Scheduled For: Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Venue: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
Broadcasting On: ESPN+
On Tuesday, the Brown Bears (7-4) will face off against the Kentucky Wildcats (10-2) at Rupp Arena.
In their previous outing, the Brown Bears faced off against Kansas and suffered a 87-53 defeat. The Bears struggled offensively, shooting only 26.7% from the field (20 of 75) and hitting just 8 of 33 from beyond the arc. From the free-throw line, Brown converted 5 of their 8 attempts, resulting in a shooting percentage of 62.5%. In terms of rebounding, they secured a total of 36 boards, with 14 on the offensive end. The team also recorded 8 assists and forced 6 turnovers while managing to snag 4 steals. Defensively, Brown allowed Kansas to shoot 50.0% from the field, making 34 of 68 attempts. Kansas tallied 17 assists and achieved 7 steals, while collecting a total of 46 rebounds (including 9 offensive). Kansas finished the game with an impressive free throw shooting percentage of 73.3%, converting 11 of 15 attempts, and hit 8 of their 22 three-point shots. In terms of fouls, the Bears committed a total of 12 while Kansas had 5.
Aaron Cooley emerged as a significant player in this matchup, finishing with a shooting percentage of 25.0% from the field, totaling 6 points on 3 of 12 shooting. He contributed 3 assists, recorded 9 rebounds, and spent 31 minutes on the floor.
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The Brown Bears enter this game with a record of 7-4 this season, averaging 72.8 points per game (253rd nationally) and shooting 44.4% from the field. They currently boast a 34.3% success rate from three-point range (96 of 280) and 64.7% from the free-throw line. Collectively, Brown averages 36.5 rebounds per game and has recorded 159 assists throughout the year, ranking 284th in Division 1 for assists. The team averages 11.5 turnovers and commits 15.1 fouls per game.
Defensively, the Bears are forcing 11.7 turnovers per contest and average 14.5 fouls. They rank 12th in the nation for limiting assists, giving up just 116 for the year. The Bears’ defense allows opponents to shoot 42.1% from the field (284 of 675) and surrenders 36.7 rebounds each game. They permit opponents to shoot 31.8% from three-point range and rank 145th in Division 1 for points allowed per game, with an average of 69.7 points.
The Kentucky Wildcats faced a setback in their last game, losing 85-65 to Ohio State. In terms of rebounding, Kentucky allowed Ohio State to claim 29 total boards (6 offensive). Kentucky struggled from three-point range, converting only 28.6% (4 of 14), and shot 21 of 27 from the free-throw line, achieving a 77.8% success rate. Ohio State finished the game shooting an impressive 56.6% from the field (30 of 53). Ultimately, Kentucky shot 17 of 57, resulting in a field goal percentage of 29.8%, and made 4 of their 22 three-point attempts (18.2%). They excelled from the charity stripe, with a 84.4% success rate on 27 attempts. Ohio State committed 22 fouls during this game, allowing the Wildcats 32 free throws. Kentucky committed 9 turnovers and managed to secure 17 defensive rebounds alongside 11 offensive rebounds for a total of 28.
Otega Oweh was a standout performer for the Wildcats, scoring 21 points in his 30 playing minutes while notching 2 rebounds and failing to record any assists, finishing with a field goal percentage of 30.8% on 4 of 13 shooting.
Kentucky holds a record of 10-2 thus far in the season. They average 16.3 fouls per game and boast an impressive free-throw percentage of 73.8%. The Wildcats excel in assists with 18.8 per game (10th in the nation) while averaging 9.8 turnovers. For the season, they have accumulated 1,069 points (89.1 points per game) and average 43.4 boards per game. Offensively, Kentucky shoots 48.0% from the field, ranking 65th in college basketball.
Defensively, Kentucky has limited opponents to 27.6% from three-point range (88 of 319) and allows a free-throw shooting percentage of 70.1%. The Wildcats average 11.9 assists allowed and concede 36.2 rebounds per game, ranking 100th and 273rd nationally, respectively. Defensively, they are placed 225th in points allowed per game with an average of 72.8. They force an average of 10.1 turnovers per game while allowing teams to shoot 40.5% from the field, placing them 68th overall in college basketball.
Free Prediction: Bet on Kentucky (-24.0)
