After a promising 5-0 start — their first since the 2016-17 season — the Kentucky Wildcats will now take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in Rupp Arena.
Despite being located just over two hours away, this will be just the eighth appearance between the two teams and only the fourth time in the regular season.
Led by first-year head coach Hank Plona, who was promoted from an assistant position, the Hilltoppers return much of their roster from last season, including Conference USA First-Team selection Don McHenry. The Toppers were picked to finish second in the league in the preseason, so they’ll be a major test for Kentucky.
WKU is ranked 129th in KenPom ratings, the second-highest the Wildcats have played thus far, behind Duke.
Here’s what to watch for in Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky.
Tempo
Kentucky has not really played a team that likes to play as quickly as they do, that is until Western Kentucky, who actually ties Kentucky in adjusted tempo (73.6). The difference though is the team’s offensive efficiency, where the Wildcats rank 11th to the Hilltoppers 223rd.
In what will likely be a track meet, Kentucky has the much more efficient offense. That bodes well for another explosive offensive performance.
Rebounding
One of the things that Western Kentucky does well outside of playing fast is defensive rebounding. Ranked top 25 in defensive rebounding percentage, they make it tough on their opponent to get any second chance opportunities.
On the other side, Mark Pope has a game goal of 14 offensive rebounds per game. The Wildcats were able to get 10 against Duke, who is just as good on the defensive boards as the Hilltoppers, including some big ones at the end of the game.
This will be another test in an area that Mark Pope wants to see improvement in.
3-Point Offense vs. Defense
Western Kentucky does not base its offense on shooting 3s as Kentucky does, but it concentrates heavily on defending the arc. Allowing its opponents to shoot just 28% from deep, the Hilltoppers rank 62nd nationally in 3-point defense.
Meanwhile, Kentucky is coming off a season-high in 3-pointers made and 3-point attempts, and they want to build on that performance.
Bonus: TELEVISION
It seems that every game since the preseason has been only available via an online stream, with the exception of the Duke game. Thankfully, this one will be on a real TV channel via ESPNU.
Rejoice!
Opposing Players to Watch
G Don McHenry 6-2, 168 lbs
- 17.2 PPG
- 2.2 SPG
- 2024 CUSA First Team selection
F Babacar Faye 6-8, 215 lbs
G Julius Thedford 6-4, 190 lbs
- 11.4 PPG
- 3.2 RPG
- 54.5% 3P
Time: 6:30 PM ET on November 26th, 2024
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: ESPNU
Announcers: Roy Philpott, Pat Bradley
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the official spread, so please check back later once those are released. Bart Torvik (90%), EvanMiya (94.1%), KenPom (96%), and ESPN (97.3%) all give Kentucky at least a 90% chance of avoiding what would be a massive home upset.
Predictions: KenPom (88-69), Haslametrics (92-70), Bart Torvik (90-74), and EvanMiya (87-67) all have Kentucky winning by at least 16 points. I’m going with an 88-71 victory, Kentucky!
Be sure to send us your Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky score predictions! And Go CATS!!
