The Wildcats look to improve to 7-0 on the season.
The Kentucky Wildcats will be back in Rupp Arena Friday night to take on the Georgia State Panthers.
The Panthers, sitting at .500 on the season, are led by third-year head coach Jonas Hayes. Ranked 224th in KenPom, Georgia State will be the second-worst opponent Kentucky has played thus far.
In their one Power Four game vs. Mississippi State, the Panthers lost 101-66. They were also picked to finish 12th of 14 Sun Belt Conference teams.
Let’s take a look at the matchup in what should be a high-scoring night for the Cats.
Push the Tempo
The Wildcats have gotten into some teams’ legs with their fast pace. Just look at the end of the Western Kentucky game, where their depth and persistence extended a six-point lead to an 18-point win over the final 12 minutes.
That said, Georgia State may be most susceptible to that of anyone Kentucky has played, playing the second-fewest bench minutes in the nation. Of their starters, four play more than thirty minutes per game, with the fifth playing 26.2 minutes per game.
Look for the Cats to really push the pace. With 10-11 capable players to keep fresh legs on the court, Kentucky should handily be in control for the majority of the game.
Rebounding Battle
The Panther’s biggest strength is undoubtedly rebounding. Ranked top 100 in rebounds per game, Georgia State does have good size for a mid-major.
On the other side, Kentucky has won the rebounding battle by more than 10 boards per game over the last three since losing that battle to Duke. While Amari Williams is putting up Oscar Tshiebwe-esque rebounding numbers analytically, there is still room for improvement as a team.
Final ‘Tune-Up’
This will be Kentucky’s final ‘tune-up’ game before they hit the road to take on Clemson and Gonzaga next week, both ranked in the top 25 in KenPom.
Coming off a mediocre performance against Western Kentucky, a big win should inspire more confidence in fans and the players as they enter a tough two-game stretch. The game should also be an opportunity to potentially experiment with things to prepare for the contests.
One area Kentucky must clean up is turnovers, as they committed 11 vs. the Hilltoppers, four coming in the opening minutes.
Opposing Players to Watch
F Zarique Nutter 6-7, 210 lbs
- 16.2 PPG
- 3.2 APG
- 39.7% FG
G Toneari Lane 6-5, 205 lbs
- 16.2 PPG
- 40.8% 3P
F Nick McMullen 6-8, 235 lbs
- 9.5 PPG
- 10.7 RPG
- 54.8% FG
Kentucky Basketball vs. Georgia State Panthers
Time: 7:00 PM ET on November 29th, 2024
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: John Schriffen and Richard Hendrix
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens call the action on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check back later for an official spread. Bart Torvik (97%), EvanMiya (99.4%), KenPom (99%), and ESPN (98.1%) all give Kentucky at least a 97% chance of winning.
Predictions: KenPom (90-66), Haslametrics (94-70), Bart Torvik (93-66), and EvanMiya (95-64) all have Kentucky winning by 24+ points. I’m going with a 91-65 victory, Kentucky!
Be sure to send us your Kentucky vs. Georgia score predictions! And Go CATS!!