UK MBB Game vs. South Carolina to Tip at Noon on Saturday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky men’s basketball team’s game vs. South Carolina on Saturday at Rupp Arena has been set for a noon tip on ESPN.
Saturday’s game is a reschedule from the original Dec. 29 date. That game was postponed due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the South Carolina men’s basketball program. The decision to postpone was consistent with SEC COVID-19 management requirements.
The rescheduled game will conclude UK’s regular-season schedule. The Wildcats’ previously postponed game vs. Texas A&M on Feb. 23 will not be rescheduled, nor will its previously postponed nonconference game vs. Detroit Mercy that was originally set for Nov. 27. Kentucky will finish with 24 regular-season games with 17 in league play.
The Wildcats play at Ole Miss on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET for their final road game of the season.
Tickets purchased for the original Dec. 29 date with South Carolina will still be valid for the rescheduled game against the Gamecocks on March 6. UK ticket holders will receive communication via email if additional changes are made to Kentucky’s schedule.
Given the unusual nature of this season – specifically, the current unknowns related to postponed games getting rescheduled or canceled games getting replaced – UK Athletics appreciates the continued support, flexibility and understanding of its ticket holders. If circumstances change during the season and games are canceled and not rescheduled, UK Athletics will evaluate credit and refund options for the ticket portion of payment at the conclusion of the season.
UK will play the Gamecocks for the first time this season. South Carolina enters the final week of the regular season 6-12 overall and 4-10 in SEC play.
Kentucky owns a 52-13 all-time record vs. the Gamecocks, including 28-2 in Rupp Arena. South Carolina defeated the Wildcats 81-78 last season on a buzzer beater in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Wildcats are playing some of their best basketball of the season heading into the 2020-21 homestretch. UK had won three straight games – including an impressive 70-55 victory last weekend at No. 19/20 Tennessee – heading into Saturday’s game vs. Florida before dropping a 71-67 heartbreaker.
UK is averaging 76.2 points per game and shooting 40.0% from 3 and 79.8% from the free-throw line over the last five games. Kentucky had scored 80 or more points in three straight games vs. Arkansas, Auburn and Vanderbilt after doing it just twice prior to that stretch.
Forward Isaiah Jackson, who was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday, is averaging 13.8 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last five games and graduate guard Davion Mintz leads the team with a 14.8 scoring average and 16 3-pointers.A
The South Carolina game was the first of four UK games affected by COVID-19 safety protocols. In addition to the South Carolina and Texas A&M games, the Wildcats’ Nov. 27 game vs. Detroit Mercy was postponed – and now canceled – due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Detroit Mercy program and the SEC/Big 12 matchup vs. Texas on Jan. 30 was canceled after UK was put on a pause following a combination of positive testing, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the program.
The SEC’s COVID-19 management requirements, as developed by the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, are available on SECsports.com. The health and safety of Wildcat student-athletes, coaches and staff remains UK Athletics’ No. 1 priority.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
