This Week in Kentucky Basketball: SEC Begins + Louisville

After enjoying a couple of days off to celebrate Christmas, the Kentucky Basketball team is back in Lexington. This week is a big one for the Wildcats as it brings the start of Southeastern Conference play. Also, there is the rivalry game against the Louisville Cardinals on New Year’s Eve. The Wildcats’ next two opponents are trending in very different directions this season. Wednesday’s matchup at Missouri will be a much tougher test than many would have expected in the preseason. However, Saturday’s game against the Cardinals has lost a little bit of its luster due to their struggles this season.

The Wildcats are entering SEC play with an 8-3 record and ranked #19 in the AP Poll. It’s no secret that the season has been a bit of a disappointment so far. There were very real championship expectations around Big Blue Nation, but Kentucky has reverted back to losing all of their big games against the best teams. The 4-13 record against Top 25 opponents since 2020 is a stat that fans know all too well. It has to be weighing on the mind of head coach John Calipari, his staff, and the players as well. However, there will be plenty of more chances to improve that ugly record throughout a very difficult SEC schedule.

As we do each Monday, it’s time to preview the week ahead for the Kentucky Basketball program. We will discuss the biggest storyline currently surrounding the team, preview the week’s opponents, and reset the SEC landscape as a whole. Then, we always finish by highlighting some of the best games to watch nationally throughout the week. Let’s dive on into another edition of This Week in Kentucky Basketball.

Top Kentucky Basketball Storyline: Making Improvements Heading Into SEC Play

This Kentucky Basketball team has certainly been viewed under a critical eye by many. Losses to Michigan State, Gonzaga, and UCLA were met with increasing frustration. Until the Wildcats can beat a ranked opponent there will be many fans who simply will not believe in this team. Regardless of whether that is fair or not, that is where we sit heading into the SEC portion of the schedule.

Despite some grumblings of poor defense against the Florida A&M Rattlers before Christmas break on Wednesday, most of the frustration has centered around Kentucky’s offense. A lack of spacing, ball movement, and shooting has left it feeling like “more of the same” from the last few years of frustrating results. Some hope of playing Chris Livingston at the 4-spot has turned into a lot of minutes for Lance Ware at the position. However, that experiment has oddly worked out pretty well for Kentucky offensively. Rumors of other “tweaks” continue as well. This post-Christmas time of year is all about results though. That is how many Kentucky Basketball fans feel regardless of the time of year anyway.

Experimentation, tweaks, and promises of improvements to come will mostly fall on deaf ears. In conference games, it’s just about winning. The ‘Cats have their first opportunity to get an SEC victory on Wednesday when they travel to CoMo to take on the Missouri Tigers. Mizzou is now receiving votes in the new AP Top 25 Poll.

This Week in Kentucky Basketball: Missouri Tigers & Louisville Cardinals

It isn’t often that a Kentucky Basketball game against the hated Louisville Cardinals would be the second most anticipated contest of the week. However, that is how it feels heading into the final week of 2022. The Missouri Tigers are 11-1 after a 93-71 beatdown over Illinois in St. Louis. New head coach Dennis Gates had the Tigers off to a perfect 9-0 start before getting blown out 95-67 at home against rival Kansas. At that point, many across college basketball felt like Missouri had an inflated record due to one of the weakest schedules in the country and dismissed them as frauds. However, back-to-back victories since against UCF and a ranked Illinois team have changed that tune. Now, Kentucky will be going into a hostile environment against an opponent with all of the confidence in the world.

By the numbers, Missouri has been one of the best offensive teams in the country this season. Per KenPom, the Tigers are seventh in adjusted offensive efficiency, second in effective field goal percentage, and 24th in tempo. Coach Gates has relied heavily on veteran transfers and senior Kobe Brown to create this high-scoring offense. They are scoring just under 89 points per game, connecting on 10 three-pointers per game, and have all five starters averaging double-figures. Missouri’s athleticism and physicality have allowed them to finish so efficiently around the basket to balance their nearly 37% mark from beyond the arc. We will have much more here at Kentucky Sports Radio over the next 48 hours to get you ready for this big SEC matchup.

