Tigers, Wildcats meet in consequential matchup

By Hunt Palmer

Both teams need this one.

Kentucky struck out twice in the non-conference, losing all six of its big-time matchups. LSU handled non-conference but has fallen flat in the SEC after losing Dedan Thomas Jr. to injury.

The winner of Wednesday night’s contest will feel it has righted the ship. LSU would return home Saturday against Missouri feeling like a chance to steady the tide has arrived. Kentucky would have won a second straight after a disappointing 0-2 start in league play.

Mark Pope is feeling a little heat on the Bluegrass these days. His team was booed loudly at Rupp Arena early on Saturday night before pulling away from Mississippi State. Big Blue Nation doesn’t appreciate six losses including a dud of a second half against Missouri.

The same goes for Matt McMahon who is in year four at LSU without having coached an NCAA Tournament game.

Wednesday’s loser is in some hot water. For a mid-January game between teams with losing conference records, this one feels important.

IMPORTANT INJURIES

Neither team will have its point guard on Wednesday.

Jaland Lowe is out for the year for Kentucky after suffering his third shoulder injury of the young season on Saturday. He’s had surgery. Thomas is doubtful for LSU.

Both point guards really run the show for their offenses without shooting the three exceptionally well. That doesn’t matter on Wednesday. What does is the lack of true point guard options behind them.

Kentucky doesn’t have another smaller quicker guard to handle the point. LSU has Jalen Reece who has done an admirable job replacing Thomas, but he’s not the same player.

You may see two senior off guards handling the point in Rashad King for LSU and Otega Oweh rom Kentucky. Both are about 6-foot-5 and can be trusted with the ball. Neither is as quality a shot creator as the injured lead guards.

Kentucky is going to drive the basketball from the perimeter most of the night. LSU simply has to do a better job of staying in front of ball handlers.

KEEP IT CLOSE

It’s January 14, and Kentucky hasn’t won a close game.

The Wildcats 10 wins have come by an average of 31.1 points per game, and not a single one has been decided by less than 12. Seven have come buy 20-plus.

If LSU can keep it close, the pressure kind of shifts to Kentucky. The Wildcats know falling to 1-3 with losses to South Carolina and LSU is a bad, bad spot. For LSU, that blue jersey across the way still represents a standard.

The home crowd can get involved and a shot here or there can swing the game. Keep it within striking distance and see if the $22 million team can keep it together.

MAX PROTECTION

This is pretty simple. Max Mackinnon can’t do everything.

LSU is going to need 20 from him on Wednesday night, but someone else is going to have to approach that number, too. Mike Nwoko has scored six points in each of the last two games.

That’s probably a credit to Thomas more than anything because Nwoko was about a six-point guy at Mississippi State who morphed into one of the top FG% players in the country with Thomas throwing him lobs.

Nwoko will spend a good portion of the night facing true freshman and McDonalds All-American Malachi Moreno. The youngster is 7-feet and 250 lbs., but he is a freshman. If Nwoko scores six more on Wednesday, LSU isn’t going to win the game.

Same goes for Marquel Sutton. He did chip in 13 points at Vanderbilt. LSU needs more of that.

Kentucky found some offensive rhythm on Saturday in the second half. If that carries over, it’s going to take 75-83 points to win the game for LSU. That means everyone not named Mackinnon is going to need to account for north of 50. It’s hard to get there eight at a time. Someone else has to come with 20.