There isn’t a rivalry in college sports that inspires as much passion on both sides as Louisville versus Kentucky. The rivalry renews on Wednesday with both teams ranked in the top 10 in the polls for a spotlight matchup just before college basketball enters conference play.
Kentucky vs. Louisville 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule, and how to watch online
Louisville has the home floor and is finally hoping to break Kentucky’s grasp on the rivalry.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
No. 6 Kentucky is coming off a thrilling 103-100 victory over North Carolina on Saturday in what might have been the most entertaining game of the season. Star freshman Malik Monk dropped 47 points on eight three-pointers in that game and is establishing himself as John Calipari’s most prolific freshman scorer ever.
The assignment to defend Monk will likely fall on Donovan Mitchell, Louisville’s ultra-athletic sophomore guard. The 6’3 Mitchell is leading Louisville in scoring at 11.7 points per game, but he’s been at his best on the defensive end. Mitchell’s steal rate of 4.9 ranks No. 15 in the country, according to KenPom.
The offense-defense matchup in this game should be fascinating. Kentucky enters at No. 5 in offensive efficiency, while Louisville is No. 1 in defensive efficiency. Both teams are also elite at offensive rebounding, which should be a recipe for a tough, physical game all night.
Whichever team gets better point guard play could have the upper hand. Kentucky is led by freshman star De’Aaron Fox, who is proving to be terrific playmaker and defender early in his college career. Louisville will need a big game from junior Quentin Snider. What Snider lacks in size against Fox he’ll try to make up for with shooting. Snider’s 19 three-pointers lead the team, but he’s shooting only 33.3 percent from deep.
In a recent poll of local and national media, 64 people picked Kentucky to win and 18 picked Louisville. Kentucky has won eight of the last nine games between the two schools.
Here’s how you can watch Kentucky vs. Louisville on Tuesday night:
When: Wednesday, Dec. 21
Where: KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: WatchESPN
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