Otega Oweh, speaking on the teams mindset going into overtime.

It’s been a while since we’ve had some killers on a team. Let alone, what seems like, a whole roster of them. Oweh said it, but they all seemed to feel the same way.

I can’t tell you awesome it feels having a group of guys that feel confident in close games like this. Haven’t had that in a while. And I bet it pays off in March.

Colgate Raiders (Hamilton, NY)
Conference: Patriot League
Head Coach: Matt Langel (14th season: 229-192)

Schedule: Record (2-8)
11/05 SUNY CANTON W 95-62
11/09 at Drexel L 56-73
11/12 at Syracuse L 72-74
11/18 at NC State L 49-72
11/22 at Harvard L 67-78
11/27 at UNCW W 72-59
11/29 vs App State L 50-72
11/30 vs Sam Houston L 78-82
12/04 CORNELL L 57-84
12/08 at Northeastern L 75-78
12/11 at Kentucky (Rupp Arena: 20,500)

Game Information
Game time: 8pm EST
TV Channel: ESPN2 (Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw)
Spectrum: Channel 27; U-Verse: Channel 606, 1606 HD
DISH: Channel 143; DirecTV: Channel 209
Streaming: Watch ESPN
Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach and Jack Givens)
Radio options: WLAP 630, WBUL 98,1 (IHeart Radio- WLAP)
Satellite Radio: XM Channel 190, Sirius Channel 106, Internet Channel 960

Probable Starters
#1 G Brady Cummins 6-6 190 Jr 11.3pts, 3.7reb, 1.6ast, 37.8% 3fg
#5 G Nicolas Louis-Jacques 6-4 195 Sr 10.9pts, 1.7reb, 1.6ast, 37.3% 3fg
#3 G Jalen Cox 6-3 165 So 8.7pts, 5.0reb, 3.4ast, 1.7stl, 11.8% 3fg
#25 G Parker Jones 6-6 190 So 9.4pts, 4.7reb, 1.9ast, 1.3stl, 33.3% 3fg
#33 F Sam Wright 6-9 240 So 7.4pts, 3.6reb, 33.3% 3fg

Key Reserves
#10 G Chandler Baker 6-5 185 Sr 7.5pts, 1.5reb, 33.3% 3fg
#13 G Kyle Carlesimo 6-2 180 Jr 3.0pts, 0.9reb, 30.8% 3fg
#2 G Blake Forrest 5-11 175 Fr 2.9pts, 1.6reb, 1.5ast, 26.3% 3fg
#9 F Cameron Brennan 7-0 230 Fr 1.9pts, 2.0reb, 0.0% 3fg
OUT #55 F Jeff Woodward 6-11 270 Grad 9.8pts, 5.5reb, 3.0ast, 0.0% 3fg

Team Stats
Points Per Game 67.1
Points allowed 73.4
Scoring Margin -6.3
Field Goal Pct .437
FG% allowed .469
3PT FG Pct .322
3pt FG% allowed .372
FT Pct .689
Rebounds Per Game 31.3
Rebounds allowed 35.6
Rebounds Margin -4.3
Assists Per Game 13.5
Turnovers Per Game 11.3
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.2
Steals Per Game 6.5
Blocks Per Game 2.2

KenPom Analysis
Overall rating: #273
Offense: #249
Defense: #273
Best numbers
Defensive FTA/FGA: #60 (opponents don’t shoot many FTs)
Defensive rebounding: #123
Offensive turnover%: #130
Worst numbers
Offensive FTA/FGA: #363 (they don’t shoot many FTs)
Offensive rebounding: #355
3pt% Defense: #322
Effective FG% defense: #322
Offensive Block%: #321

Analysis: Well, this will be Kentucky’s final below 200-rated opponent of the 2024-25 season. The Cats are riding high, coming off a huge, come-from-behind win over Gonzaga in Seattle. Meanwhile, Colgate is coming off 4 straight losses, and 8 losses in their last 9, and sporting a 2-8 overall record on the season. They haven’t been very competitive for most of those losses, though part of their problem is that they’ve been missing grad student and starting center Jeff Woodward who is 6-11 270lb and was the leading rebounder on the team, since their 4th game of the season. He is still their rebounding leader by average.

