CHALK TALK
No. 1 Kentucky at LSU, 3 p.m. (WAFB)
Radio: 98.1 FM, XM 199, Sirius 220
LSU (12-8, 2-4 SEC)
Projected starters
G Anthony Hickey 5-11, 182, Fr. (10 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4 apg, 46 steals)
G Ralston Turner 6-6, 205, So. (8.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 32-88 3pt. FG)
G Andre Stringer 5-9, 175, So. (10.8 ppg, 30-35 FT, 28-76 3-pt. FG)
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G-F Eddie Ludwig 6-9, 210, Jr. (2.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
F Johnny O’Bryant 6-8, 250, Fr. (7.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
C Justin Hamilton 7-0, 260, Jr. (13.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 61-80 FT)
Key reserves
F Storm Warren 6-7, 230, Sr. (8.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 26 steals)
F Malcolm White 6-8, 225, Sr. (3.9 ppg, 2.4rpg)
G John Isaac 6-3, 208, Fr. (2.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
Coach: Trent Johnson (61-57, fourth season; 220-178, 13th season)
Kentucky (20-1, 6-0 SEC)
Projected starters
G Doron Lamb 6-4, 210, So. (13.7 ppg, 69-84 FT, 38-82 3-pt. FG)
G Marquis Teague 6-2, 189, Fr. (10 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.4 apg, 23 steals)
F Terrence Jones 6-9, 252, So. (11.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 38 blocks)
F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 6-7, 232, Fr. (13.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 81-108 FT)
F Anthony Davis 6-10, 220, Fr. (13.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 98 blocks)
Key reserves
G Darius Miller 6-8, 225, Sr. (10.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 47 assists, 32-43 FT)
F Kyle Wiltjer 6-9, 239, Fr. (6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 20-23 FT)
F Eloy Vargas 6-11, 244, Sr. (1.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
Coach: John Calipari (84-13 third season; 529-153, 20th season)
Up next
The Tigers take a mid-week break before returning to action next Saturday when Arkansas comes to Baton Rouge for a 12:30 p.m. showdown at the PMAC.
Of note
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Kentucky holds a commanding 80-24 lead in the all-time series, but the Tigers have claimed three wins in seven games vs. the Wildcats since 2006.
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After a stretch of five straight games against Kentucky that were decided by nine points or fewer (four by four or less), the Cats have handed LSU two of its three worst losses in the last two seasons: 81-55 in Baton Rouge in 2010 and 82-44 last season in Lexington.
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| Anthony Hickey |
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The Tigers have faced a No. 1-ranked Kentucky seven times and own just one victory – 95-94 in overtime in 1978.
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Hickey has 6 assists or more in three of six SEC games and 3 steals in half the league games as well. His 1 rebound at Mississippi State was a season-low.
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Warren has logged only 35 total minutes in the last two games, which has resulted in only 10 points and back-to-back games with a season-low 1 rebound.
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Hamilton’s eight field-goal attempts were his fewest since he launched only seven against Marquette. In between, the 7-foot junior averaged 14 floor shots a game and 17.4 points a game.
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LSU matched a season-high with 11 made 3-pointers Wednesday at Mississippi State. The last time the Tigers made more shots from outside the arc was against Rice last season when they were 12-of-28. Wednesday was also only the second time LSU has knocked down 11 3s against an SEC team in Johnson’s four-year tenure.
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Teague is coming off a game when he dished out 7 assists without a turnover and also snared 7 rebounds.
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Davis ranks first nationally with 4.7 blocked shots per game and is closing in on a pair of Tigers for the SEC single-season block record for freshmen. His 98 rejections are one fewer than Tyrus Thomas recorded in 2005-06 and he needs 17 more to catch Shaquille O'Neal's total from 1992-93. Davis is also already 14th on the SEC all-time single-season blocks list for all players.
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This is the fourth week of the season UK has been ranked No. 1. The Cats haven’t fallen lower than No. 3 all season. Kentucky is the first top-ranked SEC team to come to the PMAC since Arkansas in 1994. The last time the Tigers played No. 1 was North Carolina in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, an 84-70 loss.
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Being No. 1 is not a foreign concept to Kentucky, nor is success from the top spot. The Wildcats are 157-25 as a top-ranked team, while Calipari owns a 45-7 mark guiding teams as No. 1.
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In 21 games, UK has led at halftime 16 times and been tied once. Of those leads, 10 have been double-figure cushions – three against SEC foes.
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As good as the Wildcats have been, they have actually been out-rebounded in three of six league games (South Carolina, Auburn, Alabama). However, in the three games in which Kentucky has won the battle on the glass, two of those have been by 12 or more.
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Johnson and 47 other college basketball coaches in association with the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the NCAA and ESPN are taking part in the “Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge” now through March. There is a $100,000 donation to the winning coach’s designated charity. The total contribution to the coaches’ charities will be $300,000.
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| Trent Johnson |
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Fan participation will determine the ultimate winner over a period of voting that has already begun on a custom site at www.ESPN.com/Infiniti. Four brackets of 12 coaches will be paired against each other with the winners from each group moving onto the next round in late February and the final round the following week. Fans can vote for up to four coaches per day. The winning coach will be announced on March 9. Johnson is in the South Region and fans can vote for him on the web site as he continues his support of the Nkomazi Sports Club in South Africa that he visited and led a clinic in the summer of 2010. The club creates sustainable social improvement by bringing organized youth sports into the community.
All 48 coaches’ charities are guaranteed at least $5,000 from Infiniti. The Infiniti Coaches Charity Challenge will be promoted each week through a wide range of media, including the Doug Gottlieb Radio Show on ESPN, the ESPN Game of the Week, Facebook and other social media. Remember to vote for Coach Johnson and his charity go to www.ESPN.com/Infiniti and go to the South Region to vote.
NOTES: O'Bryant's return cause for hope