Men's College Basketball

Kansas vs. Kentucky 2017 live stream: Time, TV schedule, how to watch Big 12/SEC Challenge online

Two of college basketball’s proudest programs are ready to square off in one of the biggest games of the year.

Jan 28, 2017, 1:00 PM UTC

NCAA Basketball: South Carolina at Kentucky

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks and No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats go head-to-head in a cross-conference matchup featuring two of college basketball’s top coaches in Bill Self and John Calipari. The game is set to tip off at 6:15 p.m. ET on Saturday in Lexington and is available for live stream on WatchESPN.

Both teams enter Saturday after being upset in their last games.

The Jayhawks (18-2) are looking to bounce back from an 85-69 loss to No. 18 West Virginia on Tuesday, while Kentucky (17-3) took an 82-80 defeat to unranked Tennessee.

The Kentucky-Kansas showdown will feature one of the best guard battles college basketball has to offer.

This year’s Wildcat squad is led by freshman duo Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox. Monk is climbing up draft boards, averaging 21.9 points per game on 49.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.9 percent shooting from downtown, while Fox has taken the role of facilitator, posting 16.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Kentucky’s two-guard tandem will go toe-to-toe with Jayhawks 5’11 shooter Frank Mason III, who’s torching teams on 52.8 percent shooting from three-point range for 19.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Kansas will be without forward Carlton Bragg Jr., who has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules. He averages 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds off the bench for the Jayhawks.

Kentucky’s reserve shooter Mychal Mulder, who averages 6.5 points on 40.4 percent three-point shooting, will also miss Saturday’s matchup due to an illness.

The Wildcats are going up against a Jayhawks team that has adopted a small-ball style this season. Kansas had won 18 straight games before its loss to West Virginia. At 121.9 points per 100 possessions, KU boasts one of college basketball’s more power-packed offenses.

But Kentucky rattled off seven consecutive wins of its own before losing to the Volunteers. The Wildcats will be looking for some vengeance in Saturday’s can’t-miss showdown.