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Other games 9-15
UK 3-8
Obvious what was working stopped working in Louisville? To be continued in 2026…. Go Bengals
Merry Christmas to all….
UK 3-8
Obvious what was working stopped working in Louisville? To be continued in 2026…. Go Bengals
Merry Christmas to all….
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Start the countdown.
He's clueless
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I watched 1st half…. Obvious
there are some personality problems, something is going on.... Beating Purdue and then crashing and burning? Until somebody speaks up like the coach he is/will be the problem. Smart play
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Kentucky -44.5 tonight playing N.C. Central
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Good win & cover -3.5
The Cats are back
The Cats are back
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Cats are driving to Atlanta Saturday to play Rick Pitino who some fans are talking about what if Pitino replaced Coach Cal whose Razorbacks scored 60 points in 1st half last night….
Tonight may want to follow Siena playing in Vermont, Money line of course…
2025 record
Other games 9-15
UK 3-8
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Should've played total over, 1st instinct wins more... Not seeing either team was a mistake.
Other games 9-16
UK 3-8
Opinion on Cats.... Looking at teams UK lost to and those teams losing not a good sign for U.... Winning conference a longer shot then preseason forecast so... Saturday with Pitino wanting to show how much of a mistake UK overlooking him was, Statement time....
St Johns wins ATS/ML if same team I saw play Alabama shows... Teams are established UK still in the works..... Change waiting to happen we'll see if whatever went down in Louisville will be over.... and UK moves on. Up to Coach Pope
Pitino & Pope are close
Nov 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images© On3
We’re less than 24 hours away from tipoff in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, where Kentucky meets St. John’s at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Of course, the matchup sets up a reunion with Rick Pitino, who coached Mark Pope and Kentucky’s 1996 team to the national championship. You know the story.
The high-stakes game is also critical to each team’s current tournament resume, as both teams need a win to boost their non-conference results. Will Kentucky keep the momentum going into Christmas with a marquee win? Or will Pitino out-coach his old captain and spoil the holiday for the Wildcats?
Here are our Parlour Pizza pregame predictions.
The good news is the Red Storm is struggling, too. You know Kentucky’s 1-4 mark in “big games.” St. John’s is 0-3 in games against ranked teams, losing to Alabama, Iowa State, and Auburn. Its best wins are vs. Baylor and Ole Miss. Pope can downplay it all he wants, but I worry about the emotional toll going up against Pitino, his old coach, will have on him after an exhausting month. Pitino is 18-4 in coaching against his former players. In a must-win scenario, I typically lean toward Pitino.
Thankfully, Kentucky has Jaland Lowe and Mo Dioubate back. The latter can help slow down former Cat Bryce Hopkins, who leads St. John’s in scoring (14 points, 4.5 rebounds). Jayden Quaintance may even make his debut, which could help vs. Zuby Ejiofor, who has been stellar against SEC teams this season, scoring a combined 66 points vs. Alabama, Auburn, and Ole Miss. Even if Quaintance plays, Brandon Garrison must build on his promising performance vs. Indiana when he comes out. Kentucky making more than just three three-pointers would go a long way, too.
I liked what I saw out of Kentucky in the second half vs. Indiana. I’ll go with the Cats to come out on top in a close one, thanks in part to a loud crowd in Catlanta.
Score: Kentucky 78, St. John’s 75
What side has the advantage? The offensive glass should give Kentucky a great shot at getting to the winner’s circle.
St. John’s enters this contest ranked No. 296 nationally in defensive rebound percentage (63.5%). The Red Storm struggles to end defensive possessions. With Mo Dioubate, Malachi Moreno (No. 140 nationally in offensive rebound rate), and perhaps Jayden Quaintance (No. 117 nationally in offensive rebound rate last season) all in the lineup, UK could create a ton of second and third opportunities on offense.
Jaland Lowe’s presence will be important, and it would help if Kentucky could pour in some threes, but this figures to be a close game. Kentucky’s offensive rebound efficiency could very well end up becoming the difference.
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The Cats record a quality victory in a game that will have stretches dominated by defense.
Score: Kentucky 74, St. John’s 69
That said, St. John’s has been defending at a high level, protecting the rim, and getting balanced scoring. In December, they are allowing just 62.7 points per game on 37.9% shooting from the field and 23.3% from three. Kentucky will compete and have a shot late, but this one feels like it slips away in the final minutes, as Rick Pitino wins out over Mark Pope. I’d love to be wrong. I hope I am.