Looking at Colgate’s personnel, they’re led by a pair of guards, #1 Brady Cummins who is a 6-6 190lb Junior averaging 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 37.8% from 3pt range, who is really playing the small forward, and #5 Nicolas Louis-Jacques, a 6-4 195 Senior averaging 10.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and averaging 37.3% from 3. The guy playing the 4 spot is another guard- #25 Parker Jones, 6-6 190lb Sophomore averaging 9.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and shooting 33.3% from 3, which is trouble for Colgate. The point guard is #3 Jalen Cox, a 6-3 165lb Sophomore averaging 8.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and only shooting 11.8% from 3. The guy who has replaced Woodward at center is forward #33 Sam Wright, a 6-9 240lb Sophomore averaging 7.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and shooting 33.3% from 3.

From the bench, the top scorer is another guard, #10 Chandler Baker, a 6-5 185lb Senior averaging 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 33.3% 3fg. He’s in the game to shoot threes primarily. He has shot 48 threes on the season out of only 72 total shots, so 2/3 of his shots come from long range. From there, they just don’t have much scoring. It’s #13 Guard Kyle Carlesimo averaging 3.0 points and #2 Guard Blake Forrest averaging 2.9 points and shooting only 26.3% from 3. As for any size off the bench, it’s #9 F/C Cameron Brennan, a 7-0 230 Freshman averaging 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

Colgate will struggle against UK, with or without Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa. I know we’re all hoping Butler will be back for this game, but this game will be a likely dominant win either way. Since their starting center went out, Colgate lost by 22 at Appalachian St on a neutral site and 27 to Cornell at home. Their best opponent on the season was NC State, before they lost Woodward, they still lost 49-72. Halametrics predicts UK 95-Colgate 61, Bart Torvik says UK 92-60, Dratings predicts UK 91-67, KenPom predicts UK 89-62, and EvanMiya says UK 87-60. The Line: Kentucky -30.5; Over/Under: 157.5. I think UK hits 100 again and covers the spread.

My Prediction: Kentucky 103 Colgate 68

In a warmup suit again. They need him Saturday for sure, hopefully he is good by the .

Say Bryce Hopkins was granted a 5th year next year and enters the transfer portal. Who would be down to see him come back to UK and play in Popes system? Would be ironic but I’d be intrigued to see what he could do in Pope’s system.

Some will like this. But not me. The incessant money grabs are tiresome. I liked it at 64.

Check it

I wonder how this effects recruiting.

Do we know what bench Kentucky will be using?
We’re listed as home team, so I’m assuming the same bench the Knicks use?

** Arkansas OL portal target Joshua Braun will arrive at Kentucky TODAY For a visit. Played right guard for Arkansas this year, 835 snaps, and scored 70.0 on PFF. That was 67.7 blocking the run, 83.0 in pass protection, and only four penalties. Also played 790 snaps scoring 70.7 the previous season.

** Can confirm this is the first OL visit Kentucky will have hosted.

** Kentucky will not be in play for DB transfer Cameron Calhoun. He originally committed to UK before signing with Michigan and beginning his college career with the Wolverines. Now at Utah, Calhoun went into the portal again. Made sense that Kentucky might have interest but I'm told that he is not a target for them.

** The more I have heard about UCONN WR Brock Montgomery, the less I believe there is any traction here. After the fact I was told that Kentucky's interest is not what the immediate assumption was. There will be lots of recruiting activity and sometimes things will be communicated that are misunderstood.

** Kentucky has offered Cal WR Nyziah Hunter. That happened late yesterday. He's picked up a bunch of other power offers like Ariz St, Utah, Mississippi State, and Kansas just to name a few. Big-time deep threat. Very explosive and efficient in the intermediate and vertical game as a R-Frosh for the Bears.

Steve Wiltfong has reported that New Mexico OL Wallace Unamba will officially visit Kentucky this coming Monday, Dec. 16, and then he will OV to Virginia.

My understanding is he is someone Kentucky may be willing to take eventually but right now they are building a full board and that includes different tiers. TBD on how high he falls on that board but he is at least someone of interest.

