Day: Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Time: 5 PM CST

Location: Rupp Arena - Lexington, KY.

Network: ESPN

Betting line: Western Kentucky | Kentucky

History: Western Kentucky is 2-4 all-time against the Kentucky Wildcats. The last time the two programs met was in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Hilltoppers 81-66 and went on to defeat Kansas 67-59 to win the NCAA Championship. Before meeting in March Madness, the Hilltoppers upset the No. 4 Wildcats 64-52 at Rupp Arena. There have been three regular season matchups between the Hilltoppers and the Wildcats as the two met in 1990, 1992 and 2001.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS 2021-22 RANKINGS

ESPN BPI: No. 11

KENPOM: No. 14

SAGARIN: No. 22

2020-21 NET RANKINGS: No. 32

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Guards

Freshman guard TyTy Washington Jr. has been explosive in his first season of collegiate basketball at Kentucky. Currently, Washinton Jr. is one of the leading scorers on the team with 13.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. In high school, Washington Jr. was named the Maxpreps Arizona Player of the Year, averaging 24.0 points, 7.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game for AZ Compass Prep who went 30-2 in his senior season.

Junior guard Sahvir Wheeler is a transfer from Georgia where he played for the Bulldogs in the last two seasons. As a freshman at Georgia, Wheeler played in 31 contests and made 17 starts. The native of Houston averaged 9.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game as a freshman. As a sophomore, Wheeler made starts in all 26 games and averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. In his first season at Kentucky, Wheeler is averaging 11.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Graduate guard Kellan Grady is in his first season at Kentucky and is averaging 10.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. The native of Boston has spent his first four seasons at Davidson. As a freshman in 2017, Grady started in 32 out of 33 games and averaged 18.0 points per game. As a sophomore, Grady was ranked third in the league with an average of 17.3 points per game. In his junior campaign, Grady was ranked fifth in the league with 17.2 points per game. In his final season at Davidson as a senior, he became the sixth player in program history to score 2000 or more points in his final game at Davidson. Grady started in all all 22 games and averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his senior season.

Graduate guard Davion Mintz is averaging 7.3 points and 3.6 reounds per game. Last season, Mintz declared for the 2021 NBA Draft but decided to use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to COVID-19. In 2021, Mintz led the Wildcats' offense with 11.5 points per game and made 56 three-pointers off 37.8% shooting. The Charlotte, N.C. native has spent most of his career at Creighton where he played during his freshman, sophomore, junior and senior seasons. As a freshman, Mintz started in 12 out of 29 games and averaged 3.3 points, 1.8 assists and 1.1 rebounds per game. In his next season, he averaged 6.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and a team-high 3.1 assists per game. In his junior season, he started in all 35 games and averaged 9.7 points, 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game in his 28.8 minutes per game. In Mintz's senior campaign, he was redshirted but battled ankle injuries over the course of the season. During his senior season, Creighton recorded a 24-7 record and a Big East Championship title. In a preseason exhibition tour in Australia, Mintz had 13.3 points and a team-high 13 assists.

Redshirt sophomore Dontaie Allen is currently averaging 5.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. In his freshman season at Kentucky, he used his redshirt status to recover from a he suffered in his senior year of high school basketball. As a redshirt freshman, Allen was in 22 games and started once. The Falmouth, KY. native averaged 5.4 points and was second on the team with 31 three-pointers on 39.7% shooting from range. He also led the Wildcats in effective field goal percentage at 54.5%.

Forwards

Junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe is one of the more efficient offensive weapons at the Wildcats disposal. Tshiebwe is currently averaging 16.3 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. The Lubumbashim, Democratic Republic of the Congo native transferred to the University of Kentucky midway through the 2020-21 season and was inelligible to play for the remainder of the season due to NCAA transfer rules but was able to practice with the team in February. Before transferring to Kentucky, Tshiebwe averaged 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game at West Virginia before becoming a Wildcat.

Junior forward Keion Brooks Jr. is averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. The Fort Wayne, IN. native is in his third season as a Wildcat as he played a major role for the Wildcats during his freshman and sophomore campaigns. Brooks Jr. appeared in all 31 games in his freshman season, made six starts and finished the season with 138 points, 99 rebounds, 13 blocks, 11 steals and six assists. As a sophomore, Brooks Jr. missed most of the preseason and was out for nine games due to a left leg injury but returned later in the season to be a major playmaker. Brooks Jr. averaged 10.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

Freshman forward Daimion Collins is averaging 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. The Atlanta, TX. native was a consensus five-star prospect in high school, averaging 35.2 points, 14.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 6.2 blocks per game for Atlanta High School in his senior year. Collins led Atlanta to a 19-5 record and was also named the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, he was a Naismith All-America Third-Team selection, was named to the Maxpreps All-America First-Team, was a consensus top-20 prospect in 2021. Collins was also named to the McDonald's All America Game, the Jordan Brand Classic roster and the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic.

KEY RESERVES: Davion Mintz (7.3 ppg), Dontaie Allen (5.1 ppg), Daimion Collins (4.7 ppg).

Western Kentucky is coming off an 82-72 win over Louisville at home. A week prior, the Hilltoppers crushed SEC foe Ole Miss 71-48 in the Holiday Hoopsgiving game in Atlanta. WKU has recorded two straight wins over Power Five programs this month and have established an 11-8 record over the Power Five in the last five seasons, including four home victories. Several Hilltoppers have showcased significant offensive performances in the past month, including graduate guard Camron Justice, senior forward Jairus Hamilton, junior center Jamarion Sharp and sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight. Kentucky is coming off a dominant 98-69 rout of North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic. The Wildcats have only suffered two losses so far this season as they fell to No. 2 Duke 79-71 in the Champions Classic in their season opener and fell short 66-61 at Notre Dame. The Hilltoppers had the advantage of playing against Louisville at Diddle Arena on Saturday but come this Wednesday, the Hilltoppers will be faced with playing the Wildcats at Rupp Arena. Western Kentucky will be at a disadvantage on the road in Lexington but have proven themselves to be a formiddable opponent the last couple of weeks. Although the game should be relatively close, the Wildcats will come up on top 70-62.

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