Score: St. John’s 83, Kentucky 79
So how does Kentucky win? By gritting and grinding with a physical performance near the rim. You know who specializes in that? Rick Pitino.
For years, Pitino turned the game between Kentucky and Louisville into something that was too big for him to handle. After appearing at Pope’s Big Blue Madness, he had the cathartic moment that will allow him to coach a normal basketball game on Saturday. My fear is that Pope may pull a Pitino and make too much out of this game. Even if he doesn’t I anticipate a low-scoring under, one that’s just not good enough.
Score: St. John’s 67, Kentucky 63
Kentucky needs a quality win of this nature in a bad way, even after a win over Indiana. As a matter of fact, ESPECIALLY after a win over Indiana. St. John’s hasn’t exactly been super impressive this season either, so this is a must-win (or more likely a can’t lose) game for Kentucky. Oh, and Jayden Quaintance could even potentially make his debut, which would add a whole other layer to this UK team.
I’m predicting that Kentucky finds a way to win in a close game, but it doesn’t come down to the final seconds. My MVP pick is Jaland Lowe, who continues to look more and more like himself coming back from injury.
Score: Kentucky 73, St. John’s 68
But as Luckett mentioned, St. John’s is, for whatever reason, a bad defensive rebounding team despite being among the nation’s best on the other end. Having Mo Dioubate back in the lineup is a huge bonus for the ‘Cats, but St. John’s center Zuby Ejiofor is much bigger and more physical than anyone in Kentucky’s frontcourt faced against Indiana. UK has to win the rebounding battle.
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Both teams need this win for their NCAA Tournament resumes. Jayden Quaintance potentially making his Kentucky debut would help push me towards choosing the ‘Cats, but there is still so much unknown there that it’s difficult for me to factor that into my prediction fully.
Score: St. John’s 75, Kentucky 74
Admittedly, I’m not overly confident there, but I do think the Wildcats will hit shots and do just enough to pull this one out, with or without Jayden Quaintance. You can’t shoot worse than this team has to start the year, especially in high-profile games, so I’m betting on the law of averages to finally work in Kentucky’s favor under the bright lights of State Farm Arena.
The Johnnies are led by former Wildcat Bryce Hopkins — what a journey it’s been for him — and Zuby Ejiofor, presenting a tough frontcourt matchup for UK. The Cats could really use Quaintance here, but I’m also relying on Mo Dioubate to pick up where he left off against the Hoosiers — plus one of Brandon Garrison or Malachi Moreno to step up and produce either way. That, along with Jaland Lowe continuing to build momentum as the starting point guard (please just start him, Pope) and Otega Oweh getting comfortable with his teammates hitting some shots around him to open things up a bit.
It’s a back-and-forth pre-Christmas classic that finishes in favor of the blue and white. Sorry, Ricky P.
Score: Kentucky 81, St. John’s 79
KSR Staff Predictions: Kentucky vs. St. John’s© On3
・TV: CBS (Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, Bruce Pearl, Jenny Dell)
・Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
・AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
・FM: 98.1 WBUL
・Online: iHeart Radio
・Sirius XM: 106 or 190
KSR staff predictions: Kentucky vs. St. John’s
Other games 9-16
UK 3-8
Opinion on Cats.... Looking at teams UK lost to and those teams losing not a good sign for U.... Winning conference a longer shot then preseason forecast so... Saturday with Pitino wanting to show how much of a mistake UK overlooking him was, Statement time....
St Johns wins ATS/ML if same team I saw play Alabama shows... Teams are established UK still in the works..... Change waiting to happen we'll see if whatever went down in Louisville will be over.... and UK moves on. Up to Coach Pope
Pitino & Pope are close
Nov 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images© On3
We’re less than 24 hours away from tipoff in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, where Kentucky meets St. John’s at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Of course, the matchup sets up a reunion with Rick Pitino, who coached Mark Pope and Kentucky’s 1996 team to the national championship. You know the story.
The high-stakes game is also critical to each team’s current tournament resume, as both teams need a win to boost their non-conference results. Will Kentucky keep the momentum going into Christmas with a marquee win? Or will Pitino out-coach his old captain and spoil the holiday for the Wildcats?
Here are our Parlour Pizza pregame predictions.
