Big Blue Preview: Kentucky vs. LSU
On Tuesday night, Kentucky will honor its senior class prior to UK’s contest against LSU (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Senior Night at Kentucky is like no other and will be something that several players, including Amari Williams, will get to experience on Tuesday. Williams, who went through Senior Day at Drexel last season, believes there will be some similarities on Tuesday.
“I would say it will be the same,” Williams said. “It was a little different at Drexel because I was there for longer but the love is still the same.”
There’s always the possibility of players being overcome with emotion during Senior Day ceremonies, then having to gather themselves as the actual game awaits. Williams is hoping that the Wildcats’ past experiences will help them navigate that situation.
“I just try to embrace it but as soon as it’s done, you’ve got to try to focus on the game,” Williams said. “I feel like all of us being fifth-year (players), we’ve been through it. I don’t think it will hit me until the senior stuff happens tomorrow. Just knowing how to manage the emotion between the two. It’s going to be a weird night, knowing that you have to be prepared for the game five minutes after.”
Williams has a number of great memories on the court this season.
“There’s a lot of good memories,” he said. “The Duke game for sure, that was our first big game together and to come out with that win. And then at Rupp, when we beat Tennessee and the Louisville game. Those two stick out for sure.”
And the memories haven’t all been create on the playing floor.
“I’ve enjoyed it a lot. Even the things we’ve done off the court,” Williams said. “There’s been a lot of things to enjoy and a lot of things that we’re all going to remember for the rest of our lives.”
He recalls one specific trip that left an impression on him.
“The trip to Hazard, Kentucky and building houses and went on the lake,” Williams said. “That was the first time I had ever seen a lake like that. Just being on the jet skis and doing other fun things.”
After the Senior Night ceremonies finish, there is a game to play, and Williams knows that LSU, despite its record, is a talented squad.
“They’re a great team,” Williams said. “It’s the SEC, you can’t really (look at) their record. Just knowing that they are going to come in here hungry for a win. Something we’ve got to take care of.”
After managing the emotions of Senior Night, the Cats must turn their focus to LSU on Tuesday night.
Cats Fall to Top-Ranked Tigers
Koby Brea scored 21 points, Andrew Carr contributed 20 of his own and Amari Williams posted his 10th double-double of the season but Kentucky lost to No. 1 Auburn, 94-78 at Rupp Arena on Saturday.
UK committed a season-high 18 turnovers, which turned into 21 Auburn points. The Cats lead 4-3 in the early stages, before the Tigers would maintain the advantage the rest of the way.
The halftime score favored Auburn, 49-34. A 10-5 spurt from the visitors to open the second half put them firmly in control. The Wildcats would get no closer than 13 points the rest of the way.
Some additional notes from the game:
• The win was just the third ever for Auburn in Rupp Arena
• Kentucky is now 8-17 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams
• Carr and Brea became just the second UK duo ever to each score 20+ points against the AP No. 1 ranked team. They join Jamal Mashburn and Sean Woods, who achieved the feat vs. Duke in 1992
• The Wildcats won rebounding 38-23. The +15 margin was the best for Kentucky against an AP Poll No. 1 team since facing Duke in 2001
• UK’s 17 3-point attempts were a season-low
• Amari Williams had 13 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks, the only Wildcat with a 13/14/7 line since at least the 1983-84 season
• Koby Brea went 4-7 from 3-point range, his fourth consecutive home game making at least three triples
• Andrew Carr had a season-high 20 points
Mardi Gras vs. LSU
Kentucky is playing LSU on Mardi Gras for the third time ever this Tuesday and the first time since Feb. 20, 2007. Prior to the 2007 game, the last meeting on Mardi Gras between the two schools was Feb. 15, 1994 the game known as the “Mardi Gras Miracle.” On that day, Kentucky rallied from a 31-point deficit with 15:34 remaining to defeat the Tigers, 99-95, in Baton Rouge. It remains tied for the largest second-half deficit overcome in the history of Division I, tied with Duke over Tulane in 1950.
Jaxson Robinson to Miss the Remainder of the Season
UK’s second-leading scorer, Jaxson Robinson, has been lost for the remainder of the season, head coach Mark Pope announced following the loss to Auburn. Robinson will undergo wrist surgery on March 5. He is expected to make a full recovery, although the recovery time is predicted to be a three-month process. Robinson was averaging 13.0 points per game. He was tallying 14.4 points per game and shooting 45.7% from the 3-point line against league foes.
