{"id":27247,"date":"2025-12-20T12:56:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T16:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/st-johns-basketball-faces-kentucky-with-upset-potential-today-red-storm-aim-to-prove-unranked-wildcats-dont-belong-in-2-5-point-matchup\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T12:56:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T16:56:30","slug":"41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/","title":{"rendered":"St. John’s basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don’t belong in 2.5-point matchup"},"content":{"rendered":"

St. John’s basketball<\/b> faces Kentucky<\/b> in a high-profile matchup today at State Farm Arena<\/b> in Atlanta. The Red Storm<\/b> enter as 2.5-point favorites<\/b> in the CBS Sports Classic<\/b>, looking to capitalize on their momentum and secure a marquee non-conference victory.<\/p>\n

\n

\ud83d\udd25 Quick Facts<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • St. John’s<\/b> carries a 7-3 record<\/b> ranked No. 20-22<\/b> in the AP Poll<\/li>\n
  • Kentucky<\/b> stands at 7-4<\/b> as an unranked team seeking a statement win<\/li>\n
  • Game tips at 12:30 p.m. ET<\/b> on CBS<\/b> from State Farm Arena<\/b> in Atlanta<\/li>\n
  • Both teams were preseason top-15 picks but have struggled with inconsistency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

    Matchup Overview and Tournament Context<\/h2>\n

    St. John’s<\/b> and Kentucky<\/b> meet in the premier event of Saturday’s college basketball slate. This CBS Sports Classic<\/b> matchup carries significant weight for both programs as they prepare for conference play. The Red Storm<\/b> launched their season ranked No. 5<\/b> in preseason polls while Kentucky<\/b> entered at No. 9<\/b>. Both have seen expectations tempered by early-season ups and downs.<\/p>\n

    The competition represents a crucial non-conference opportunity before diving into Big East<\/b> and SEC<\/b> conference schedules. St. John’s<\/b> competes in a deep conference and can ill afford losses to unranked opponents. For Kentucky<\/b>, a victory over a ranked team could be the statement win Mark Pope<\/b>‘s squad desperately needs.<\/p>\n

    St. John’s Red Storm: Experience and Offensive Firepower<\/h2>\n

    Head Coach Rick Pitino<\/b>‘s Red Storm<\/b> bring a balanced offensive attack that has impressed evaluators. St. John’s<\/b> ranks 24th in scoring offense<\/b> and maintains one of the nation’s elite defensive setups. The team has won three consecutive games entering today’s matchup.<\/p>\n

    Offensively, St. John’s<\/b> thrives at getting to the free-throw line, ranking 10th nationally in both attempts and makes<\/b> per game from the charity stripe. This strength allows them to control game tempo and extends their advantage in close contests. St. John’s<\/b> has been particularly effective in non-conference play before dividing their first Big East<\/b> game.<\/p>\n

    Key Storylines and Player Focus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Aspect<\/td>\nSt. John’s<\/td>\nKentucky<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Record<\/td>\n7-3<\/b><\/td>\n7-4<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Ranking<\/td>\nNo. 20-22<\/td>\nUnranked<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Scoring Rank<\/td>\n24th<\/b> offense<\/td>\n69th<\/b> in scoring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Win Streak<\/td>\nWon 3 straight<\/td>\nWon last game<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Coach<\/td>\nRick Pitino<\/td>\nMark Pope<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

    Kentucky<\/b>‘s key scorers include Otega Oweh<\/b>, who averages 14.0 points per game<\/b>. Coach Mark Pope<\/b> has emphasized that his roster must shoot with confidence<\/b> to find success against quality opponents. The Wildcats<\/b> have demonstrated their ability to clamp down defensively and control the boards, evidenced by recent winning efforts.<\/p>\n

    St. John’s<\/b> benefits from experience and continuity under Pitino<\/b>, who has restored the program to national prominence. The team’s ability to attack the free-throw line creates opportunities that translate to wins in tight games. This matchup will test whether Kentucky<\/b> can execute offensively against a disciplined Red Storm<\/b> defense.<\/p>\n

    Vegas Odds and Expert Predictions<\/h2>\n

    St. John’s<\/b> opened as 2.5-point favorites<\/b> with an over\/under of 155.5-157.5 points<\/b> depending on the sportsbook. Betting experts show mixed opinions on the outcome. Bart Torvik<\/b> projects St. John’s 79, Kentucky 76<\/b> with the Red Storm<\/b> having a 61% win probability<\/b>, while Kentucky<\/b> holds just a 39% chance<\/b> to pull the upset in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

    The moneyline odds<\/b> range from St. John’s -140 to -170<\/b> depending on the book, reflecting the general consensus that the ranked team is favored. However, Kentucky<\/b>‘s defensive prowess and the neutral court setting in State Farm Arena<\/b> keep this a competitive matchup.<\/p>\n

