| vs South Carolina State | ||
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 17 7:00 p.m. ET Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky
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| Coverage | ||
| TV: SEC Network Radio: UK Sports Network |
The No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats will be hoping to bounce back from their double-overtime loss to Michigan State when they face the South Carolina State Bulldogs on Thursday night. Kentucky had opened the season with a pair of blowout wins over Howard and Duquesne, so it will be eyeing a similar result in this game. South Carolina State has gone winless in its first three games and is amid an 11-game road trip to open the year.
The game will be Kentucky’s second contest in the 2022 Tribute Classic event.
The South Carolina State Bulldogs gave the South Carolina Gamecocks a real scare in their season opener. Shooting 11-26 from beyond the arc helped keep the game close until the end. However, the Bulldogs came up just short 80-77. Since then, things haven’t gone as well. South Carolina State has lost to Tennessee State 80-61 and Duquesne 96-71.
First-year head coach Erik Martin, a long-time Bob Huggins assistant, will face the Kentucky Wildcats (2-1) fresh off their hard-fought loss on Tuesday evening. The ‘Cats lost 86-77 in double overtime against Michigan State in the Champions Classic. This will serve as a bounce-back spot for head coach John Calipari and company before heading out west to take on Gonzaga.
Quite simply, South Carolina State is not a very strong team. They will be one of the two worst teams Kentucky faces this season. While the result shouldn’t ever be in doubt, this is still an important opportunity for the Wildcats. There are defensive miscues and offensive woes that need to be cleaned up following Tuesday’s frustrating loss. Working out the kinks and regaining confidence will be the name of the game at Rupp Arena on Thursday night.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Wildcats are favored by 40 points in the latest Kentucky vs. South Carolina State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 145.5.