Kentucky @ Mississippi preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 28, 2018 ) Mississippi 78, Kentucky 96

Kentucky desperately misses graduate student Reid Travis as it prepares to visit Ole Miss for an SEC game on Tuesday. Travis, who averages 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds, hasn't played the last three games because of a knee injury - including Saturday's 71-52 loss at No. 4 Tennessee that dropped the No. 6 Wildcats out of a first-place tie in the conference and to third behind the Volunteers and No. 10 LSU.

"We got beat every which way but loose," Kentucky coach John Calipari, who needs one win for 300 at the school, told reporters after the Wildcats produced their lowest point total since a 64-48 loss to Vanderbilt in the 2013 SEC tournament. "Our young kids played like freshmen, played like deer in headlights." It appears Kentucky will wind up third in the conference regardless of what happens in the final two regular-season games so Calipari could take the cautious approach and keep Travis off the court when the Wildcats try for their 10th straight victory over the Rebels. Ole Miss is in a five-way tie for fourth in the SEC after Saturday's 74-73 loss at Arkansas came on the heels of a 73-71 setback to Tennessee with the team that wins the race earning a double-bye in the SEC tournament. “We’ve been in two one-possession games. If we make (Tennessee's Grant) Williams miss on Wednesday and we make (Arkansas' Jalen) Harris miss, we’re sitting here and everybody’s saying, ‘Boy, this team is playing great,'" Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis told reporters. "Two possessions. Kind of been the basketball gods the last four or five days against us.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT KENTUCKY (24-5, 13-3 SEC): Freshman guard Keldon Johnson (13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds) put the Tennessee loss in simple terms, telling reporters after recording seven points and seven rebounds: “We’ve got to play together. We were a little stagnant, but as long as we stick together we will be all right.” Sophomore forward PJ Washington (team highs of 14.9 points, 7.7 rebounds) managed 13 points Saturday and has reached double figures in 13 of his last 14 games with three of his club-most seven double-doubles during that span. Freshman guard Tyler Herro (13.9 points) scored only six versus Tennessee after averaging 19.8 in his previous four contests.

ABOUT OLE MISS (19-10, 9-7): Junior guard Breein Tyree (18.3 points) and senior guard Terence Davis (15.5) are the highest-scoring duo in the SEC after combining for 32 versus Arkansas. The Rebels lead the conference in free-throw percentage (77.5) with sophomore guard Devontae Shuler (9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists) shooting 84.5, Tyree 83.2 and senior forward Bruce Stevens (8.4 points, 4.4 rebounds) at 81.8. Tyree on Monday was named a finalist for the Howell Trophy, given to the top college basketball player in the state of Mississippi.

TIP-INS

1. Kentucky has allowed more than 70 points only twice in its last 12 games with the other occurrence a 73-71 loss to LSU on Feb. 12.

2. Ole Miss will honor Stevens, Terence Davis, G D.C. Davis on Senior Night before they play their final game at The Pavilion.

3. The Wildcats lead the series 106-13 and have won the last nine meetings by an average of 14.8 points.

PREDICTION: Ole Miss 73, Kentucky 72