How to Watch: Kentucky Wildcats at #15 Arkansas Razorbacks

The Kentucky Wildcats had their five-game win streak snapped on Tuesday against the #18 Vanderbilt Commodores and now, they're on the road again facing the #15 Arkansas Razorbacks. It's a very important game for the Wildcats, as they need to respond well after their embarrassing loss Tuesday. That's what Kentucky fans want to see most, as it willl be very difficult to come away with this win.

Arkansas is one of the best teams in the SEC and one of the best offenses in the country, best known for their efficiency, ball-movement and fast pace. They're an exciting offense that features one of the best freshmen in college basketball in guard Darius Acuff. He is a huge reason why Arkansas has such high assist numbers and why the offense runs as smooth as it does. John Calipari's Razorbacks have been excellent at home in the SEC as they are coming into this game with a 5-0 home record.

It's an extremely dangerous offense that Arkansas has and they can put up points in a hurry, especially if you are a team vulnerable to mistakes, as they are also second in the country in fast-break points, so they can easily get out and run. As much as we talk about their electric defense, an area of weakness is their two-point defense. LSU, one of the worst teams in the conference, was able to put up 81 points in a four-point loss all while going just 3-15 from three because they did their damage from inside easily.

How to watch Kentucky take on Arkansas

The Kentucky Wildcats will take on the #15 Arkansas Razorbacks at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday night and fans can watch on ESPN. You may also listen to the game on the UK Sports Network.

Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) shoots the ball against Mississippi Rebels forward Malik Dia (0). — Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) shoots the ball against Mississippi Rebels forward Malik Dia (0) during the second half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Keys to victory for Kentucky against Arkansas

Keep them out of the paint and force turnovers

The most efficient way the Arkansas Razorbacks score is from inside. All of their ball-movement leads to plenty of looks from inside with players constantly driving and cutting to the basket and Kentucky is going to have to find ways to limit that. Even when Arkansas scored 93 against Vanderbilt, they only shot 9-22 from three. It was their scoring from inside that did the most damage, as they went 28-42. Six Razorbacks scored in double-figures in that game as they tallied 25 assists. It's a dangerous offense that all starts with it's ball-movement that feeds off of getting to the rim. Staying in a zone would not work, though. Mark Pope will need to mix up the defensive looks, or it could get ugly. The best way would be staying aggressive on that end of the floor and make them uncomfortable. In SEC play, Arkansas is 10th in steal percentage and very vulnerable to aggressive defenses.

Get to the free-throw line

We talked about their two-point offense, but Arkansas' defense in that area is very questionable. Overall, Arkansas ranks 232nd in two-point defense and in conference play, they are 15th in that category among those in the SEC. Even LSU, who is one of the worst teams in the conference, was able to exploit this weakness and put up 81 points all while despite going 3-15 from three. The Tigers went 25-46 from two and even 22-25 from the free throw line. That and taking care of the ball have to be Kentucky's top priorities on the offensive end because that can give Arkansas' offense extra opportunities.

Overall, Kentucky fans really just want to see their team respond and if they put together a really good showing on the road against a very hot team like Arkansas, it can provide some much-needed confidence as they continue through this very tough stretch of games. It will be hard to come away with a win, but just looking good actually can go a long way right now.