Coverage from the game:
Kentucky basketball isn’t all flash. Wildcats showed fight in clash with Georgia State
Coverage during the game:
LEXINGTON — Basketball, like every sport, is an emotional endeavor. Keeping emotions in check — even if they’re positive displays instead of negative ones — can be easier said than done at times.
Kentucky basketball found itself in such a predicament in its blowout win over Jackson State last week.
“We found ourselves going back to the film and seeing a little bit too much celebration after some (plays). …. It’s great to celebrate your teammates, but the most important thing is sprinting back (on defense),” fifth-year senior forward Andrew Carr said.
If the Wildcats don’t notice it on their own, coach Mark Pope isn’t shy about reminding them.
“Coach does a great job of asking us questions, like, ‘Are you sure you couldn’t have sprinted back there? You think they’re just getting (easy baskets) because they’re leaking out or whatever?'” Carr said. “It’s … trying to get us to think that the situation was in our hands, and no matter what happened, we could have sprinted back and been there. So he definitely makes us aware.”
But not reacting to a highlight from a teammate? In real time?
“It’s very tough, very tough … We’ve just got to show emotion,” junior guard Otega Oweh said. “Maybe I slipped up a couple times, but it was fun.”
UK, ranked No. 8 and still unbeaten this season, will continue working on its emotional comportment, as well as its transition defense, in tonight’s nonconference matchup against Georgia State.
Follow along below with live updates from Rupp Arena:
Here’s a look at the final box score:
The Wildcats end the half making seven of their last eight shots, upping their percentage to 67.9 (19 of 29) in the opening 20 minutes. The Panthers are 11 for 27 (40.7%).
Lamont Butler has a game-high 13 points for UK.
Zarique Nutter has 12 points to pace Georgia State.
At the under-8 timeout, Kentucky holds a 27-20 lead over Georgia State.
The Wildcats have made 60.0% (12 for 20) of their shots from the field. The Panthers are 38.1% (8 of 21).
There’s 7:22 left in the first half.
Here are Kentucky’s starters vs. Georgia State:
It’s the same starting five UK has trotted out for its two preseason exhibitions (versus Kentucky Wesleyan and Minnesota State Mankato, respectively) and all six regular-season games so far (Wright State, Bucknell, Duke, Lipscomb, Jackson State and Western Kentucky).
And here’s Georgia State’s lineup:
Brandon Garrison, Kentucky’s 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore forward, will not play tonight versus Georgia State. UK coach Mark Pope told the UK sports radio network during a pregame appearance that Garrison is being held out for “precautionary reasons.”
Garrison is averaging 6.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 18 minutes per game this season.
The contest between the Wildcats and Panthers will air on SEC Network. John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Richard Hendrix (analyst) will have the call.
Authenticated subscribers can access SEC Network via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
You also can stream SEC Network on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington.
You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.
Betting odds: Kentucky is a 31½-point home favorite (-105) on BetMGM, which set the over/under at 161½ points (-110).
- Oct. 23: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
- Oct. 29: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
- Nov. 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
- Nov. 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
- Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
- Nov. 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
- Nov. 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
- Nov. 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
- Nov. 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge), 9:30 p.m., ESPN
- Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle), 10 p.m.
- Dec. 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena), 8 p.m., ESPN2
- Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena), 5:15 p.m., ESPN
- Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York), 5:30 p.m., CBS
- Dec. 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena), 2 p.m., ESPNU
- Jan. 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena), 11 a.m., ESPN
- Jan. 7: at Georgia, 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Jan. 11: at Mississippi State, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network
- Jan. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN2/ESPNU
- Jan. 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN
- Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
- Jan. 28: at Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 1: vs. Arkansas (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 4: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 8: vs. South Carolina (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN/ESPN2
- Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 15: at Texas, 8 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 19: vs. Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Feb. 22: at Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 26: at Oklahoma, 9 p.m., SEC Network
- March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1/4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
- March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), 7/9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
- March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN/SEC Network
Record: 6-0
- Ansley Almonor (forward, senior)
- Koby Brea (guard, graduate)
- Lamont Butler (guard, graduate)
- Andrew Carr (forward, graduate)
- Collin Chandler (guard, freshman)
- Grant Darbyshire (guard, junior)
- Brandon Garrison (forward, sophomore)
- Walker Horn (guard, junior)
- Kerr Kriisa (guard, senior)
- Trent Noah (forward, freshman)
- Otega Oweh (guard, junior)
- Travis Perry (guard, freshman)
- Jaxson Robinson (guard, graduate)
- Zach Tow (forward, junior)
- Amari Williams (center, graduate)
Georgia State went 14-17 overall last season, posting an 8-10 mark in Sun Belt Conference play. Its season ended in an 86-74 loss to Marshall in the league tournament.
The Panthers are 4-3 this season. They have wins over Ball State, Toccoa Falls College, North Carolina Central and Tulsa; its losses are to Mississippi State, Jacksonville State and Austin Peay.
Click here to see the Panthers’ full 2024-25 schedule.
Want to learn the Panthers’ roster?
Click here for player bios and more.
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
