Kentucky @ South Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 5, 2019 ) South Carolina 48, Kentucky 76

Kentucky coach John Calipari said he thinks point guard Ashton Hagans is the best point guard in the country. The sophomore, who was one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double against Alabama on Saturday, will try earn his coach's praise when the 12th-ranked Wildcats look for a fourth straight conference win to start the season when they travel to South Carolina on Wednesday.

Hagans scored 15 points and added three steals in the 76-67 home win but committed four turnovers, missed three of his nine free throws and was 4-of-10 from the floor. "I'm on him, he's 15-9-9, almost a triple-double. I said, "That's how much I think of you. You're a triple-double, and I'm saying you're better," Calipari told reporters. "You're still undisciplined both offensively and defensively, you make four or five plays a half that hurt our team, and only because of discipline." Hagans got help from Immanuel Quickley, who scored 19 points and drained 5-of-6 3-pointers. South Carolina is looking to snap a three-game losing streak, including a home defeat to Stetson, after Saturday's 65-55 loss at Tennessee.

TIME: 6:30 p.m. ET TV: SEC Network

ABOUT KENTUCKY (12-3, 3-0 SEC): Quickley (13.3 points, 42-percent 3-point shooter) is averaging 18.8 points on 50 percent shooting (14-for-23 from the arc) in his last four games after averaging nine points on 37 percent shooting in his previous five games. "He's a confident kid, and what he does, he spends so much time in the gym, he expects to make them," Calipari told the media. "He's kind of like Tyler (Herro), he's like Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), those guys." Nick Richards (13 points, 7.7 rebounds) had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey tallied 13 points but made only 6-of-17 field goals against Alabama

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (8-7, 0-2): Maik Kotsar (10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds) scored 17 points on 7-of-11 from the field but the Gamecocks shot only 32.8 percent against the Volunteers. Frank Martin's bunch has struggled shooting the ball; ranking 338th in the nation entering Tuesday on 3-pointers (27.9 percent - 21.4 in conference play) and 341st on free throws (61.4). Jair Bolden (9.1 points) is shooting 37.3 percent from the arc and AJ Lawson (14.5 points) is at 33.3 percent, but nobody else is better 30 percent.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Wildcats won last year's game 76-48 and have won the last seven in Lexington since a 78-77 loss in 2009.

2. Lawson is the only South Carolina player shooting better than 70 percent from the line (78).

3. Kentucky shoots 32.1 percent from the arc - 241st in the nation - but 77.5 percent from the free-throw line - ninth.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 73, South Carolina 67