Today on KSR: Kentucky prepares for Florida, Camden plays in Frankfort

Kentucky will look to build on its four-game winning streak in the SEC, this time with a head-to-head battle vs. Florida set to take place late Saturday evening inside Rupp Arena.

The 13-9 Gators may not look overly threatening on paper, but the reality of the situation is that first-year head coach Todd Golden has his team playing terrific basketball as of late, specifically coming off a statement 67-54 victory at home vs. No. 2 Tennessee. It was a game in which Florida found itself down six midway through the second half, but stormed back on a 29-10 run to close out the double-digit win, holding the Volunteers to just one field goal in their final 10 attempts and no makes in the final 2:34.

The Gators’ biggest loss came vs. Florida Atlantic to open the regular season, but the rest of their resume has been pretty fair, no other bad losses and two ranked wins (vs. No. 2 Tennessee, vs. No. 20 Missouri). Beyond FAU, UF has lost to Xavier, West Virginia, UConn, Oklahoma and Kansas State in the non-conference, then Auburn and Texas A&M (2) in the SEC.

Coming off the win vs. Tennessee, Florida now sits at No. 41 in the NET, just outside Quad 1 status for Kentucky. The Gators are ranked No. 144 overall in offensive efficiency (71.5 points per game), but the No. 8 defense, allowing teams to score just 64.5 points per game on 39.1% shooting and 30.4% from three on the year.

Viewing Info, Odds and Predictions

• Date: 8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Feb. 4
• Location: Rupp Arena (Lexington, KY)
• TV Channel: ESPN
• Stream: WatchESPN, ESPN+, SEC Network
• Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will be on the call for UK Sports Network
• Odds: The official spread has not yet been released, but ESPN’s matchup predictor gives UK a 72.1% chance to pull off the win. KenPom favors the good guys, giving Kentucky a 64% chance to win while predicting a 70-66 victory. Bart Torvik also likes the Wildcats in a close one, predicting a 68-66 win (-2) with a 58% chance for the home team to come out on top.

Kentucky players set to preview the Gators

How are the players getting ready for the Gators? What are their expectations heading into the battle of SEC foes? They are scheduled to meet with the media this afternoon at noon ET to break it all down.

Coverage will follow right here on KSR throughout the day.

Adebayo, Gilgeous-Alexander, Randle named All-Stars

Three former Kentucky standouts were named to the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, with Bam Adebayo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Julius Randle set to represent the Wildcats on Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City. Adebayo and Randle will make their second-career appearances, while Gilgeous-Alexander was selected for the first time.

UK’s representatives were chosen as reserves by the league’s head coaches, with the made Thursday evening on TNT.

Teams will be set by the All-Star starters who led their respective conferences in fan votes during NBA All-Star voting. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) will serve as this year’s captains and select their teams from the pool of players.

Since 2010, nine John Calipari-coached teams have garnered 31 All-Star selections, with seven players named All-NBA. Calipari has more total players and total selections than any other active collegiate coach.

DJ Wagner, Aaron Bradshaw playing in Frankfort today

Kentucky signees DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw are in Frankfort for a high-profile national matchup late Friday evening.

The five-star teammates and their Camden High School squad will be taking on Combine Academy out of Lincolnton, NC for a head-to-head battle at Kentucky State University, with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Camden is rated is the No. 1 team in New Jersey while Combine is No. 1 in North Carolina, with both programs featuring blue-chip prospects.

Wagner and Bradshaw are the headliners, with 2024 four-star wing Billy Richmond III also a major Kentucky target suiting up for Camden. As for Combine Academy, five-star junior Trentyn Flowers is the team’s biggest name, with four-star senior Silas Demary Jr. and four-star junior Rakease Passmore also on the roster.

The event is part of The Kentucky Preview, a three-game slate that opens with back-to-back matchups of Franklin County vs. Frankfort girls (5 p.m. ET) and boys (6:30 p.m. ET). Camden vs. Combine will then tip off at 8 p.m. ET, live at the William Exum Center (101 University Drive, Frankfort, KY, 40601).

Tickets will be $20 each, all sold at the door.

Kentucky WBB falls at No. 1 South Carolina

Kyra Elzy and the Kentucky women’s basketball team fought hard at No. 1 South Carolina, but couldn’t pull off the upset, falling in Columbia by a final score of 87-69.

Coming off a 23-point win vs. Missouri on Sunday, the Wildcats came in ready for a battle, and looked the part early. They trailed by just one after eight minutes, but foul trouble killed some of that momentum, with the Gamecocks closing out the quarter on an 11-2 run and pushed the lead to 15 at the half.

Kentucky responded with a 7-0 run to open the third quarter, but again, foul trouble became an issue, limiting the team’s comeback effort. The Wildcats lost the fourth quarter by just one point and fought until the final buzzer, but it just wasn’t enough to overcome the 17-point deficit going into the fourth.

Robyn Benton led the way with 24 points on 5-17 shooting and 13-14 from the line, followed by Blair Green and Maddie Scherr with 11 points apiece. As a team, the Wildcats shot 30% from the field (19-63) and 35% from three (6-17).

Kentucky is set to battle for playoff position against Alabama at 7 p.m. on Feb. 9 in Memorial Coliseum, with the game broadcast live on SEC Network+.

Aba Selm commits to Kentucky

Mark Stoops and the Kentucky football program has landed yet another offensive lineman commit in the 2024 recruiting class, this time in three-star guard Aba Selm. The top-ranked player from the state of Kentucky announced his commitment to the Wildcats Thursday morning on Kentucky Sports Radio.

Selm, a Kentucky native from Simon Kenton High School in Independence, made his decision shortly after visiting Lexington for the Wildcats’ junior day on January 28. He held nearly 20 scholarship offers, including Penn State, Michigan, Cincinnati, Illinois and Louisville. 

“I really do think Kentucky is a really great fit for me,” Aba Selm recently told KSR. “It’s a coach and staff that really understand me and I can work with them.”

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound prospect is rated as a consensus three-star and the No. 46 interior offensive lineman in the class.

Listen to his commitment on KSR, with a film breakdown to follow:

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

Happy Friday, BBN. Go Cats.