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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Central Michigan Chippewas
- Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
- Time: 7 pm ET on November 29th, 2021.
- TV Channel: This game will only be on streaming services via SEC Network+. For more info on how watch it, go here.
- Announcers: Dave Neal and Pat Bradley are calling the action.
- Online Stream: WatchESPN, the ESPN app, or you can use a free trial of fuboTV.
- Radio: Tom Leach and Mike Pratt have the UK Sports Network call tonight.
- Online Radio Stream
- Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
- Tickets
- Rosters: UK | CMU
- Odds: DraftKings has Kentucky favored by a whopping 30 points. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Wildcats an 98.% chance of winning. KenPom gives the 14th-ranked Wildcats a 99% chance of beating the 315th-ranked Chippewas.
- Predictions: KenPom projects an 87-59 victory for Kentucky. TeamRankings is going with an 89-59 win for the Cats!
Big O from half court
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) November 29, 2021
@Oscartshiebwe34 pic.twitter.com/5JFmrkU0fp
How to watch tonight’s game >> https://t.co/RnjtX5RRAg pic.twitter.com/xWoshCf4a3
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) November 29, 2021
The Kentucky Wildcats are starting to get into full-stride of their non-conference schedule as they will be back in action Monday night against Central Michigan.
Sitting at 5-1 on the season, the Cats have shown signs of improvement each game with a different player stepping up to give the Big Blue Nation confidence of how good this team might be.
The biggest difference to this year's team as we all know is experience, and it has shown early and often through the first six games.
Junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe is leading the way with 13.6 points and 16 rebounds per game. He’s also locking down the paint on both ends of the floor.
Add in junior guard Sahvir Wheeler and graduate transfer Kellan Grady, you can absolutely see how this team has been able to battle through adversity through some of these early non-conference games.
However, it wouldn't be a John Calipari team without a star freshman, and this year, that is TyTy Washington. He is currently leading the team in points per game at 14.8, while also adding five rebounds and three assists per game.
After a slow start in the first two games, Washington has absolutely found his rhythm while impacting both sides of the ball and showing that grit that scouts and his high school coaches raved about.
For Central Michigan, this game will be a homecoming for their head coach, as Tony Barbee will be returning to the sidelines in Rupp. Barbee was an assistant under Coach Cal since the 2014 season and took over for the Chippewas this past offseason.
Coming into Monday night's contest, Central Michigan sits at 2-4 and coming off losses to Gonzaga and Bellarmine out in Las Vegas.
The Chippewas will be led by Jermaine Jackson Jr. (No. 10). Heading into this game, he’s averaging 13.6 points while shooting 44% from the field and 44% from three. He fits into the score-first guard mentality while also adding two rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, all while coming off the bench.
Alongside Jackson, Barbee will look for Harrison Henderson (No. 3) to get going. At 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, Henderson has the body to be a force inside, but also isn't afraid to float around on the perimeter and take the open three when he gets the look, as he is taking just about three per game. Overall, he’s currently averaging 10.8 points per game while also adding in five rebounds.
For Kentucky, this game should be another opportunity to work on their pressure defense. The Chippewas are a decent three point shooting team overall, but they do struggle getting the looks, as they’re averaging 14.0 turnovers a game.
Get Wheeler and Washington to pressure up on the guards, and the Cats should once again dictate the pace of this game.