What a trip to Seattle it was for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Down as many as 18 points in the second half, the team clawed their back to beat the No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs, who are actually ranked No. 1 in the country by EvanMiya.
Now, the Cats’ focus turns to Colgate on Wednesday, the Wildcats’ final sub-200 KenPom team on the schedule.
The Raiders are just 2-8 but entered the season with high expectations. Winning five straight Patriot League titles, they were picked to win their sixth straight in the preseason. However, they sport a younger roster and that has presented some early challenges.
Colgate did nearly score a huge road win over the Syracuse Orange before falling by just two points. The Raiders also have a win over UNC Wilmington, who pulled off a massive upset at Rupp Arena last season.
Wednesday’s contest will be the first between the two programs and will also be a special moment for one local family.
The family of Ephraim Woods, a late Colgate professor and men’s basketball liaison who passed away last year following a battle with brain cancer, will be watching in Rupp Arena. Woods, a native of Ashland, was a lifelong Kentucky fan who developed a love for Raiders’ basketball after he began teaching at Colgate in 2002. However, he never got to see his two teams play one another.
In what will be a special game for his family, let’s take a look at the matchup.
Point Guard Situation
The biggest concern for the Cats right now is the point guard situation. Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa are both out with injuries, the latter being out for at least 3-6 weeks with a Jones fracture.
According to Mark Pope, that leaves Jaxson Robinson, Travis Perry, and Collin Chandler to split the point guard duties until Butler and Kriisa return.
After his five-assist, zero-turnover performance against Gonzaga, Robinson is the lead candidate to run point. That said, this is an opportunity for Perry and Chandler to get some more game action under their belts, potentially helping them contribute more later this season and certainly helping their development.
End the Shooting Slump
Over the first five games of the season, Kentucky shot a blistering 42.3% mark from deep, among the best in the country. However, over the last four, that percentage is only 27.1%.
The two common denominators are better competition and physical defenses extending out beyond the 3-point line. Colgate, fitting either, is a perfect opponent for Kentucky to end that slump against.
Or else, it’s time to really worry about this aspect of the team heading into SEC play.
Dominate the Boards
Colgate is one of the nation’s worst-rebounding teams, averaging just over 30 per game. In comparison, Kentucky averages 44.7, ranking second in the country.
Therefore, there should be no reason for Kentucky not to dominate the boards on Wednesday from start to finish. This should allow Kentucky to have a lot of second-chance opportunities, specifically catch-and-shoot 3s.
Opposing Players to Watch
G Brady Cummins 6-6, 190 lbs
- 10.9 PPG
- 3.9 RPG
- 35.5% 3P
F Jeff Woodward 6-11, 270 lbs
G Nicolas Louis-Jacques 6-4, 195 lbs
Time: 8:00 PM ET on December 11th
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: ESPN2
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and ESPN network of channels (check local listings).
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for this game, so check back later. Bart Torvik (99%), KenPom (99%), EvanMiya (98.9%), DRatings (98.2%), and ESPN (98.8%) all give Kentucky at least a 98% chance of winning this game.
Predictions: Haslametrics (95-61), Bart Torvik (92-60), DRatings (91-67), KenPom (89-62), and EvanMiya (87-60) all have the Cats winning by at least 24 points. I think Kentucky will end their shooting slump and put Colgate away early, 94-66.
How do you see this one playing out? Send us your Kentucky vs. Colgate score predictions!
And Go CATS!!
