The border rivalry is back in Rupp Arena, and the weather is doing its best to get in the way. With snow moving through the Bluegrass on Friday and into Saturday, getting downtown may be a little trickier than usual, and the drive down from Bloomington definitely will not be fun. But the game is still on, and both Kentucky basketball and Indiana badly need this December statement win.
How to watch and listen to Kentucky vs. Indiana basketball
Tip: 7:30 PM
Date: Saturday, December 13th
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
Streaming options:Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV
Channel information: ESPN
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, with streaming available through ESPN+ and the ESPN app for authenticated subscribers. If you are on the road or stuck shoveling the driveway, Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network, with audio also available through the UK Athletics radio stream and local affiliates around the state.
Radio options include: Stream live at UKAthletics.com or on iHeartRadio via WLAP 630.
Local FM/AM Stations:
Lexington: 98.1 FM / 630 WLAP
Louisville: 840 AM WHAS
London: 103.9 FM WWEL
Hazard/Pikeville: 101.1 WSGS
Madisonville: 93.9 FM WKTG
Related: Kentucky's biggest whiff in the Transfer Portal is lighting it up
What to watch in Kentucky basketball vs Indiana
Between the lines, this one has real juice. Indiana comes in playing some of the best offensive basketball in the country, averaging more than 88 points per game with one of the most efficient attacks in the sport. Kentucky is not far behind at 85.5 points per game and has been top-50 nationally in offensive efficiency, combining a heavy diet of ball screens, cuts and transition threes.
Kentucky’s profile this season has been built on volume and balance. The Cats are north of 48 percent from the field, over 60 percent on twos and among the national leaders in total rebounds per game. They share the ball at a high rate with more than 19 assists per night, but that number dips when the competition rises, which is something to keep in mind against a high-major defense. Indiana, meanwhile, does almost everything you want to see offensively: elite effective field goal percentage, over 38 percent from three and more than 20 assists per game, which is good for top-five nationally.
Defensively, Kentucky’s numbers are better than most people would guess after the Gonzaga loss. Opponents are shooting just 39 percent from the field and under 30 percent from three, and Kentucky’s opponents are scoring only 67 points per game, which is top-40 nationally. Indiana is right there too, holding teams under 67 points and under 40 percent shooting while quietly ranking among the better passing defenses in the country.
Factor in the weather, the late tip and the emotional energy that always comes with Kentucky vs Indiana, and this sets up as one of those nights where Rupp might start a little slow but can flip in a hurry. If the Cats can finally put together a clean first half instead of chasing the game, and if they can keep Indiana off the three-point line and the offensive glass, this has the feel of a classic rivalry chapter that will echo into March.