What channel is Kentucky vs. Kansas on today? Time and schedule for Cats' game vs. No. 1
LEXINGTON — Any time the topic of name, image and likeness deals — and how they influence the recruiting process — comes up in conversation, Kentucky coach John Calipari repeats a mantra.
"If it's about NIL more than basketball, you shouldn't come here," Calipari said at SEC men's basketball media day last month — and on other occasions since NIL began taking hold across the country.
One instance where NIL played a key role in a player's eventual decision was Hunter Dickinson, who starred at Michigan the past three seasons. He entered the transfer portal in March. He then visited five schools, including Kentucky, before picking Kansas. Dickinson has been open about the increase in NIL opportunities with the Jayhawks.
But during UK's recruitment of Dickinson, and his in-person trip to Lexington, NIL talk never surfaced.
"He never came at me with, 'You've got to do this (for me with NIL),'" Calipari said Monday. "If he had done that, then I probably would have walked. But he never did that."
Now, he's Calipari's problem: The No. 16 Wildcats face Dickinson and the top-ranked Jayhawks Tuesday night in Chicago. Game planning for the 7-foot-2, 260-pound Dickinson — an All-America selection in 2020-21 and a three-time All-Big Ten honoree, with career averages of 17.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as a collegian — is tough enough when a team is at full strength. Even tougher given the state of UK's roster: Its three tallest players (7-foot Ugonna Onyenso, 7-1 Aaron Bradshaw and 7-2 Zvonimir Ivišić) aren't expected to be available Tuesday. Foot injuries already ruled out Bradshaw and Onyenso, while Calipari said the NCAA is still sorting through Ivišić's amateur status after playing professionally overseas.
At least Adou Thiero, the 6-foot-8, 228-pound sophomore guard, is supposed to return Tuesday after missing last week's win over Texas A&M-Commerce because of a concussion.
"In this game, if we didn't have Adou there?" Calipari said. "It would be really hard."
Difficult enough as is when the tallest Wildcat certain to take the floor Tuesday night is senior forward Tre Mitchell, who is 6-foot-9.
"I'll probably pull (Dickinson) away from the hoop a lot, get him involved in a lot of pick-and-rolls and make him make decisions and go from there," Mitchell said last week. "I'm not somebody that is afraid of a name. The only man I fear is God. So I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna give you what I got against him.
"And it's not gonna be easy for him. I'm gonna make him have to earn everything he gets."
The same is true of the Jayhawks in totality.
"You're playing the No. 1 team in the country. Well coached. Hall of Fame coach," said Calipari, referring to his friend, Kansas coach Bill Self. "You're not going to walk in and say, 'We're going to trick 'em.' No, there's not going to be any tricking. They're not going to trick us. We're not going to trick (them).
"Here's how they play. Here's how we play. Who's making shots? Who's executing the best?"
Win or lose, Calipari won't overreact to Tuesday's outcome, which features the two winningest programs in college basketball history.
"There's a difference between playing hard and being a dog," he said. "A dog beats a guy to balls. He's the first one to the floor. He's helping his teammates. He's talking. He's physical. He's gonna block out every time — he's looking for a body, not running from a body. That's a dog.
"We're gonna find out who the dogs are on this team."
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Here's everything you need to know about Kentucky's game against No. 1 Kansas, including time, TV and streaming info and more:
Kentucky basketball vs. Kansas start time
UK and Kansas are slated to tip off at approximately 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at the United Center in Chicago. The game will start after the conclusion of the first matchup of this year's Champions Classic: Duke vs. Michigan State.
What channel is Kentucky vs. Kansas on today?
Kentucky vs. Kansas will air nationally on ESPN. Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline) will be on the call for the television broadcast.
Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
Those without cable can access ESPN via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial to potential subscribers.
How to listen to Kentucky vs. Kansas basketball on the radio
Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington or online at UKAthletics.com.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How to watch Kentucky-Kansas basketball: Channel, time for game today
