KENTUCKY WILDCATS (7-7, 1-0 SEC)
at Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-5, 2-0 SEC)
Tuesday, Jan. 15 ? 8:00 p.m. CST
Starkville, Miss. – (10,500)
TV: ESPN – Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes and Jeannine Edwards
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Kentucky takes the momentum gained from its double-overtime win over No. 12 Vanderbilt on the road when the Cats visit Mississippi State for a nationally-televised (ESPN) matchup featuring schools undefeated in SEC play.
The Big Blue gave the previously unbeated Commodores their first loss, 79-73, Saturday at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats led throughout most of the game and outrebounded Vandy by 22 (45-23). A 17-4 advantage in offensive rebounds helped Kentucky to a 18-2 advantage in second chance points.
Freshman Patrick Patterson recorded his third 20-10 game of the season with game highs in points (23) and rebounds (12). Ramel Bradley posted his fourth-straight 20-point game, while Joe Crawford added 17 points while guarding SEC leading scorer Shan Foster.
Mississippi State has won six straight, including league victories over LSU and Georgia.
CAT SCRATCHES
Kentucky is in its 105th season of basketball. Kentucky is the all-time NCAA leader in wins with 1,955. Kentucky leads the SEC from the foul line, shooting 75 percent (219-of-293). The Wildcats rank second in the SEC in field goal percentage defense (.380). Patrick Patterson ranks in the SEC?s top 10 in both scoring (6th, 17.2) and rebounding (4th, 8.4). Ramel Bradley is the first Wildcat to record four-straight 20-point games since he ran off four in a row last season. The last UK player to record five-straight,20-point games was Jamal Mashburn (1992-93). Kentucky has used 12 different starting line-ups through the first 14 games of the season. Joe Crawford (1,126 career points) and Ramel Bradley (1,061) have become UK?s 54th and 55th members of the 1,000-point club, respectively, this season. Crawford is currently in 42nd place on UK?s all-time points list, while Bradley is 49th. UK is 100-23 (.813) against the SEC West since divisions were formed in 1992. UK leads the series, 84-18, and has won 11 of the last 13 meetings. The Cats are 30-11 all-time at Starkville and 16-8 in Humphrey Coliseum.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
Located in Starkville, Miss. (518 miles southwest of Lexington), Mississippi State is in the SEC?s West Division. The Bulldogs enter the contest on a six-game winning streak, including SEC victories over LSU and Georgia.
Mississippi State has turned up the defensive pressure beginning SEC play, limiting opponents to just 44.0 points and .229 shooting.
The Bulldogs are led by junior Jamont Gordon, who is seventh in the SEC with 17.1 ppg. Sophomore Jarvis Varnado is second in the SEC in rebounding (8.6) and first in blocks (5.2).
Mississippi State is led by 10th-year head coach Rick Stansbury. Stansbury has recorded a 185-104 (.643) during his tenure in Starkville, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament and three NIT appearances, which includes an NIT Final Four appearance last year. Stansbury has also led MSU to an SEC title (2004), SEC Tournament title (2002) and three SEC West titles.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – JAN. 14
Head Coach Billy Gillispie
?We are excited to go play another Southeastern Conference game against a very good team that has started out playing with a great deal of confidence. They have held their last three opponents under 30 percent (shooting), their conference field goal defense percent is 22, and you just don?t see that kind of numbers no matter who you play. Fantastic offensive, a team that plays to their personnel offensively and they are going to be a huge challenge for us.?
On what they do defensively that makes Mississippi State so good?
?They really compete, their perimeter defense is filled with athletes and the coaches do a very good job of teaching them to play on the perimeter and compete. They also have one of the best shot blocking players to date. They do a great job in the interior and rebound the basketball very well.?
On Jarvis Varnado?s shot blocking ability?
?Every time you go up he is going to try to block them (shots). He is a good athlete who has exceptionally good timing and does a good job. He is something special defensively.?
On how Kentucky?s offense will approach Jarvis Varnado?s shot blocking abilities?
?We are not going to change our philosophy. You have to play the way you play, and go in with the mind set that there are going to be blocked shots. But that is not going to be the determining mind set. You?re not going to be looking around for anyone, if it gets blocked it gets blocked. You get it back and go up with it again, you play your game. If you try to change things or your mindset, then you are already beat before you get started.?
On the difficult match up with Jamont Gordon?
?He is a great player, and he has great versatility. He can play point guard all the way to the center. They haven?t played him there yet, but he does post up a lot due to his strength and knowledge of the game. He has great experience, and his competive level is very high. Jamont is just an outstanding player.?
On how his team will handle their success?
?Their mindset is that they are going to be tough and remain tough throughout the rest of the season. We are getting tougher as we speak and our practices have been getting better every day for a long time. If we can get them all out there, and have the same mindset then we will be a very good defensive and pretty good offensive team. Even if we can?t get everyone out there, the players have figured out that we have to be tougher, to rebound defensively and we haven?t done that on the road. We will see if we can carry some of the toughness onto the road. On the road is where you get the biggest test and to see how mentally and physically tough you are.?
On the toughness level of his team in the win over Vanderbilt?
?Fifty minutes is what I saw. We didn?t play anywhere near a great game by any stretch, but we competed for the entire time and made a ton of offensive and defensive mistakes. They did compete for all 50 minutes and that is what you look for. You don?t compete for one play; if you want to beat a good team then you have to compete play after play. To be good you have to become grinders and I think we are.?
On if the level of enthusiasm changed throughout the game?
?They have been in to it; sometimes the results are what you want and others there not. I applaud them for that and I appreciate their efforts. They will be prepared to play tomorrow and excited to play against a very good team who is undefeated in the Southeastern Conference. I believe that we would be prepared even if the result wasn?t the same as it was on Saturday.?
