No. 10 Kentucky will look for its fourth-straight victory when it hosts Winthrop on Wednesday afternoon.
The Wildcats were able to hold off VMI for a 92-82 win on Sunday, with John Calipari’s team once again owning the offensive glass.
As for Winthrop, it’s off to a 2-2 start with wins over SIU Edwardsville and Pfeiffer while losing to Vanderbilt and East Tennessee State.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this matchup.
Game Details
- No. 10 Kentucky (3-1) vs. Winthrop (2-2)
- Location: Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY
- Game Date: Nov. 21
- Game Time: 1 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network
Players to Watch
PJ Washington (Kentucky)
Washington has simply been on a roll since struggling early on this season, and that’s certainly a welcome development for the Wildcats.
The 6-8 sophomore is coming off a double-double against VMI, where he scored 19 points and grabbed a whopping 18 rebounds in 33 minutes of action.
Kentucky is just a better team when Washington is at his best, so he needs to keep playing consistently on both sides of the court.
Josh Ferguson (Winthrop)
Ferguson is the Eagles’ third-leading scorer right now in averaging 13.5 points in 29.0 minutes per game.
But what makes him the most important player for Winthrop is this game is his rebounding ability, with the 6-8 junior currently posting 8.0 boards per contest.
The Wildcats are going to be relentless on the glass, so Pat Kelsey will certainly need his starting center to be at his best in this one.
Key Stats
Kentucky is currently ranked eighth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and will put that up against a Winthrop squad that ranks 193rd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.
But again, the Eagles’ biggest challenge will be keeping the Wildcats from getting too many extra looks on offense.
Calipari’s team has the best offensive rebounding percentage in the country (51.2 percent), and they have at least 18 offensive boards in each of the past three games.
If Winthrop wants to have a shot at pulling off the upset, it’ll need to take advantage of Kentucky’s 3-point defense, with the Wildcats allowing opponents to average 43.4 percent from long range (338th nationally).
Game Outlook
- Spread: Kentucky -20
- Over/Under: 160
- KenPom Projection: Kentucky, 97 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Kentucky, 92.8 percent chance to win
Kentucky isn’t where it wants to be just yet, and that’s been obvious throughout the first four games.
Calipari has seen his team struggle on both sides of the court, with the defensive issues still present at times in recent games.
Winthrop loves to play fast, as Kelsey typically has his teams in the top 50 nationally in adjusted tempo and average possession length.
The Eagles have to find a way to keep Washington and the other Kentucky frontcourt players in check in the rebounding department because if they don’t, it’s gonna take a nearly flawless performance elsewhere to get the win.
With several players starting to find their groove, the Wildcats should earn another home win.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 44-9
Game Prediction: Kentucky 93, Winthrop 75
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