LEXINGTON — Kentucky basketball and coach Mark Pope are on to Game 2 of the 2026-27 season.

Tonight, UK welcomes James Madison to Rupp Arena.

UK is 1-0 after mauling Manhattan 85-57 in the opener Nov. 3 in Lexington. JMU is 0-1, falling at home Nov. 2 to Miami (Ohio).

Tonight will be the first time the Wildcats have played the Dukes.

But there are multiple connections between the teams.

James McBride, a senior forward for Kentucky, spent last season with James Madison. And the Dukes' head coach is Preston Spradlin. A Kentucky native, Spradlin was a graduate assistant, and later director of operations, under former UK coach John Calipari.

Expectations are high for Spradlin's squad in 2026-27: They received more first-place votes than any team in the Sun Belt Conference's preseason poll (though Arkansas State finished with six more points overall). The Dukes claimed a share of the SBC regular-season title in 2025, Spradlin's first with the program.

Here's what you need to know to follow today's game between the Wildcats and Dukes from home:

Kentucky vs. James Madison basketball start time

UK and James Madison are slated to tip off at 7 p.m. today at Rupp Arena.

What channel is Kentucky basketball vs. James Madison on today?

How to listen to Kentucky vs. James Madison on the radio

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.

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

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What channel is Kentucky basketball vs. James Madison on today?

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