Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at Mississippi State
No. 6 Kentucky lost at Georgia on Tuesday night in a physical game. The Bulldogs were able to use aggressive play on both ends of the floor to topple the Cats in Athens.
On Saturday, the Cats face a Mississippi State team that is also known for its physicality. UK head coach Mark Pope knows that physical play is a part of the Southeastern Conference.
“The game always gets more and more physical in the league, and so our guys understanding — and there’s also a part of understanding where you can be really, really physical and where you can’t, right? And that’s part of our determinations,” Pope said. “There are a lot of facets to that. One is just the physics aspect of it, of having a low center of gravity and kind of being the hit-first guy and a first hit and second, there’s all the schematics and the skill of it.”
Pope also points out that part of physicality is mental.
“And then there’s also the mentality of it, and the IQ of it,” Pope said. “The mentality of it is kind of this aggression side of it where you’re always thinking about contact, contact, contact, and then the IQ of it is understanding when and where it’s appropriate and where it can be utilized and where it’s important.”
Following Tuesday’s game, UK forward Andrew Carr talked about physical play on the UK Sports Network’s postgame show.
“We’ve just got to get more tough, we’ve got to get more physical,” Carr said. “We’ve got to get more nasty, more angry when we’re playing. Bring that edge.”
There is a technique to being more physical, according to Carr.
“Being tough can look like a whole bunch of different things,” Carr said. “For us, one of those, especially tonight, was being tougher about being more disciplined without fouling, moving our feet better.”
Mississippi State will provide a tough challenge for the Cats. The Bulldogs have a sparkling 14-1 record on the season and have opened SEC play with wins over South Carolina and at Vanderbilt. Josh Hubbard leads MSU, averaging 17.1 points per game. Claudell Harris Jr. scores 11.1 points per contest.
Saturday’s game will be between two of the nation’s best scoring teams. Kentucky is third in the nation, averaging 88.8 points per game, while Mississippi State is 27th, averaging 83.5 points per outing.
While the offenses may get the headlines, this game could come down to which team handles the physicality better. Kentucky hopes to take another step in the right direction against Mississippi State.
Kentucky Falls in First SEC Road Test
Lamont Butler scored 20 points, but No. 6 Kentucky lost at Georgia 82-69 on Tuesday night inside Stegeman Coliseum.
Brandon Garrison had a season-high 13 points for the Cats, and Otega Oweh scored 12, meaning that Oweh has scored in double figures in every UK game this season.
The Cats made just 24 of 64 (37.5 percent) from the field in the game, including 6 of 25 (24.0 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Bulldogs did a ton of damage at the line in Tuesday’s game. Georgia made 29 of 38 from the line, while Kentucky made just 15 of 19.
Some additional notes from the game:
• Kentucky made 15 of 19 free throws (78.9 percent), the fourth straight game the Wildcats have made at least 75 percent at the foul line
• Butler led the Wildcats with 20 points, his eighth double-figure game of the season and second game with at least 20. He also had a season-high four steals, his third straight game with at least three thefts
• Otega Oweh had 12 points and has scored in double figures in every game this season. He also led UK in rebounds with seven, the first time this season he has paced the Wildcats in the boardwork
The Butler is In: Don’t Forget to Say Thank You
Lamont Butler came to Kentucky after enjoying a prolific career at San Diego State where he helped the Aztecs to the 2023 National Championship game. Butler finished his career ranking fifth in all-time in steals (183), sixth in conference victories (52), ninth in total victories (100) and 10th in assists (338). He was a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and sank one of the most memorable shots in Final Four history, and easily the most important shot of San Diego State’s allure.
To say he is an accomplished collegiate player would be an understatement. But what he is doing in year five in the best league in the country, might be even more impressive.
• Butler is logging 14.2 points, 4.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, while tallying a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio for the season
• He has scored in double figures in nine games, including pouring in a career-high 33 points highlighted by a career-best six 3-pointers in the win over Louisville
• Prior to this season, Butler’s best per game averages for his career were (9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio)
• He is also shooting career bests from the field (.570) and from 3-point range (.405)
• In UK’s five games against teams either ranked or receiving votes, Butler is posting a team-high 16.0 points per game. He’s connecting on 57.5% from the floor and 38.5% from distance. He is also pitching in 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.8 rebounds per game
• In two SEC games thus far, Butler is tallying a team-high 19.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game. He’s connecting on 60.9% of his attempts from the field, 33.3% from distance and 81.8% from the line
