Kentucky vs. Mississippi State: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
Mississippi State and Kentucky are two ranked opponents from SEC Basketball. Which one gets the win in this pivotal matchup?
TV schedule: Tuesday, January 22, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
After a hectic week with many teams in the top-10 losing, Tennessee climbed up to the No. 1 spot in the AP top-25 poll. They’re one of six SEC teams, including Kentucky (8), Auburn (16), Ole Miss (20), Mississippi State (22), and LSU (25).
Two of them face off in a good matchup, with Kentucky 14-3 (4-1) going up against Mississippi State 14-3 (2-2). After going winless the week prior, the Bulldogs have won two straight, scoring 71 points to beat both Florida and Vanderbilt. The team’s leading scorer Quinndary Weatherspoon had 17 to beat the Commodores on Saturday.
After an easier opening to SEC play compared to others, Mississippi State has a brutal six-game stretch coming up. Five of them are against teams currently ranked, including a pair against Kentucky.
The Wildcats are coming off arguably their most impressive win of the season this Saturday, winning on the road at Auburn, 82-80. Although they did give up 53 second-half points, Kentucky’s offense matched the Tigers just enough to get the win.
Freshmen Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro each had 20 points to lead the way, along with 17 from Reid Travis. The starters scored all but six points in that game while shooting 54% from the field overall.
Of all the teams in D-I Basketball, few can compare with either of these teams in terms of frontcourt depth. Reid, PJ Washington, Nick Richards, and EJ Montgomery are a dominant group of big men for Kentucky, while the Bulldogs of Mississippi State has Aric Holman, Abdul Ado, and five-star freshman Reggie Perry to back them up. Meanwhile, Johnson, Ashton Hagans and Herro vs. Lamar Peters and the Weatherspoon brothers on the perimeter will also be a good battle.
Mississippi State lost the only matchup between the teams last season, 78-65 at Kentucky. They’ll get a return game at the Humprey Coliseum in February, which will be their best shot at a win. Because the odds are good that the Wildcats continue their positive momentum for another win.