The non-conference slate is coming to an end as the Kentucky Wildcats look to find a rhythm before heading into SEC play in a little over two weeks. With games against North Carolina, Michigan State, Gonzaga, and Indiana now in the rearview mirror, the final major conference opponent has arrived.

That will be none other than Rick Pitino and the St. John’s Red Storm.

Facing off in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, the storylines write themselves for this matchup. Former UK team Captain faces off against his head coach? Former UK coach facing his old program? It’s a story that the BBN has been clamoring for since Pope arrived in Lexington.

However, in terms of national relevance, it doesn’t carry as much weight as many thought entering into the season.

Both preseason top-10 teams, the Cats and the Red Storm, enter Saturday’s matchup with at least three losses. Luckily for Kentucky, they will still get a chance to knock off a top-25 team to help bolster the resume after a poor non-conference record.

Now, the question becomes: How do they do that? We got a sneak peek of that in Saturday night’s second-half comeback over the Hoosiers. Built extremely differently from any other team Mark Pope has had in his coaching career, the team thrives in the chaos.

Not built to be an elite shooting team, however, they would rather force turnovers on defense and score in transition. Mix in the offensive glass, and they really could make some noise if it all continues to grow.

What to Watch for in Kentucky vs. St. John’s

We have now seen both spectrums regarding rebounding with this team. Against North Carolina, they got dominated and lost a brutal game to the Tar Heels.

Fast-forward to Indiana, and the Cats controlled the glass on both ends and picked up a momentum-shifting win.

For this team to win games, they need to minimize the number of opponent possessions and steal some on the offensive glass. Do that, and the BBN should feel good about this one.

Neither team enters this game as a great 3-point threat. Kentucky is coming off a 4/24 (20%) performance from deep against the Hoosiers while shooting 23.3% vs. Michigan State, 20.6% vs. Gonzaga, and 0.77% vs. North Carolina. The Cats are shooting just 32.2% from deep this season, while the Johnnies are hitting just 33.7%

That means winning the 3-point battle is going to go a long way in this one and may very well be what decides the game.

The Cats haven’t flashed that shooting ability we have heard so much about. Let’s hope they can stand against the Red Storm, or else, we could be in for another woeful offensive performance.

So far this season, St. John’s has turned the ball over 13.4 times per game. After forcing 18 against Indiana, the Cats have shown the ability to really lock in and force mistakes on the defensive end of the court.

If they can take advantage of this weakness, it will go a long way once again.

The BBN have been clamoring for this team to show some energy and heart in games this season. They did that Saturday night, and now it needs to continue in Atlanta to have any chance of upsetting St. John’s.

There won’t be too many more chances to get wins over top-25 teams. Have to take advantage of every single one now to help build the resume.

Kentucky Basketball vs. St. John’s Red StormTime: 12:30 PM ET on December 20th, 2025Location: State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GeorgiaTV Channel: CBSOnline Stream: Paramount+Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.Replay: SEC network (check local listings)Rosters: UK | SJUStats to Know: UK | SJUKenPom: UK | SJUTeam Sheet: UK | SJUOdds: FanDuel Sportsbook does not yet have an official betting spread, so check back Friday for those. As far as the metrics, Evan Miya, gives Kentucky a 36.7% chance of winning. KenPom is higher at 46% in favor of the Cats. ESPN actually gives Kentucky a very narrow 50.3% chance of winning. BartTorvik, meanwhile, gives Kentucky just a 39% of winning.Predictions: EvanMiya has St. John’s winning 81-77. Haslametrics has the Wildcats winning 73-72. BartTorvik has St. John’s winning 79-76, and KenPom has the Red Storm winning 78-77. This game comes down to which team can win the three point line. It finally seems like the right game for the Cats to get hot as well. Give me a 76-68 victory, Kentucky!

How do you see this one playing out? Send us your game predictions down in the comments section!