Kentucky won a tough one on the road last time out at Mississippi State in the kind of game that it will need to gut out remainder of the regular season. Next up is another big game, with the Wildcats playing an LSU squad that has emerged as the clear third-best team in the league.
By Steve Wright
Here are the three keys:
Contain Tremont Waters
LSU is an interesting team. The Tigers have been every bit as dominant in SEC play as Kentucky and Tennessee, yet their love in the polls and the national media in general has lagged behind that of the Wildcats and the Vols.
A win here would change that narrative so Kentucky has to be ready for and expect the Tigers best shot. Their best shot is to get the ball into the hands of sophomore guard Waters, a player flying under the radar in the same style as his team, and to let Waters do his thing.
Waters has averages 15.6 points and 5.9 assists per game, showing he has both a scoring touch and the ability to know when to pass and get his teammates involved in the offense. He has the ability to play as an inside/outside scorer, with 12 of his points against Auburn last time out coming from behind the arc.
Kentucky has the defensive players to slow Waters down, but he is a special player who will still produce even against the Kentucky defense.
Win at the free throw line
There were a lot of factors in play as the Wildcats let an 18-point lead in Starkville dwindle to just one before pulling out a four-point win. Chief among them was a sudden inability to hit free throws.
This is a team that hits from the foul line at an almost 75-percent clip, yet at Mississippi State the Wildcats went just 10-of-17 from the line. As a coach this is infuriating as there is little that can be done during the flow of the game to change the way a team is shooting its foul shots.
LSU is a good enough team to make a run at Kentucky at some point during the game. When they are on that run the Cats need to be hitting from the charity stripe to keep them at bay.
Win the battle of the boards
In big time college basketball games the battle of the boards is always key. The ability to create second chance opportunities at the offensive end, while taking away any second chance shots on defense, will determine the winner of this contest.
Kentucky ranks fourth nationally in offensive rebound percentage, a number that is usually far higher than its opponent. That will not be the case on Tuesday, however, as the Tigers rank ninth nationally in that category. Simply put, both these teams get after it on the glass on the offensive end.
The key then could be foul trouble. Kentucky found itself in that rut against Mississippi State as PJ Washington fouled out and Reid Travis was unable to play his usual style due to four fouls. LSU has a couple of big bangers inside in Naz Ried and Javell Bigby-Williams, so the Kentucky bigs will have to work on pulling down rebounds without giving up silly fouls.
It is a classic matchup of strength vs. strength and it should lead to a compelling game.
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