Kentucky vs. Ole Miss: Tipoff Moved Up as Wildcats Look to Stay Hot at Home
LEXINGTON - Kentucky basketball fans, set your alarms a little earlier than usual. What was already an early tipoff at Rupp Arena just got bumped up even more.
Due to the threat of hazardous weather from Winter Storm Fern, today’s matchup between Kentucky and Ole Miss will now tip at 11 a.m. ET - one hour earlier than the originally scheduled noon start.
It’s a key SEC showdown between two teams trying to build momentum in the heart of conference play. Kentucky (13-6, 4-2 SEC) enters riding a four-game win streak, showing signs of stabilizing after a rocky 0-2 start to their SEC campaign. Mark Pope’s squad has found its footing, and they’ll be looking to keep that rhythm going in front of the home crowd at Rupp.
Ole Miss (11-8, 3-3 SEC) has followed a similar arc. The Rebels also dropped their first two league games before stringing together three straight wins.
That streak came to a halt earlier this week, though, with a 78-66 loss to Auburn in Oxford. The Rebels will need a bounce-back performance - and they’ll have to do it in one of the toughest road environments in the SEC.
And history’s not exactly on Ole Miss’ side.
The Wildcats have absolutely dominated this series at home. Kentucky owns a staggering 57-2 record against Ole Miss at Rupp Arena and leads the all-time series 111-15.
Last season, though, the Rebels did manage to flip the script with a 98-84 win over Kentucky - a rare home loss in the series for the Wildcats. That result will no doubt be fresh in the minds of both teams heading into today’s rematch.
Here’s what you need to know to follow the action:
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Tipoff: 11 a.m.
ET at Rupp Arena (moved up from noon due to Winter Storm Fern)
- TV: ESPN (national broadcast)
- Streaming: WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app, or through streaming services like Fubo, which is offering a free trial
Betting Lines (via DraftKings)
- Spread: Kentucky favored by 9.5 points (-110)
- Over/Under: 144.5 points (-110)
- Moneyline: Kentucky -500, Ole Miss +380
Radio Broadcast
- Play-by-Play: Tom Leach
- Color Analyst: Jack “Goose” Givens
- Stations: 840 AM (Louisville), 630 AM and 98.1 FM (Lexington)
- Online: Streaming available via UKAthletics.com
With both teams trying to stay in the thick of the SEC race, and with weather forcing an earlier-than-expected tip, there’s no shortage of storylines heading into this one. Kentucky will look to extend its win streak and protect its home court dominance, while Ole Miss aims to play spoiler and get back on track.
Bundle up, grab your coffee, and settle in - it’s going to be an early but intriguing SEC battle in Lexington.