    What Happens if the Red Storm Win or Fall Short?<\/h2>\n

    A St. John’s<\/b> victory strengthens their NCAA tournament resume and sends a message before entering Big East<\/b> conference play. The Red Storm<\/b> need non-conference wins over quality opponents to offset any potential league losses. Conversely, a loss wouldn’t derail their season but might raise questions about consistency.<\/p>\n

    For Kentucky<\/b>, a win represents the marquee non-conference victory that has eluded them. An upset would signal to SEC<\/b> opponents that the Wildcats<\/b> have turned a corner. A loss keeps Kentucky<\/b>‘s season in uncertain territory heading into conference competition, where they’ll compete in a 19th-ranked<\/b> defensive unit by SRS<\/b> metrics.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Watch: St. John’s vs Kentucky CBSSports Classic Preview<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

    Sources<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • CBS Sports<\/b> – Official coverage and expert predictions for the matchup<\/li>\n
    • ESPN<\/b> – Game schedules, team records, and statistical rankings<\/li>\n
    • Sports Reference<\/b> – Team stats and comprehensive season data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":27246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"schema_org_data":"{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Rick Pitino\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/1UqSpLm3ppXBHphEk7dRM7WIieB.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/1865990\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Mark Popejoy\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/ieHRXfR9QDpck3lzef6FzpHvb4J.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/2340957\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Otega Oweh\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Bart Torvik\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"State Farm Arena\",\"description\":\"venue\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Atlanta\",\"description\":\"city\"}]}","_extracted_celebrities":null,"_extracted_movies":"","_extracted_places":null,"_extracted_videos":"","_last_enrichment_date":"2025-12-20 12:57:06","footnotes":""},"categories":[188],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"\nSt. John's basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don't belong in 2.5-point matchup<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"St. John's basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don't belong in 2.5-point matchup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Red94\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-20T16:56:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Brown\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michael Brown\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Brown\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/58afe56b917c963c37d09aadbd8b892b\"},\"headline\":\"St. John’s basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don’t belong in 2.5-point matchup\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-20T16:56:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/\"},\"wordCount\":731,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/63427-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un.jpg-scaled.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/\",\"name\":\"St. John's basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don't belong in 2.5-point matchup\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/63427-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un.jpg-scaled.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-20T16:56:30+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/63427-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un.jpg-scaled.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/63427-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un.jpg-scaled.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":678,\"caption\":\"St. John's faces Kentucky in high-profile matchup today, Red Storm aim to upset unranked Wildcats at State Farm Arena\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Entertainment\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/entertainment\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"St. John’s basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don’t belong in 2.5-point matchup\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Red94\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Red94\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png\",\"width\":289,\"height\":90,\"caption\":\"Red94\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/58afe56b917c963c37d09aadbd8b892b\",\"name\":\"Michael Brown\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg\",\"caption\":\"Michael Brown\"},\"description\":\"Michael Brown is a seasoned sports journalist bringing years of experience covering professional athletics and sporting culture. With a keen eye for breaking stories and player dynamics, this veteran journalist delivers in-depth analysis and exclusive insights from the world's biggest sporting events. His passion for the game shines through in every story, keeping fans connected to the action both on and off the field.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/author\/michael-brown\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"St. John's basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don't belong in 2.5-point matchup","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"St. John's basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don't belong in 2.5-point matchup","og_description":"…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/","og_site_name":"Red94","article_published_time":"2025-12-20T16:56:30+00:00","author":"Michael Brown","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Michael Brown","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Brown","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/58afe56b917c963c37d09aadbd8b892b"},"headline":"St. John’s basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don’t belong in 2.5-point matchup","datePublished":"2025-12-20T16:56:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/"},"wordCount":731,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/63427-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un.jpg-scaled.png","articleSection":["Sport"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/","name":"St. John's basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don't belong in 2.5-point matchup","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/63427-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un.jpg-scaled.png","datePublished":"2025-12-20T16:56:30+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/63427-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un.jpg-scaled.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/63427-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un.jpg-scaled.png","width":1200,"height":678,"caption":"St. John's faces Kentucky in high-profile matchup today, Red Storm aim to upset unranked Wildcats at State Farm Arena"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/41309-st-john-s-faces-kentucky-in-high-profile-matchup-today-red-storm-aim-to-upset-un\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Entertainment","item":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/entertainment\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"St. John’s basketball faces Kentucky with upset potential today, Red Storm aim to prove unranked Wildcats don’t belong in 2.5-point matchup"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/","name":"Red94","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization","name":"Red94","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png","width":289,"height":90,"caption":"Red94"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/58afe56b917c963c37d09aadbd8b892b","name":"Michael Brown","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg","caption":"Michael Brown"},"description":"Michael Brown is a seasoned sports journalist bringing years of experience covering professional athletics and sporting culture. With a keen eye for breaking stories and player dynamics, this veteran journalist delivers in-depth analysis and exclusive insights from the world's biggest sporting events. His passion for the game shines through in every story, keeping fans connected to the action both on and off the field.","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/author\/michael-brown\/"}]}},"views":79,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}