Rapid Reaction on the KSR YouTube Channel

Miss the game? KSR’s got you covered with a Rapid Reaction live on the KSR YouTube Channel. We’ll also have wall-to-wall postgame coverage on the website, including highlights, comments from Mark Pope and the players, stats, and takeaways.

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