Fairleigh Dickinson @ Kentucky preview

Tenth-ranked Kentucky hasn't forgotten what it feels like to stumble badly so the Wildcats will be ready for a battle when they host Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. The Wildcats were the No. 1 ranked team in the nation when they were upset 67-64 by Evansville on Nov. 12 but they have responded to win their last four games.

Junior big man Nick Richards had a season-low six points against Evansville but he is now in the midst of a hot streak by averaging 16.5 points on 27-of-37 shooting over the past four games. Richards was 7-of-7 while scoring 16 points as the Wildcats posted a 69-58 win over Alabama-Birmingham in their last outing and he is shooting a team-best 67.2 percent from the field while averaging 14.3 points and a team-leading 8.3 rebounds. "I'm just doing what the team needs me to do," Richards said after the win over UAB. "Whatever coaches tell me I need to do, I do it to the best of my abilities. The vets and I have a good chemistry going on, and the freshmen were building as much chemistry as possible." Fairleigh Dickinson snapped a five-game losing streak on Tuesday when it edged visiting Quinnipiac 78-77.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (2-5): The Knights have started slow but recently got junior guards Xzavier Malone-Key (20.3 average in three games) and Jahlil Jenkins (15.6 in five contests) back in the lineup. Key scored a career-high 29 in the win over Quinnipiac while Jenkins added 17 as the squad posted its second-highest point total of the campaign. "We have had a tough month of basketball and to come out and beat a quality opponent in Quinnipiac was huge for all of our players, coaches and students," Fairleigh Dickinson coach Greg Herenda said afterward. "To have Jahlil and Xzavier back in uniform obviously means a great deal to our team. 'X' has grown up so much as a player but he is maturing as a person and that is truly special to witness."

ABOUT KENTUCKY (6-1): Senior forward Nate Sestina (7.3 points, 7.2 rebounds) will miss his second game with a broken left wrist and sophomore forward E.J. Montgomery will again be asked to step up after contributing season-highs of 16 points and eight rebounds against UAB. Montgomery missed three games with an ankle injury earlier in the season and feels his offensive game - particularly his jump shot - is flowing after the strong outing. "It's been good, I've been working on it," Montgomery said of his jumper. "It wasn't going down at first, but I'm not going to stop shooting. I'm going to continue to shoot and get better every day."

TIP-INS

1. This is the first meeting between the teams.

2. Wildcats sophomore PG Ashton Hagans tied his career-best of 12 assists versus UAB and is averaging 13 points and 6.4 assists.

3. The Knights reached the NCAA Tournament last season, defeating Prairie View in the First Four before being routed by Gonzaga in the first round.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 87, Fairleigh Dickinson 63