Not to be forgotten, the Wildcats host rival Louisville on Saturday. Unfortunately, the noon tip-off conflicts with Kentucky’s Music City Bowl game against Iowa. Kentucky fans have a tough juggling act to execute between the basketball and football games to begin their New Year’s Eve festivities. The Cardinals will come to Rupp Arena with an ugly 2-11, 0-3 ACC record. Due to a lack of guard play, Louisville turns the ball over as much as anyone in the country and that has led to an incredibly inefficient offense. It’s hard for the Cardinals to put the ball in the basket. It’s also safe to assume that the rivalry nature of Saturday’s matchup will make this a closer game than many expect. However, there is no denying the talent gap between Kentucky and Louisville.

Around the Southeastern Conference

We have made it to the SEC portion of the schedule. Teams will play their first conference game this week between Christmas and the New Year. Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, and Missouri all enter league play with 11-1 records. Alabama, Auburn, and Tennessee each sit at 10-2 and are ranked in the Top 25 as SEC play begins. Georgia and Kentucky are 9-3 and 8-3, respectively, while Ole Miss is next at 8-4 and Florida sits at 7-5. Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt round out the standings at 6-5, 6-6, and 6-6, respectively.

Mississippi State and Missouri certainly have been the surprise teams in non-conference play. You have to give credit to head coach Matt McMahon at LSU as well for the Tigers’ 11-1 start after having to essentially completely revamp their lineup in the transfer portal. In terms of best resumes, that title definitely goes to the Crimson Tide and Volunteers. Alabama has neutral site wins over Michigan State and North Carolina plus a victory at Houston. Meanwhile, Tennessee beat Butler, USC, and Kansas in the span of three days at the Battle 4 Atlantis. They have also defeated Maryland on a neutral floor.

This season promises to be as competitive as ever in the Southeastern Conference. There are currently three teams ranked in the AP Top 10 with #7 Tennessee, #8 Alabama, and #9 Arkansas. #19 Kentucky and #20 Auburn give the SEC 25% of the Top 20 teams in the country. Missouri is also receiving votes after their 11-1 start to the season.

Games to Watch Nationally

Tuesday, December 27th

#6 Texas vs. Texas A&M-Commerce @ 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Longhorn Network)

Wednesday, December 28th

Missouri vs. #19 Kentucky @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (SEC Network)
Ole Miss vs. #7 Tennessee @ 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (SEC Network)
#10 Gonzaga vs. Eastern Oregon @ 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
#18 TCU vs. Central Arkansas @ 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPN+)
#13 Virginia vs. Albany @ 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ACC Network)
#2 UConn vs. Villanova @ 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time (FS1)
#20 Auburn vs. Florida @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPN2)
#12 Baylor vs. Nicholls @ 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPN+)
#14 Miami (FL) vs. Vermont @ 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ACC Network)
Tulsa vs. #3 Houston @ 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPNU)
#21 Mississippi State vs. #8 Alabama @ 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (SEC Network)
LSU vs. #9 Arkansas @ 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPN2)
St. John’s vs. #22 Xavier @ 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (FS1)
#22 New Mexico vs. Colorado State @ 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (CBS Sports Network)

Thursday, December 29th

#1 Purdue vs. Florida A&M @ 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Big Ten Network)

Friday, December 30th

Pittsburgh vs. #25 North Carolina @ Noon Eastern Time (ACC Network)
Notre Dame vs. #14 Miami (FL) @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ACC Network)
#15 Wisconsin vs. Western Michigan @ 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Washington State vs. #11 UCLA @ 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Pac 12 Network)

Saturday, December 31st

#19 Kentucky vs. Louisville @ Noon Eastern Time (CBS)
#22 Xavier vs. #2 UConn @ Noon Eastern Time (FOX)
Georgia Tech vs. #13 Virginia @ Noon Eastern Time (ACC Network)
#18 TCU vs. Texas Tech @ Noon Eastern Time (ESPNU)
#17 Duke vs. Florida State @ 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPN2)
#3 Houston vs. UCF @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPN+)
#4 Kansas vs. Oklahoma State @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (CBS)
Arizona State vs. #5 Arizona @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (FOX)
Oklahoma vs. #6 Texas @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPN+)
Iowa State vs. #12 Baylor @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPNU)
Wyoming vs. #22 New Mexico @ 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (FS1)
#10 Gonzaga vs. Pepperdine @ 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Kansas State vs. #24 West Virginia @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ESPN+)

Sunday, January 1st

Washington vs. #11 UCLA @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Pac 12 Network)