Texas A&M @ Kentucky preview
Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center
Last Meeting ( Mar 4, 2017 ) Kentucky 71, Texas A&M 63
Two weeks removed from being a top-five team, reeling Texas A&M hopes to avoid an 0-4 start to SEC play when the Aggies travel to No. 20 Kentucky on Tuesday. The Wildcats are looking for a rebound of their own after having a three-game winning streak snapped Saturday at Tennessee.
The Aggies rolled into SEC play with an impressive resume, their lone defeat a three-point neutral-site loss to No. 21 Arizona, but a rash of injuries coincided with leading scorer D.J. Hogg’s three-game suspension to spur a three-game skid to begin the SEC schedule. Hogg returned to the lineup for Saturday’s 69-68 home loss to LSU, but the Aggies were without big man Robert Williams (illness), and guards Admon Gilder (knee) and Duane Wilson (knee), all of whose status will be game-time decisions Tuesday. Kentucky coach John Calipari was disappointed in his team’s lack of toughness in a 76-65 loss to the No. 23 Volunteers. The Wildcats led by eight at halftime but had a tough time with Tennessee’s big men in the second half, and will face another strong frontcourt against the Aggies.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (11-4, 0-3 SEC): When the Aggies are at full strength, they create matchup problems all over the court. Big men Tyler Davis (14.1 points, 8.4 rebounds per game) and Williams (8.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.7 blocks) are one of the strongest post duos in the nation, and Hogg (14.4 points, 6.8 rebounds) and Gilder (12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds) are big, physical guards who can score in various ways. They’ve missed having Wilson (12.1 points, 4.5 assists) at the point the past two games, averaging 15 turnovers without their primary distributor.
ABOUT KENTUCKY (12-3, 2-1): The Wildcats are young, even by Calipari’s standards, as six of the eight players in their rotation are freshmen – including all five starters - and the other two are sophomores. Freshman forward Kevin Knox (14.0 points, 5.9 rebounds) is the team’s leading scorer, but has averaged only 9.7 points while shooting 32.3 percent from the field in three SEC games, and No. 2 scorer Hamidou Diallo (13.7 points) has struggled to 7.3 points in conference play. Reserve guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11.5 points, 4.3 assists) has had the hot hand in SEC play, averaging 14 points despite scoring only three versus the Volunteers.
TIP-INS
1. The Wildcats have won three in a row against the Aggies, including a 100-58 rout in the last matchup in Lexington, but four of the last seven meetings have gone to overtime.
2. Kentucky is 40-8 following a loss under Calipari.
3. Williams has blocked a shot in 41 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation.
PREDICTION: Kentucky 74, Texas A&M 72