Kentucky Basketball vs Bucknell time, TV channel, online stream, odds, predictions, more

On By Littum

What a season opener it was for the Kentucky Wildcats on Monday night.

With a margin of victory of 41 points, which coincidentally matched Mark Pope’s game number during his time in Lexington, the Wildcats posted their largest margin of victory since 2011.

Kentucky’s next opponent is the Bucknell Bison, who come to Rupp Arena on Saturday and were ranked 277th in the NET. For context, that is currently the second-lowest ranking of any of Kentucky’s opponents this season.

Led by second-year head coach John Griffin III, the Bison have had five straight losing seasons, but things are looking up. Last season they finished second in the Patriot League and were picked to finish fourth this season.

In terms of connections, former Wildcat transfer Nate Sestina played four seasons for the Bison, and former graduate assistant Zach Thomas also played there. That said, this will be the first matchup between the two programs.

The Bison are coming off an 85-73 road win over Delaware to tip off the season.

Here’s what to watch for in Kentucky vs. Bucknell.

Rebounding

Mark Pope has not been happy with his team’s performance on the boards through two exhibition games and the season opener. With better competition on the horizon, this needs to improve.

“We were barely okay,” Pope said of his team’s rebounding following the Wildcats’ season opener against Wright State. “If we’re going to achieve what everyone wants us to achieve this year, we’re going to have to get better on the glass.”

Often there are players eager to leak out in transition, allowing opponents to secure offensive boards. Wright State had 11 of them. Bucknell isn’t the biggest team, and Kentucky needs to be more dominant on the boards than we’ve seen vs. Wright State or during the exhibition season to feel comfortable with what the Cats can vs. bigger and more athletic teams.

More 3s?

Before the season, assistant coach Cody Fueger said the goal for this Kentucky team was to attempt 35 3s per game. match. In Game 1, they shot just 24.

That said, the Wildcats shot 45.8% from deep and didn’t force 3-pointers just to shoot them.

The Bison are a smaller team than Wright State, so I would expect to see Kentucky continue to put pressure inside. However, the Wildcats could use this game as an opportunity to set things up for the Duke game next week and design for more 3-point shots.

Take advantage of the turnover

In their season opener, Bucknell turned the ball over sixteen times, among the most in the country after one game. On the other hand, Kentucky stole the ball eleven times, also among the highest in the country.

The Wildcats showed excellent ball pressure for most of the game against Wright State, highlighted by Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh, who recorded three steals apiece. They should be able to have the same, if not more, success against Bucknell, leading to some easy scoring opportunities.

Opponents to watch

C Noah Williamson 7-0, 250 lbs

  • 19.0 PPG
  • 12.0 RPG
  • Preseason All-Patriot League Team

G Josh Bascoe 6-0, 180 lbs

F Ian Motta 6-6, 195 lbs

Time: 4:00 PM ET on November 9, 2024

Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky

TV channel: This game will not be on TV and will be streamed only,

Online streaming: SEC Network+

Online streaming: ESPN+ and that ESPN app.

Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call UK Sports Radio Network.

Replay: Watch ESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).

Roster: Great Britain | BUCK

Statistics to know: Great Britain | BUCK

KenPom: Great Britain | BUCK

Team sheet: Great Britain | BUCK

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky favored by 21.5 points. Most projections give Kentucky at least a 96% chance of victory, inclusive Bart Torvik (97%), KenPom (96%) and ESPN (97.8%). EvanMiya giving Kentucky a 93.7% chance to win.

Predictions: Bart Torvik and Haslometry Kentucky has won 87-64 and 88-64 respectively. EvanMiya (84-64) and KenPom (86-66) both predict a 20-point win for the Wildcats.

Be sure to send us your Wildcats vs. Bison scores in the comments!