Kentucky begins its 2021-22 SEC regular season schedule on Wednesday night with a game against the Missouri Tigers. The Wildcats are playing their best basketball of the season and looking to continue that into SEC play.
To help you get ready for the UK-Mizzou matchup here are takes and predictions from Cats Illustrated staff members.
What are you most interested to see when Kentucky takes on Missouri?
Jeff Drummond: I’m curious to see if the Cats can keep their momentum going in the right direction against a Missouri team that might try to turn this game into a physical, plodding affair. That has been Cuonzo Martin’s approach in the past when his teams have not been able to match the Cats from a skill standpoint. Can UK find other ways to create a favorable tempo and knock down enough shots to post its third-straight 90-plus scoring effort?
David Sisk: I’m going to repeat much of what I said before the Western Kentucky game. I’m interested in watching this team continue what they’ve done the last two games. The offense is playing free, making shots from the perimeter, scoring inside, and pushing the ball in transition. I also love the defensive tone Sahvir Wheeler is setting on the ball. More of the same please. This is a different team when they make three-pointers. With Kellan Grady, Davion Mintz, and Ty Ty Washington on the floor there is no reason for them not to be a team of good perimeter shooters. If I have to narrow it down to one player I am going to choose Grady. He has made 11 three’s the last two games, and has been a focal point of John Calipari’s sets. When he gets hot he frees up everybody else.
Travis Graf: I’m mostly going to be paying attention to how much Cal shortens his rotation now that they’ve entered conference play. It’s not really about who starts, but who is in the game during key runs and who starts to get axed out of playing time all together. Are there any lineups that Kentucky can find that are consistent without Oscar on the floor?
Justin Rowland: How long can Kentucky play at this level? If we get a third blowout in a row after those games against UNC and WKU then expectations for Kentucky will continue to tick upwards. Will the vastly improved three-point shooting continue, so much that the overall season numbers start to be more in line with what we expected before the season? And of course, every game it's Oscar Watch. How many boards will the big man bring down? It's unbelievable what he's doing.
Who needs to step up for Kentucky?
Drummond: Now that UK has Kellen Grady playing to his preseason expectations, it would be nice to see Davion Mintz get back into a nice offensive flow. John Calipari is pleased with his overall contributions, especially on defense, but the Cats could always use some extra perimeter scoring punch.
Graf: If Jacob Toppin can play nearly as good as he did last game on a consistent basis, it opens up so many possibilities for this Kentucky squad. He provides much needed playmaking at the top of the key and he’s always a consistent rebounding threat. On top of those things, he’s arguably Kentucky’s most versatile defender and they can attack the offense in different ways with him on the floor.
Rowland: I don't think anybody needs to step up for Kentucky, but I like Jeff and Travis' picks because we know Wheeler and Tshiebwe are going to be good. We also probably know that TyTy Washington is going to be at least good the rest of the way, because he's been good for much of this year to date. Grady and Toppin are the two X-Factors. How much of what we've seen the last two games is going to carry from one game to the next? Those are the two players I'm most interested in watching.
What's your prediction for the game?
Drummond: Kentucky 84, Missouri 65 - The Tigers have put some good teams on the court under Martin in recent years, but this doesn’t appear to be one of them. It may not be another 95-point showing, but the Cats should take care of business in their SEC opener.
Sisk: Kentucky can roll in their conference opener. They are playing well, while Missouri has been beaten soundly by Liberty, Illinois, and Kansas this month alone. If the last two games are any indication this is a group that can smell blood in the water. Kentucky 80 Missouri 56
Graf: Kentucky 81, Missouri 65. I think the ‘Cats will come out a little flat to start the game, but will go on a huge run to start the second half and blow it open a bit. Kentucky’s main four guys continue to carry the load, but Oscar is once again the player of the game with another double-double against a team that’s not great at rebounding the basketball.
Rowland: Missouri is 1-4 away from home this year with an 81-58 loss at Florida State, a 102-65 loss to Kansas, an 88-63 loss to Illinois, and a 66-45 loss at Liberty. The Tigers are without head coach Cuonzo Martin, who is in COVID-19 protocol. There's no reason to believe this game is going to be close the way Kentucky has played the last two times out. Kentucky 90, Missouri 65.
