Kentucky's men's basketball team will play its first real game of the season against Howard University tonight. The game tips off at 5:30 PM Central Standard Time. It looks as though neither Oscar Tschiebwe nor Sahvir Wheeler will be available tonight.
Here is Kentucky's schedule in November:
11/07: HOWARD
11/11: DUQUESNE
11/15: Michigan St. (Indianapolis, Ind.)
11/17: S. CAROLINA ST.
11/20: Gonzaga (Spokane, Wash.)
11/23: N. FLORIDA
11/29: BELLARMINE
Kentucky has not gone undefeated in the month of November since the 2016-17 season. Here's what they've done in November since then:
2017-18: 6-1 (lost 65-61 to Kansas)
2018-19: 6-1 (lost 118-84 to Duke)
2019-20: 6-1 (lost 67-64 to Evansville)
2020-21: 1-1 (lost 76-64 to Richmond)
2021-22: 6-1 (lost 79-71 to Duke)
Ken Pom is currently projecting UK to go 25-6 overall, and 14-4 in the SEC -- which is exactly what the Cats did last year.
Kentucky beats Howard 95-63 without Oscar Tshiebwe or Sahvir Wheeler. Cats looked really good in this game.
ReplyDeleteThis was UK's first game against a team from the District of Columbia since December 23, 1997, when the Cats beat American 75-52. One month before that, the Cats beat George Washington 70-55 in the opening round of the Maui Invitational. So they played two DC teams within a month of each other, and then didn't play another for almost 25 years.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that team that beat GW and AU ended up winning the 1998 National Championship.
ReplyDeleteUK is now 3-2 all-time against teams from the District.
ReplyDeleteThis is the most points UK has scored in its opening game since November 11, 2011, when the Cats beat Marist 108-58. That team also won the national championship.
ReplyDeleteKen Pom had UK beating Howard by 29, with a predicted score of 87 to 58. The actual margin of victory was 32, with an actual score of 95-63. So Ken Pom did pretty well.
ReplyDeleteNext up is Duquesne on Friday night.
ReplyDeleteThis was win number 2,354 for the UK basketball program.
ReplyDeleteWell, heck. Just got in to flip on the TV, and I'm now 0-2 on the UK season.
ReplyDelete