Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at Louisville
After arriving on the Kentucky campus last summer, it did not take Otega Oweh long to find out how the Big Blue Nation felt about the Cats’ games against Louisville. Last season, he got to play in one for the first time as Kentucky beat Louisville 93-85 inside Rupp Arena. What did Oweh think of his first Kentucky-Louisville contest?
“It was a great environment, especially since it was at home last year,” Oweh said. “The red versus blue is really cool.”
When asked about a memory that stood out in last season’s game, Oweh remembered a teammate getting caught up in the Louisville bench area.
“I would say (Brandon Garrison), when he was in the fire at their bench,” Oweh said. “We were just all out there.”
This year, No. 9 Kentucky travels down I-64 to face the 12th-ranked Cardinals on Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). Oweh knows that it will be tough, especially on the road, but he doesn’t mind being away from home.
“It’s good to be a good away game,” Oweh said. “I kind of like away games because when you win, it means a little more when you win on your opponent’s turf.”
How does Oweh feed off of the oppositions’ fans and their negativity?
“They obviously say a lot of negative things trying to get you to play bad,” Oweh said. “So, it makes you not want to play bad. So, I definitely feed off of it.”
As a senior, Oweh has been in many hostile environments during his career. He knows that, in times of trouble, the Cats must turn inward for support.
“In situations like that, you have just got to look at your teammates and look at the people who are going to work with you,” Oweh said. “Championship teams do well on the road.”
Kentucky faces a daunting nonconference schedule this year that includes Michigan State, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Indiana and St. John’s. And the tough nonconference games get started on Tuesday night when the Cats hit the road to face the Cards in the Derby City.
Kentucky-Louisville Rivalry
The two premier programs of the Bluegrass State have combined for more than 4,000 wins, 11 on-court national championships and 27 Final Fours. The schools have played every year dating back to 1983, minus the 2022 season when the game was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns within the Louisville program.
• Kentucky leads the all-time series 40-17 and has won three straight
• UK leads 14-10 in games played in Louisville
• Traditionally played in December, Tuesday’s game will be the first between UK and Louisville in the month of November since 1993 and the earliest in the month the matchup has ever been contested
• Tuesday will be the first meeting between the schools with both teams ranked inside the AP Top 25 since 2019-20
• The first meeting was in 1913, a 34-10 win for UK
• The highest-scoring game came in 1991 when UK won 103-89
• When Mark Pope was on the UK roster from 1994-96, the Wildcats were 2-1 against the Cards
• Last season, the Wildcats picked up a 93-85 win in the first meeting between Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey. Lamont Butler starred for the Cats, making all 10 field-goal attempts on his way to a career-high 33 points. It was the second-most points scored by a Wildcat against Louisville behind Derrick Miller’s 34 in 1989
• This will mark UK’s earliest true road game since Nov. 17, 2008 when the Cats played at North Carolina in the second game of the year
Wildcats Pounce on Valparaiso
Kentucky was dominant on Friday in a 107-59 win over Valparaiso. More on that contest:
• It was the sixth time under coach Mark Pope that the Wildcats have scored at least 100 points, and the team’s second-most points scored ever under Pope, behind the 108 last season vs. Jackson State
• Kentucky totaled 27 assists, with six players getting at least three
• Six players scored in double-figures for the first time since Jan. 18 last season vs. Alabama
• Malachi Moreno notched his first collegiate double-double, leading Kentucky with 18 points and 10 rebounds
• Brandon Garrison and Denzel Aberdeen both had perfect shooting nights. Garrison was 4 of 4 from both the field and foul line while Aberdeen went 3 of 3 from the floor and 5 of 5 at the stripe
• UK held Valparaiso to 28.4 percent shooting, its first time holding an opponent to under 30.0 percent shooting since the Cats held Alabama to 28.1 percent from the floor in February of 2022
