Getty John Calipari hopes to turn around the Wildcats this season after a losing record in 2020-2021.
Eleventh-ranked Kentucky tips off its exhibition schedule with a matchup against Division-II power Kentucky Wesleyan on Friday nght.
The game (7 p.m. ET start time) will be televised nationally on SEC Network. But if you don’t have cable or don’t have that channel, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of Kentucky vs KY Wesleyan online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of SEC Network and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV. You’ll need the Sports Plus add-on, but you can include the main channel package and any add-ons with your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Kentucky vs KY Wesleyan live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Fubo credentials to log in and watch.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of SEC Network and 90+ other TV channels on Vidgo. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch Kentucky vs KY Wesleyan live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Vidgo credentials to log in and watch.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of SEC Network and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange + Sports Extra” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with SEC Network, and you can get your first month for just $21:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Kentucky vs KY Wesleyan live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream (formerly AT&T TV) has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” SEC Network is included in “Choice” and up, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Kentucky vs KY Wesleyan live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials (may still be listed as AT&T on the list of cable providers) to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of SEC Network and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Kentucky vs KY Wesleyan live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Kentucky vs KY Wesleyan Preview
No. 11 Kentucky gets started with exhibition play on Friday in looking to rebound from a rare losing season. The Wildcats will face Kentucky Wesleyan, a Division II power that has won eight national titles.
“It’s going to be a great time,” Wildcats freshman Bryce Hopkins said per UKAthletics.com’s Tim Letcher. “We’ve been battling against each other in practice all year long, all summer, so it’s just going to be great to be out there against someone else and compete. It’s always harder playing against your teammates because they know all of your moves. So, it’s just going to be good to go out there and play against new competition.”
The Chicago native came to Kentucky as a four-star recruit and the 33rd-rated prospect nationally by ESPN. Hopkins will look to help get the Wildcats back on track after a 9-16 season in 2020-2021, where the team didn’t make the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky also hasn’t been to the Final Four since 2015.
Notable freshmen on the Wildcats squad include6-9 forward Daimion Collins from Atlanta and 6-3 guard TyTy Washington from Phoenix. The Wildcats brought in four transfers to help right the ship in Lexington. That includes C.J. Fredrick, Kellan Grady, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Sahvir Wheeler.
“Our team has a lot of depth,” Hopkins said per Letcher. “We have a lot of shooting, we have guys who are tough who can get rebounds, we have a lot of good defensive players.”
Kentucky Wesleyan finished 10-6 last season, and the Panthers return senior Wyatt Battaile, who averaged 12.1 points per game and 7.3 rebounds. The Panthers also have a couple Division I transfers in A.J. Youngman from Idaho and Antonio Thomas from Bradley.
“It has been a long time since Kentucky Wesleyan made a trip to Rupp (Arena) and I’m thrilled for our players that they will get to experience one of the best atmospheres in all of basketball,” Panthers head coach Drew Cooper said per KWCPanthers.com’s Joel Krenz.
Grady said he looks forward to something different from practice after two months of it.
“I think we’ve grown a lot from it and it’s been productive for all of us but we’re excited to lace it up against another opponent and bring all of that together in a 40-minute game,” Grady said per Letcher.
Kentucky will also play Miles College in exhibition play on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. followed by its regular season opener against No. 9 Duke on Nov. 9 at 9:30 p.m.