No. 19 Kentucky hopes to revive offense vs. Florida A&M

No. 19 Kentucky goals to rebound from its lowest-scoring output of the season when it faces Florida A&M on Wednesday night time in Lexington, Ky.

The Wildcats (7-3) additionally will look to regain their taking pictures contact after making simply 32.8 p.c of their pictures on Saturday in a 63-53 loss to then-No. 16 UCLA in New York. Kentucky made simply 6 of 21 (28.6 p.c) from 3-point vary and 5 of 13 (38.5 p.c) from the free-throw line.

“We miss so many open pictures, it turns into demoralizing, and the loopy factor is we nonetheless may have received the sport,” Wildcats coach John Calipari stated afterward. “We now have good shooters. We’re one of many higher 3-point taking pictures groups, and we missed.”

Kentucky is taking pictures 45.4 p.c for the season, together with 38.1 p.c from behind the arc. Antonio Reeves has a team-high 29 3-pointers however was simply 2 of 8 towards UCLA.

Reigning Nationwide Participant of the Yr Oscar Tshiebwe had simply eight factors on 4-of-12 taking pictures because the Bruins repeatedly used double and triple groups towards the massive man. He collected 16 rebounds however missed all 4 of his free-throw makes an attempt.

“They had been throwing guys at Oscar,” Calipari stated. “That is why I stated, once they do this, you’ve got to make pictures. …

“We performed quick. We did among the stuff that we wished to do. We nonetheless held the ball a little bit bit. However 18 turnovers, and most of it simply tough play that we could not bust by way of, get open on a display, on a dribble handoff.”

Tshiebwe averages team-best figures of 15.1 factors and 13.6 rebounds. Reeves is averaging 13.1 factors.

Wednesday’s contest is a part of the five-year Unity Sequence that Kentucky launched final season during which it performs an annual dwelling sport towards a crew from the Southwestern Athletic Convention that could be a traditionally black school or college.

The Wildcats beat Southern 76-64 in final season’s sport.

Kentucky figures to have a simple time with the Rattlers (2-7), who started a two-game Kentucky highway journey with a 61-55 loss to Louisville on Saturday.

Story continues

Jordan Tillmon scored 17 factors for Florida A&M. He averages a team-best 10 factors per sport.

The Rattlers compelled 22 turnovers, however they know the duty in Lexington is way taller than the one they confronted in Louisville.

“To start with, it is a very tough place to play and a tough place to win,” Rattlers coach Robert McCullum stated of enjoying at Kentucky. “The problem might be huge. That is a part of life’s pleasure, to go in there realizing there isn’t a stress on us as a result of we’re not anticipated to win.”

Second-leading scorer Jaylen Bates (9.6 ppg) is trying ahead to competing at Rupp Area.

“To have the ability to play in it is sort of a dream come true, I bought to acknowledge that reality,” Bates stated. “However simply taking it as one other sport. We’re not going to deal with it as a giant occasion. We will take all the identical pictures we have been taken.”

Exterior of the shut name towards a down Louisville squad, the Rattlers have struggled towards main applications this season. They’ve dropped video games by margins of 40 factors to Florida, 35 to Oregon, 26 to Miami, 22 to Georgia and 17 to Oregon State.

Kentucky received the lone earlier assembly, which got here within the 2004 NCAA Match. The highest-seeded Wildcats beat the Sixteenth-seeded Rattlers 96-76.

–Discipline Degree Media