Kentucky vs Alabama score today: UK basketball game updates, highlights from SEC contest

Posted by author February 22, 2025 Basketball

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — During a news conference Friday afternoon, Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope pointed to a stat from Bart Torvik, who runs the analytics website, BartTorvik.com.

The stat: Beginning with UK’s 80-57 victory over South Carolina on Feb. 8 and running through Thursday’s games, Pope’s team ranks 14th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency at 92.3.

“That’s not somewhere we’ve lived most of the season,” Pope said, alluding to the Wildcats‘ much-maligned defense.

Kentucky’s recent defensive improvement includes the aforementioned victory over USC as well as wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt and a loss at Texas.

Just how much progress UK has made defensively will be put to the test this evening, when it faces Alabama at Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide is the nation’s most lethal offense (90.6 points per game). And it already hung 102 points on Kentucky in a five-point win in January at Rupp Arena.

“They challenge you in so many different ways,” Pope said. “And it’s the ultimate challenge for your defense, individually and team-wise. It’ll challenge us in new ways.”

None more daunting than fifth-year senior guard Mark Sears, who scored 21 points against UK in last month’s victory. He’s coming off his highest-scoring game of the season, pouring in 35 (on 12-of-20 shooting) in a 110-98 loss at Missouri.

“Sears is an incredibly talented player,” Pope said. “He’s a veteran player. He makes plays for himself and guys around him. … He can impact the game in so many different ways.”

Can the Wildcats (18-8, 7-6 SEC) avenge last month’s loss? Or will the Crimson Tide (21-5, 10-3) sweep both ends of the home-and-home regular-season series?

Follow along below with live updates from Tuscaloosa:

The contest between the Wildcats and Crimson Tide will air on ESPN. Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Jimmy Dykes (analyst) and Dick Vitale (analyst) will have the call.

Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.

You also can stream ESPN on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

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.

You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.

Betting odds: Kentucky is an 11 ½-point road underdog (-105) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 180 ½ points (-105). The money line odds are Kentucky +490, Alabama -675.

Oct. 23: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
Oct. 29: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
Nov. 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
Nov. 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
Nov. 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
Nov. 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
Nov. 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
Nov. 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 105, Georgia State 76
Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge) ∣ SCORE: Clemson 70, Kentucky 66
Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 90, Gonzaga 89 (OT)
Dec. 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Colgate 67
Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Ohio State 85, Kentucky 65
Dec. 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Brown 54
Jan. 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 106, Florida 100
Jan. 7: at Georgia | SCORE: Georgia 82, Kentucky 69
Jan. 11: at Mississippi State | SCORE: Kentucky 95, Mississippi State 90
Jan. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 81, Texas A&M 69
Jan. 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Alabama 102, Kentucky 97
Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt | SCORE: Vanderbilt 74, Kentucky 69
Jan. 28: at Tennessee | SCORE: Kentucky 78, Tennessee 73
Feb. 1: vs. Arkansas | SCORE: Arkansas 89, Kentucky 79
Feb. 4: at Ole Miss | SCORE: Ole Miss 98, Kentucky 84
Feb. 8: vs. South Carolina | SCORE: Kentucky 80, South Carolina 57
Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee | SCORE: Kentucky 75, Tennessee 64
Feb. 15: at Texas | SCORE: Texas 82, Kentucky 78
Feb. 19: vs. Vanderbilt | SCORE: Kentucky 82, Vanderbilt 61
Feb. 22: at Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 26: at Oklahoma, 9 p.m., SEC Network
March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1 p.m., ABC
March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN2
March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN

Record: 18-8 (7-6 SEC)

Ansley Almonor (forward, senior)
Koby Brea (guard, graduate)
Lamont Butler (guard, graduate)
Andrew Carr (forward, graduate)
Collin Chandler (guard, freshman)
Grant Darbyshire (guard, junior)
Brandon Garrison (forward, sophomore)
Walker Horn (guard, junior)
Kerr Kriisa (guard, senior)
Trent Noah (forward, freshman)
Otega Oweh (guard, junior)
Travis Perry (guard, freshman)
Jaxson Robinson (guard, graduate)
Amari Williams (center, graduate)

The Crimson Tide is 21-5 this season. Alabama enters the weekend tied for second in the SEC with a 10-3 record. But UA has dropped back-to-back games, first to Auburn and then to Missouri.

UK is 117-42 all time versus Alabama, but the Crimson Tide has fought the Wildcats to a draw in the last six meetings, with each team notching three victories.

Click here to see the Crimson Tide’s full 2024-25 schedule.

Want to learn the Crimson Tide’s roster?

Click here for player bios and more.

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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.