Getty Bryce Hopkins and the Providence Friars take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The No. 6 seed Kentucky Wildcats (21-11) and the No. 11 seed Providence Friars (21-11) will clash in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at Greensboro, North Carolina on March 17.
The game (7:10 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on CBS, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on Amazon Prime, Paramount+, FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which all come with a free trial.
Here’s a full guide on the different ways to you can watch a live stream of Kentucky vs Providence online for free:
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Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch a live stream of their local CBS station via the Prime Paramount+ channel (“Premium” plan). You can try both Amazon Prime and the Paramount+ Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Once you’re signed up for the Prime Paramount+ Channel, you can watch Kentucky vs Providence live on the Amazon Video app or Amazon website.
Compatible devices for the Amazon Video app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, various smart TV’s, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Paramount+
This is ultimately the same as the Amazon Prime option above, only you’ll watch on Paramount’s digital platforms instead of Amazon’s. You can watch your local CBS channel live via Paramount+ (“Premium” plan), which comes with a free trial:
Once signed up for Paramount+, you can watch Kentucky vs Providence live on the Paramount+ app or Paramount+ website.
Compatible devices for the Paramount+ app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Samsung Smart TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of CBS and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Kentucky vs Providence live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include 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.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” CBS is included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Kentucky vs Providence live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include 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.
Kentucky vs Providence Preview
John Calipari and Kentucky last won a national championship back in 2012 and after taking a surprisingly early exit in the tournament last year when it lost to the 15-seeded Saint Peters Peacocks. Considering the Wildcats’ early exit from the SEC tournament — they lost in the first round to Vanderbilt, 80-73 — some are wondering if Kentucky is ripe for another loss.
“I think they’re going to be fine,” the Kentucky coach said about his team, via Kentucky Today. “I will tell you that we have played well when everybody said ‘they’re done, stick a fork in them.’ This is a team that, if we’re focused and we’re gritty, and we’re prepared physically and in the mindset we need to be in, you know … but teams have played out of their minds against us. They seem to figure out it’s Kentucky and they make shots. You don’t know where this goes. But all I can tell you is if we’re in the right mindset, and we’re ready to go, I’m coaching a team I want to coach.”
Kentucky is led by forwards Oscar Tshiebwe (16.5 points and 13.1 rebounds per game) and Jacob Toppin (12.5 points, 6.9 boards a game), and both will be key in this game. The Wildcats are snagging 39 rebounds a game, and Providence has been lackluster on the glass as of late. The Friars were out-rebounded by 10 in their Big East tourney loss to UConn, falling in the first round.
The Friars reached the Sweet 16 last year and are hoping to get further this season. They’ll need to play spoiler against the Wildcats first, and they may have just the player to help them do it.
Bryce Hopkins, who transferred from Kentucky to Providence after last season, had a breakout year, averaging 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds a game. Hopkins was primarily a reserve while with the Wildcats and didn’t get much playing time. That changed at Providence where he became a starter and a leader on and off the court.
“His emotions are going to be high as a kite,” Providence coach Ed Cooley said about Hopkins. going up against Kentucky. “He’ll probably have some anxiety. We’ll try to give him the ball early to see the ball go through the net.”
Kentucky is the favorite here, but the presence of Hopkins makes this one of the more intriguing matchups in the first round.