LEXINGTON, Ind. — It took a lot of convincing to get former Kentucky coach John Calipari to renew the series with Indiana. Former Indiana coach Mike Woodson, who was a big part of it as a player, needed a bit of a nudge, too.

We've finally reached the night where the series reboots, the first regular-season game in 14 years and the first since the ''Wat-Shot,'' when Christian Watford and the Hoosiers beat then No. 1 Kentucky on Dec. 10, 2011. The court-storming at Assembly Hall was epic.

Calipari and Woodson are long gone though, and former Kentucky player Mark Pope is now running the Widcats in his second year. Darian DeVries was hired at Indiana to replace Woodson.

Indiana is 8-2 and playing a completely different style of offense, raining three-pointers from all over the court. The Hoosiers have already made 110 threes. Last year, Indiana didn't make their 111th three until Jan. 17, in their 19th game.  

“What they’re doing over there right now is actually awesome, because when you guys watch them play, you’re gonna feel very much like Bob Knight Indiana in the sense of like they’re playing with unbelievable movement and motion and with high IQ,'' Pope said. "Even that part of the style of play that they’re playing at right now is pretty inspiring, and it just harkens back to a great tenure in Indiana basketball.''

Despite being in his first year at Indiana, DeVries understand the value of the rivalry, especially to IU fans in the southern part of the state. He's thrilled to have four games currently scheduled, and he'd love to add more to the slate after this contract ends in 2028.

“I think it’s a great series,” DeVries said. “I hope we can continue this forever. This is the first year of a four-game stretch. I think it’s great for both programs. I think it’s great for college basketball.”

Here's how to watch Saturday night's game, with game times and TV information, plus the latest on the point spread:

How to watch Indiana at Kentucky

Who: Indiana Hoosiers (8-2, 1-1 in Big Ten) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (6-4, 0-0 in SEC)
What: Renewal of one of college basketball's best nonconference border war rivalries
When: Saturday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.
TV: ESPN — Dave O'Brien (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (analyst) Steve Smith
Radio: IU Radio Network — Don Fischer (play-by-play), Errek Suhr (analyst), John Herrick
Point spread: Kentucky is a 2.5-point favorite; the over/under is 159.5 points, according to the Fanduel.com gambling website.
Series history: Kentucky leads the all-time series 32-25. Indiana won the last meeting during the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers won 73-67 in a second-round game on March 19, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. Thomas Bryant led the Hoosiers with 19 points and senior point guard Yogi Ferrell added 18.

3 things to know about Saturday's game

RIVALRY RENEWED — FINALLY: Indiana has had a rough time winning at Rupp Arena during this season. They are just 1-8 all-time. Homecourt advantage has meant a lot in this rivalry. Indiana, for instance, is 10-2 all-time at Assembly Hall, with the last regular-season win coming there on Dec. 10, 2011 when the Hoosiers upset then-No. 1 Kentucky 73-72 on Christian Watford's last-second shot. No wonder John Calipari didn't want to play in Bloomington anymore 

POPE UNDER FIRE ALREADY: Kentucky has played four high-profile games this season against ranked teams — and lost them all. And second-year coach Mark Pope is starting to feel some heat in Lexington already. The Wildcats have lost to No. 12 Louisville (96-88), No. 17 Michigan State (83-66), No. 16 North Carolina (69-66) and No. 11 Gonzaga (94-59). So beating Indiana would go a long way in changing the narrative. “I love this game,” Pope said on Friday. “I love all these games, I mean, I love them all. And this is Indiana-Kentucky… I love the game. I have such great memories of playing in these games, and I like it for us, I like it for fans, and I like it for Indiana, and I think it’s a great game.”

KEEP WILKERSON HOT: After two losses (Minnesota, Louisville), Indiana bounced back nicely on Tuesday night, beating Penn State 113-72. Lamar Wilkerson set an Assembly Hall record with 44 points, breaking the record (43) set by Trayce Jackson-Davis three years ago. Wilkerson made 10 threes in the game, a school record, and it matched his total of deep balls from the last six games combined. Shooting on the road is always much harder than at home, but there's no question the Hoosiers need a big game out of Wilkerson on Saturday against the Wildcats.