Kentucky’s Mark Pope talks about upset over No. 4 Vols at Rupp Arena
Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope talks about the Wildcats’ second victory in two weeks over fourth-ranked Tennessee at Rupp Arena.
Sam Upshaw Jr.
Kentucky basketball will get its first taste of Texas as an SEC rival tonight, when the Wildcats take on the Longhorns in Austin, Texas.
The pair has met just twice before.
The first-ever matchup was in 1993 at the Maui Invitational. Then they squared off in the 2014 SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Both prior meetings have gone the Wildcats’ way.
UK won in blowout fashion in Hawaii three decades ago, rolling to an 86-61 victory in the first round of the tournament. Forward Jared Prickett posted a double-double (14 points, 14 rebounds) while three other Wildcats scored in double figures: guard Tony Delk (15), forward Gimel Martinez (12) and center Rodney Dent (11). Kentucky went on to capture the Maui title that year, topping Arizona in the championship game thanks to Jeff Brassow‘s tip-in at the buzzer.
The second UK/UT tussle was all-square, 26-26, at halftime on Dec. 5, 2014. Then the top-ranked Wildcats pulled away in the final 20 minutes to pick up a 63-51 win at Rupp Arena.
Kentucky and first-year coach Mark Pope enter tonight’s tilt 17-7 overall and 6-5 in the SEC standings; UK is No. 18 in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll and No. 15 in the AP Top 25. Texas (15-10, 4-8) is unranked.
Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s game from home:
UK and Texas are slated to tip off at 8 p.m. ET today at the Moody Center.
Betting odds: Kentucky is a 1 ½-point road underdog (-118) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 160 ½ points (-110). The money line odds are Kentucky +102, Texas -122.
The contest between the Wildcats and Longhorns will air on ESPN. Karl Ravech (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call.
Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
You also can stream ESPN on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington.
You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
