Staff Predictions
Will Kentucky finally break its Rupp Arena losing skid?
Kentucky fans aren't used to seeing the Cats lose three games in a row at home, and tonight Chris Beard brings the Ole Miss Rebels to Lexington for a big game.
Here are takes and predictions from Cats Illustrated staff members.
David Sisk: I will admit my picks haven’t been worth the paper they have been written on the past few games. The analytical models just can’t do due diligence to how bad Kentucky’s defense is going to be. Once again I am going to take the Cats. I am troubled with how good Ole Miss is in the pick and roll game and how poorly Kentucky defends it. The saving grace is that Ole Miss is worse on the defensive end than UK. I also don’t see them losing four games in a row. It will be a perimeter heavy game. Look for more of the same from the guards. Kentucky 92 Ole Miss 82
Justin Rowland: Ole Miss is not a good defensive team, but we know that Kentucky is reeling right now. It seems like the common sense play is for Kentucky to get back on track. Just playing the odds, it has to happen at some point, right? But when I listened to Antonio Reeves talk after the last loss, to Gonzaga, he almost sounded exasperated when he talked about the need to just play harder at home the next time. This team has to show me they're tough enough to beat a Beard team when they smell blood in the water. If you look at Ole Miss' last three weeks, which I tend to like to do, it looks like a tough game but one Kentucky should win. For me, it's just about a mental hurdle in Rupp right now. They have to show me they're going to demonstrate the level of fight required to win a game that both teams really need. Ole Miss 87, Kentucky 83.
Jeff Drummond: I don’t think anyone envisioned tonight’s game as a crucial date on the schedule when the season began, but that’s where we are after Kentucky has dropped three straight home games at Rupp Arena. Now you throw in one of those awful 9 pm tip-offs with an Ole Miss team that has been better than expected, and the stress level around Big Blue Nation has reached critical. The Vegas line of UK -8.5 seems both comforting snd puzzling at the same time. This feels like another Florida-type game with a lot of offense and not much defense on either side. If Kentucky has its full roster available for the first time this season, I think the Cats pull out a 91-85 win. Big game from Tre Mitchell returning to healthy form.