No. 19 Kentucky begins SEC play at 1-loss Missouri

Kentucky coach John Calipari is bringing a prolonged to-do listing because the No. 19 Wildcats start Southeastern Convention play at Missouri on Wednesday night time.

The Wildcats (8-3) have misplaced to Michigan State, Gonzaga and UCLA. They most not too long ago defeated Florida A&M 88-68 final Wednesday, however they led by simply seven factors with 5:35 left and Calipari was vexed by his workforce’s protection.

“We have got work to do now. We do,” Calipari stated after the sport. “We did not defend at present like we have been defending. It is loopy. I imply, the one factor that we may depend on is that we’d actually, actually guard. Nicely, they beat us on the bounce, they beat us taking pictures threes, they beat us offensive rebounding.”

Now Kentucky should journey to Columbia, Mo., to face the robust Tigers (11-1, 0-0 SEC) as Missouri comes off a 93-71 neutral-court upset of then-No. 16 Illinois on Thursday.

“We did not play nicely. I am useless severe,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates stated. “I do not assume we performed nicely. And I will proceed to problem my guys. I need to execute on the issues we have to execute for 40 minutes. … We’re clearly excited concerning the route we’re going, however there are small issues that you could be not see with the bare eye that I see that we didn’t execute in an effective way. And I am gonna proceed to problem our guys.”

The Wildcats are anchored by heart Oscar Tshiebwe, who’s averaging 15 factors and 13 rebounds per sport. Guard Cason Wallace is averaging 11.8 factors and 4.4 assists and is 22 of 44 from 3-point vary.

“We have got to maintain working with him as he performs level,” Calipari stated. “Determination-making, seeing the courtroom higher. What he did at present is he made photographs so that you could not go below on the pick-and-roll. He dings a ball in.”

Sahvir Wheeler (8.8 factors, 6.6 assists per sport) provides Kentucky a pure level guard for the lead position, and Antonio Reeves (12.8 ppg) is a 43.7 % shooter from past the arc.

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“Mixtures matter with this group,” Calipari stated. “We will need to have some good combos. We’re nonetheless a piece in progress, and I’d inform everyone, simply be affected person … it takes time to get all of it collectively, and I am not panicked.”

However Calipari is worried about his workforce’s free-throw taking pictures.

“We needs to be probably the greatest free-throw taking pictures groups,” he stated. “That’s psychological toughness. Within the Energy 5 (and) Gonzaga video games, we’re taking pictures 58 % from the foul line. Fifty-eight %. You may’t win video games taking pictures 58 %.”

Missouri has a guard-driven workforce led by D’Moi Hodge, who averages 16.7 factors a sport and is taking pictures 42 % from 3-point vary. The Tigers haven’t got a real heart, so the duty of guarding Tshiebwe will largely fall to ahead Kobe Brown, who had 31 factors, eight assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals towards Illinois.

“I am happy with Kobe with the ability to have a breakout sport, which was coming for him,” Gates stated. “I simply noticed a degree of focus that he had.”

The Tigers might want to get sturdy video games from forwards Noah Carter (10.8 ppg) and Ronnie DeGray III, who has labored his approach into the rotation.

Missouri’s solely loss this season was 95-67 to then-No. 6 Kansas on Dec. 10.

–Area Degree Media