Up to a season-high No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25, Kentucky could be caught in a bit of a trap game against Colgate of the Patriot League, simply as this matchup comes in between UK’s showdowns with Gonzaga and Louisville.

UK is a heavy favorite for Wednesday on the NCAAB odds in Week 6.

Why Bet on Colgate Basketball?

Colgate is just 2-8 but has played an incredibly tough schedule. It comes off a fourth straight defeat, 78-75 at Northeastern on Sunday. Northeastern snatched the win with a game-deciding 9-0 run that turned a one-point deficit into a 60-52 lead with 7:06 remaining in the contest. The Huskies opened their largest lead, 70-59, with 2:40 remaining, after five unanswered points from Harold Woods.

Chandler Baker

The Raiders fought back to close within one possession late. Baker hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the margin to 73-68, and then Louis-Jacques was fouled on a three-point attempt. He made all three free throws to close the gap to 75-73 with seven ticks left.

Northeastern struggled from the free throw line all afternoon, but JB Frankel made two big ones to make it 78-75 with four seconds left. In one last gasp, Jalen Cox ran the floor and drew two defenders before passing to an open Brady Cummins, but his shot from the right wing rattled out as time expired.

Brady Cummins

Cummins led five Raiders in double-figure scoring with 15 points on 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from behind the arc. Jalen Cox, who was 8-for-8 from the free throw line, and Nicolas Louis-Jacques scored 14 apiece, while Parker Jones finished with 13 and Baker 12.

Colgate racked up 14 steals and forced 18 turnovers. The Raiders outscored the Huskies 23-8 off turnovers, but the home team turned 11 offensive rebounds into a 17-7 advantage in second-chance points. Colgate shot 44.2 percent overall and 39.1 percent from behind the arc, while Northeastern shot 59 percent in the second half and 54 percent for the game. The Raiders were 20-of-26 from the free throw line to Northeastern’s 19-of-29 mark.

Matt Langel

“We certainly had our chances. Northeastern has positioned itself well early in the season with some nice wins to their name. Winning on the road is extremely hard to do in college basketball. Our schedule has been challenging with the circumstances we’ve faced. Our guys stepped up and fought hard together to make some plays, but every game has its own identity. This was a back-and-forth contest, and ultimately we came up short,” Coach Langel said.

Colgate’s strength of schedule is ranked 121st in the country, arguably the toughest non-conference slate in program history. Lehigh is the next closest Patriot League opponent, with an SOS ranked 197th nationally. Colgate was picked first in the Patriot League preseason poll for the fourth consecutive year, receiving 14 of a possible 18 first-place votes. Langel is 13-for-13 in either tying or beating the preseason ranking, but has an unfamiliar task this season, leading a team that does not return an All-Patriot League selection for the first time since the 2017-2018 season.

Colgate’s young team features nine underclassmen with four first years, five sophomores, two seniors and one fifth-year. Cummins is leading the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game, while senior Louis-Jacques is also averaging in double figures with 10.9 points per contest.

Ephraim Woods

Watching from the seats of Rupp Arena on Wednesday will be the family of Ephraim Woods, the late Colgate chemistry professor and men’s basketball faculty liaison who passed away on Feb. 13, 2023 following a battle with brain cancer. Woods, a native of Ashland, Ky., was a lifelong Wildcats fan who developed a love for Raiders’ basketball after he began teaching at Colgate in 2002.

“In playing Kentucky, I’m sure taking the trip down there will be for me emotional in a good way."

When we take the court at Kentucky on Wednesday night, the event will be more than just a game.#GoGatehttps://t.co/AWw5JVgjeG

— Colgate Men's Basketball (@ColgateMBB) December 9, 2024

As liaison, he became a regular at practices while building friendships with coaches and student-athletes. Several efforts were made in recent years to schedule a game with Kentucky, but the two programs couldn’t make it work until this season. His family will be there tonight.

Why Bet on Kentucky Basketball?

Kentucky (8-1) bounced back from its only loss of the season to a very good Clemson team with a thrilling 90-89 overtime win at No. 7 Gonzaga on Saturday – rallying from an 18-point deficit. Otega Oweh converted at the rim in the opening minute of overtime to put the Wildcats in front 81-79, their first lead since early in the first half. Amari Williams added a dunk, and Kentucky held on the rest of the way despite Nolan Hickman’s 3-pointer that pulled Gonzaga within a point with 5 seconds to go.

The Deficit

The Cats matched the largest halftime deficit overcome in school history, coming from 16 points down at the intermission to win. The Zags had won 175 consecutive games when it led by double digits at halftime, as they did Saturday. Kentucky is 2-0 against AP top 10 opponents this season. It is the quickest (nine games) into a season that the Cats have two victories over AP top 10 opponents since 2014-15 (eight games). UK held Gonzaga to just 6-27 (22.2%) shooting from beyond the arc. It is the sixth opponent that Kentucky has held to less than 25 percent from deep on the season.

Lamont Butler

Playing without starting point guard Butler, who missed the game due to an ankle injury, the Cats were led by Andrew Carr with 19 points, while Jaxson Robinson added 18. Otega Oweh had 13 points, while Amari Williams had 12. Brandon Garrison came off the bench to score 10 points and grab nine rebounds. Butler is questionable for this one.

Kerr Kriisa

Another guard, Kriisa, reached 1,000 points for his collegiate career when he buried a 3-pointer on Kentucky’s first possession of the game. He finished with eight points and four assists, but left the game with an injury with 8:41 to go in the second half and is out indefinitely as he will need surgery on his foot, but likely will return this season. The transfer Kriisa has played in all nine games for the Wildcats this season, averaging 4.4 points and 3.8 assists per game. Kriisa’s numbers don’t accurately tell the story of his impact in Kentucky’s 8-1 start. He brings energy and leadership and a guy who is fearless and has moved the ball. There’s a chance Kriisa would be back for the early portion of the SEC schedule, which begins Jan. 4 at home vs. Florida.

Kerr Kriisa sustained a foot injury in last night’s game vs. Gonzaga which will require surgery. Surgery is set to happen in the coming days, and while the injury is not considered to be season-ending, he will be out indefinitely.

📰🔗 – https://t.co/NL9Cs05ce2 pic.twitter.com/I2xqaHuNbx

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 8, 2024

Mark Pope

“We’ll be excited to get him back,” coach Pope said after heaping praise on Kriisa’s competitive nature. “He’s dealing with the best doctors and performance team in the country, and so we’re expecting him back sooner rather than later.”

Kentucky’s offense is clicking under Pope. The Wildcats are scoring a nation-leading 92.6 points per game and have already eclipsed the century mark on four occasions. The team’s 19.6 assists per game are tops in the conference and eighth in the country, while the 10.2 made 3s per game is the best in the SEC and 29th most in Division I. The Wildcats are sixth in the nation in fast break points at 19.22 per game, and the Cats are playing at a 15.1 pace, the ninth fastest in the country. Despite trailing at halftime on the boards in each of its last two games, UK ranks third in the country in rebounds per game with an average of 44.67.

How to Bet Colgate at Kentucky Game Lines NCAA Basketball

When: Wednesday, 8 PM ET
Where: Rupp Arena
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+

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