Tyler Thompson
Is Kentucky’s second-half comeback vs. Indiana a sign that the Cats are putting it together? It wasn’t pretty, but Kentucky got a win it desperately needed by clamping down on defense, attacking the boards, and playing what Mark Pope called “smash mouth basketball.” Will that work vs. St. John’s, a big, physical, defensive team that also can’t shoot?The good news is the Red Storm is struggling, too. You know Kentucky’s 1-4 mark in “big games.” St. John’s is 0-3 in games against ranked teams, losing to Alabama, Iowa State, and Auburn. Its best wins are vs. Baylor and Ole Miss. Pope can downplay it all he wants, but I worry about the emotional toll going up against Pitino, his old coach, will have on him after an exhausting month. Pitino is 18-4 in coaching against his former players. In a must-win scenario, I typically lean toward Pitino.
Thankfully, Kentucky has Jaland Lowe and Mo Dioubate back. The latter can help slow down former Cat Bryce Hopkins, who leads St. John’s in scoring (14 points, 4.5 rebounds). Jayden Quaintance may even make his debut, which could help vs. Zuby Ejiofor, who has been stellar against SEC teams this season, scoring a combined 66 points vs. Alabama, Auburn, and Ole Miss. Even if Quaintance plays, Brandon Garrison must build on his promising performance vs. Indiana when he comes out. Kentucky making more than just three three-pointers would go a long way, too.
I liked what I saw out of Kentucky in the second half vs. Indiana. I’ll go with the Cats to come out on top in a close one, thanks in part to a loud crowd in Catlanta.
Score: Kentucky 78, St. John’s 75
Adam Luckett
We’ve got a Student vs. Teacher matchup in this year’s edition of the CBS Sports Classic. How Mark Pope handles this big moment is something we should all be paying very close attention to in a game that Kentucky really needs to win to salvage a brutal run in non-conference play. St. John’s also needs this one after some tough non-conference losses to Alabama, Iowa State, and Auburn.What side has the advantage? The offensive glass should give Kentucky a great shot at getting to the winner’s circle.
St. John’s enters this contest ranked No. 296 nationally in defensive rebound percentage (63.5%). The Red Storm struggles to end defensive possessions. With Mo Dioubate, Malachi Moreno (No. 140 nationally in offensive rebound rate), and perhaps Jayden Quaintance (No. 117 nationally in offensive rebound rate last season) all in the lineup, UK could create a ton of second and third opportunities on offense.
Jaland Lowe’s presence will be important, and it would help if Kentucky could pour in some threes, but this figures to be a close game. Kentucky’s offensive rebound efficiency could very well end up becoming the difference.
Sail the World's Oceans
The Cats record a quality victory in a game that will have stretches dominated by defense.
Score: Kentucky 74, St. John’s 69
Drew Franklin
Even though Kentucky found a little momentum lately, I am prepared to get hurt again. This feels like the kind of game where Kentucky plays better on a big stage, but still comes up just short in the end. I predict Jayden Quaintance will make his Kentucky debut, which is exciting, but only in limited minutes as he gets back into game shape. He’ll show off his potential, though, giving Kentucky another frontcourt option against a St. John’s team that thrives around the rim.That said, St. John’s has been defending at a high level, protecting the rim, and getting balanced scoring. In December, they are allowing just 62.7 points per game on 37.9% shooting from the field and 23.3% from three. Kentucky will compete and have a shot late, but this one feels like it slips away in the final minutes, as Rick Pitino wins out over Mark Pope. I’d love to be wrong. I hope I am.
Score: St. John’s 83, Kentucky 79
Nick Roush
Drew is prepared to get hurt. I’m preparing to watch some ugly basketball. After repeating, “This team is due to make shots in a big game,” time after time, I’m finally ready to accept the fact that is not going to be the case. When a team tries to tell you who they are, listen.So how does Kentucky win? By gritting and grinding with a physical performance near the rim. You know who specializes in that? Rick Pitino.
For years, Pitino turned the game between Kentucky and Louisville into something that was too big for him to handle. After appearing at Pope’s Big Blue Madness, he had the cathartic moment that will allow him to coach a normal basketball game on Saturday. My fear is that Pope may pull a Pitino and make too much out of this game. Even if he doesn’t I anticipate a low-scoring under, one that’s just not good enough.
Score: St. John’s 67, Kentucky 63
Jacob Polacheck
Kentucky. Mark Pope. Are you guys listening? Please don’t make me look dumb. I’ve picked you to lose in a lot of games this year, but this is not one of those games.Kentucky needs a quality win of this nature in a bad way, even after a win over Indiana. As a matter of fact, ESPECIALLY after a win over Indiana. St. John’s hasn’t exactly been super impressive this season either, so this is a must-win (or more likely a can’t lose) game for Kentucky. Oh, and Jayden Quaintance could even potentially make his debut, which would add a whole other layer to this UK team.
