MBB Preview: Arkansas at Kentucky

January 31, 2025

Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (12-8, 1-6 SEC) vs 12/12 Kentucky Wildcats (15-5, 4-3 SEC)
What: The return of Coach Calipari, staff and players to Rupp Arena.
When: Saturday – Feb. 1 – 9 pm (ET) /. 8 pm (CT)
Where: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center/Cawood’s Court (20,500)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: ESPN / Watch ESPN APP (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dukes and Alyssa Lang)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 385 / XM: 385 || SXM App Channel 975
– Arkansas Gameday App
– Live Stats

– Arkansas Game Notes
– Kentucky Game Notes
– SEC Notes/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – Coming off a midweek bye, Arkansas returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 1) at #12 Kentucky. Tipoff in Rupp Arena is set for 9 pm (ET) / 8 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN.

After Kentucky, the Razorbacks stay on the road to play Texas in Austin on Wednesday (Feb. 5).

NOTES:

Arkansas and Kentucky have met on 50 previous occasions, all but four since Arkansas joined the SEC (1991-92).
Kentucky owns a 36-14 advantage in the series, including a 32-14 mark in SEC games.
Arkansas lost in Rupp Arena last season, 111-102, but has won two of the last three meetings in Lexington. However, Kentucky owns a 16-5 advantage all-time in games played at Kentucky.
Kentucky has won three straight in the series.
Razorback head coach John Calipari is 2-4 all-time when facing Kentucky and is 0-2 when facing the Wildcats in Rupp Arena. However, Calipari did post a 248-26 record as Kentucky’s head coach in Rupp Arena.
In each of the last two games, Arkansas has faced a significant deficit in the first half but made rallies thanks to defending the 3-point shot. Georgia and Oklahoma were a combined 0-of-10 from 3-point range. In fact, over the last three games, Arkansas has held opponents to just 2-of-16 from 3-point range in the second half.
Arkansas has blocked at least five shots 12 times this season, including 7 of the last 10 games and ranks 7th nationally in blocked shots, averaging 5.8 per game.
Johnell Davis, who had 10 steals in his first 16 games of the season, has seven in the last two games (Georgia and Oklahoma). Eight of those 10 steals came in four-straight games where he had two each (Little Rock, UMES, Illinois, Miami).
Zvonimir Ivisic has played well in each of the last three games. Here is a comparison of his stats from the first four SEC games versus the last three SEC games.
^ FIRST FOUR SEC GAMES: 6.8 minutes/gm • 0.8 ppg (1-of-5 3PT) • 1.8 rpg • 1.0 block/gm
^ LAST THREE SEC GAMES: 26.3 minutes/gm • 10.3 ppg (5-of-15 3PT) • 6.7 rpg • 2.0 blocks.gm

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