The 6'4, 330-pound tackle played 699 snaps and graded out at 63.9 overall per PFF. Solid in run and pass protection, not spectacular, flagged seven times (3x vs Utah St, 2x in 2 other games).

AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit in 2025, is heading to Mark Pope‘s old stomping grounds. The 6-9 guard out of Massachusetts committed to BYU over Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina on Tuesday with his announcement coming on ESPN’s First Take.

Wow, love it! Must have paid a pretty penny for that commit. Glad he didn't land anywhere else. Enjoy the paycheck as you toll away in obscurity next season.

First, thanks again for a great season of Stupid Underdog. I know that can be a pain and I think most fans here appreciate your work on that. I hope your NIL is paying off.

My question: this year there seems to be quite a competition at the top and the Bowl Games may decide the winner. Has it ever been this close before?

@Old_Red

Looking at my calendar for the next 30 days, I suddenly noticed the absence of the necessity for planning a Bowl trip.

And that’s not entirely negative: I’ll get to watch more bowls than I usually do, given that my brother and I drive to them, and miss those closely aligned with our travels.

Those trips to Orlando/Jacksonville and even Charlotte were pretty taxing on a couple of 60 year old guys in an SUV, but we did them on the cheap, in motels, with Kroger gas cards in hand, and coupons from chain restaurants.

The bowl streak was fun while it lasted.

And as to the Coaching situation, from this point forward, I am adopting the Alcoholics Anonymous philosophy: I must learn to accept that which I cannot change.

If I had a few million to spare, maybe I could make a real difference, but until that lottery lands, I am in the same boat as all (most) other Kentucky fans.

Those who have followed this forum for the last few years have known me as a Stoops’ fan . . . and statistically, until this season, I feel that “fanship” was well deserved. Perhaps my suggestion of re-naming New Circle Road “Stoops’ Loop” was a tad premature?!?

And now our situation “is what it is.”

Our recent recruiting haul, again, by measuring “Stars” is a tad above our pre-NIL level.

Stone Saunders looks like a real competitor with our Frosh phenom.

So, is there any real possibility of finding another 10 win season with Mark Stoops and staff?

I don’t know.

God knows we need to hit some O-line home runs in the Portal to have a shot, again.

But given that Stoops is the only Coach who has achieved it twice in his tenure, here, maybe he, the staff and players can rebuild the fire that once carried a three-star laden team to within a game of an East title, and a New Year’s Day spanking of Penn State.

Nothing is guaranteed. Our conference is a biatch, and scheduling will do is no favors, prior, perhaps than 2026 . . . and that ain’t a guarantee, as the likes of Vandy, Mizzou, Ole Miss, UF and USCe all seem to be stepping up their game, and I think we’ll see nine conference games in ‘26.

So I’m left with some hope: we still landed a Class that should be roughly equal to or better than half the conference. We kind of lucked into Levis for a magical season, and if the portal hurt us in 2023/24, we cannot deny that it “made” us in 2021.

And at a minimum, we’ll have a hell-of-home schedule in 2025, with both UT’s, Florida, and Ole Miss.

And I’ll be there if the Lord allows another season!!

College Football Hall of Fame

LINK

** Marshall LB Landyn Watson is officially visiting Kentucky later this week but it's reported he is first officially visiting Mississippi State.

** Jacksonville State LB Reginald Hughes announced an offer from Kentucky. The 6'2, 240-pound MLB will be at Colorado before Kentucky. He was a very productive player this year.

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** Can confirm a report from Zack Geoghegan that USC EDGE Sam Greene will be visiting this week. I will have more on him tomorrow.

** Believe OT Isaiah World, the player alluded to a while ago, will be visiting this weekend. He would be an important player to lock down.

Have one scheduled for the 19th, anyone have this done? TIA

Start a new NCAA organization with bylaws? Members would join voluntarily and agree to abide by the rules of the org. Similar to a country club or civic organization.
Set up a fair compensation agreement that all agree to.

Don’t join if you don’t want. I bet 90% of all ADs and coaches would be willing to start over. It would take some work but could rectify this out of control nonsense.

Would a membership violate the SC decision?