I’m predicting that Kentucky finds a way to win in a close game, but it doesn’t come down to the final seconds. My MVP pick is Jaland Lowe, who continues to look more and more like himself coming back from injury.
Score: Kentucky 73, St. John’s 68
Zack Geoghegan
This game could be ugly, but in a really fun way. Points are likely to be tough to come by. Defense has been the calling card for both teams so far this season. Kentucky has seen a couple of teams like St. John’s already this season, ones that play through their bigs and attack the offensive glass, in North Carolina and Gonzaga — neither ended well for UK.But as Luckett mentioned, St. John’s is, for whatever reason, a bad defensive rebounding team despite being among the nation’s best on the other end. Having Mo Dioubate back in the lineup is a huge bonus for the ‘Cats, but St. John’s center Zuby Ejiofor is much bigger and more physical than anyone in Kentucky’s frontcourt faced against Indiana. UK has to win the rebounding battle.
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Both teams need this win for their NCAA Tournament resumes. Jayden Quaintance potentially making his Kentucky debut would help push me towards choosing the ‘Cats, but there is still so much unknown there that it’s difficult for me to factor that into my prediction fully.
Score: St. John’s 75, Kentucky 74
Jack Pilgrim
We’re no longer in must-win territory, but Kentucky could really use some sustained momentum with back-to-back name-brand wins entering the holiday break before SEC play begins in January. It’s a battle of Mark Pope vs. Rick Pitino and student vs. teacher after the two sides created all-time memories together in Lexington with one of the most dominant college basketball teams in history. Nerves will be big for this one — a moment that felt a little too big in a comparable setting in the other UK coaching fraternity matchup vs. John Calipari and Arkansas. How will he respond in this one?Admittedly, I’m not overly confident there, but I do think the Wildcats will hit shots and do just enough to pull this one out, with or without Jayden Quaintance. You can’t shoot worse than this team has to start the year, especially in high-profile games, so I’m betting on the law of averages to finally work in Kentucky’s favor under the bright lights of State Farm Arena.
The Johnnies are led by former Wildcat Bryce Hopkins — what a journey it’s been for him — and Zuby Ejiofor, presenting a tough frontcourt matchup for UK. The Cats could really use Quaintance here, but I’m also relying on Mo Dioubate to pick up where he left off against the Hoosiers — plus one of Brandon Garrison or Malachi Moreno to step up and produce either way. That, along with Jaland Lowe continuing to build momentum as the starting point guard (please just start him, Pope) and Otega Oweh getting comfortable with his teammates hitting some shots around him to open things up a bit.
It’s a back-and-forth pre-Christmas classic that finishes in favor of the blue and white. Sorry, Ricky P.
Score: Kentucky 81, St. John’s 79
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KSR Staff Predictions: Kentucky vs. St. John’s© On3
Kentucky vs. St. John’s: How to Watch, Listen
・Tipoff: 12:30 p.m. ET・TV: CBS (Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, Bruce Pearl, Jenny Dell)
・Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
・AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
・FM: 98.1 WBUL
・Online: iHeart Radio
・Sirius XM: 106 or 190
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Good win
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^^^^ FB Talk *^^^ we’ll see tomorrow afternoon….. Tonight
Siena +1 1/2 over 146 1/2
2025
Other games 9-15
UK 3-8
(12-23)
2026
0-0
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UK (4) 3 pointers? 5-0 1 (2) pointer an d (3) in 1st minute? Just,,,, Shoot the Fuking ball, period!
^^^^ That's because they pass too much^^^^ !
Pope beats Division 2 teams butt gets his ass handed to him in most other's! AKA outcoached!
"Rotations matter, Pope hasn’t figured it out." I gave him his starting 5 he needed to stick with in November and he didn't listen?
The next 2 games are @ Rupp, and will be favorites but won't be a favorite if he loses!
Nate Oats criticizes Mark Pope’s offense; says Wildcats don’t pass the ball well
^^^^ That's because they pass too much^^^^ !
Pope beats Division 2 teams butt gets his ass handed to him in most other's! AKA outcoached!
"Rotations matter, Pope hasn’t figured it out." I gave him his starting 5 he needed to stick with in November and he didn't listen?
The next 2 games are @ Rupp, and will be favorites but won't be a favorite if he loses!
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Tough conference schedule coming up
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3-1 2026
Monday Nebraska.... OSU 2 of 3 loses at Home....
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Definitely! This week is make or break…. CU @ Rupp and hope we see JJ/MM/CC with Jalend and OO for starters no subs for 1st lucky “7” minutes! Live/Die at least try!
