Kentucky and Monmouth enter this game heading in completely opposite directions. Can the Hawks actually challenge the Wildcats on Wednesday night?
TV schedule: Wednesday, November 28, 8:30 pm ET. SEC Network
Arena: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
After a rough 34-point loss to Duke to open their season, Kentucky (5-1) has responded as we all expected. They currently sit at No. 10 in the AP poll and have won their last five games, all at home against mid-major competition. They haven’t exactly blown anybody away (aside from a 38-point win against North Dakota), but they’re trending in the right direction.
Freshman standout Keldon Johnson leads the Wildcats in scoring thus far (16.5 ppg), fresh off a 27-point effort against Tennessee State. Stanford grad transfer Reid Travis (13.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) has been a solid addition to the team while sophomore PJ Washington averages 13.3 ppg.
The Wildcats’ defense has been much better since allowing 118 points to Duke, but the level of competition has been significantly lower. Kentucky sits at 22nd in the nation in blocks and should get plenty of chances to add to that total Wednesday night.
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A chance for a sixth straight win seems simple against a struggling Monmouth (0-7) team. The Hawks have dropped their first seven games, including all three contests in the Myrtle Beach Invitational last week. Their closest effort of the season came Saturday in a 3-point home loss to Princeton, their only single-digit loss of the year.
The Hawks are led offensively by sophomore guard Deion Hammond, who’s averaging 12.9 ppg and is the team’s best 3-point shooter. Monmouth shoots just 25.4% from the 3, which currently ranks a dismal 343rd in the nation. Hammond is the only double-digit scorer for a team that’s only surpassed 63 points once this season.
There have also been defensive struggles, with Monmouth ranking near the bottom of the league in free throws, rebounds, and points allowed. Monmouth played West Virginia close for 25 minutes before falling out of their game last week, carried by streaky shooting that went cold late. Aside from West Virginia, they’ve played teams like Saint Joseph’s, Lehigh, and Valparaiso, so this hasn’t been the firmest competition either.
On paper, this looks like a terrible match-up for Monmouth, as Kentucky has a size advantage and should dominate on the boards. Even if the Wildcats play below average defense, they should still be able to shoot their way to a win, with Monmouth’s offense lacking flow so far this season.
These two teams met last season, with Kentucky taking a 93-76 victory at Madison Square Garden on December 9th, but Monmouth has taken a step back since that game. For Monmouth to do the unthinkable, they’ll need to get Hammond going early, especially from the 3. They’ll also need to avoid getting into early foul trouble. Both these teams shoot free throws very well, but Kentucky clearly has much greater depth if this turns into a foul-fest.
Kentucky’s start has been slow, but they haven’t had any recent tests since the Duke game and they won’t really be tested on Wednesday night. It’s possible that Monmouth could hang with them early like they did against the Mountaineers, but this shouldn’t be much of a contest. If the Wildcats use their size (they’re 22nd in the nation in offensive rebounds) and athleticism, then the Hawks will fall out of this one pretty early.