UK-USC Glance | TV, matchup info, storylines
NO. 1 KENTUCKY (18-0, 5-0 SEC)
AT SOUTH CAROLINA (10-7, 1-4 SEC)
Game time : Noon
Site: Colonial Life Arena (18,000), Columbia, S.C.
Favorite: Kentucky by 11 1/2
Series: UK leads 47-11. Last meeting: USC won 72-67 on March 1, 2014 in Columbia.
Television: SEC Network (Mark Jones, Dick Vitale, Kaylee Hartung)
Radio: WHAS-AM 840 (Tom Leach, Mike Pratt)
SOUTH CAROLINA
Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts.
G-Duane Notice 6-2 So. 2.8* 11.9
G-Sindarius Thornwell 6-5 So. 5.3 11.
G-Tyrone Johnson 6-3 Sr. 2.9 10.4
F-Demetrius Henry 6-9 So. 4.0 6.9
F-Laimonas Chatkevicius 6-11 Jr. 5.3 9.2
* assists per game
Key reserves – Mindaugas Kacinas, F, 6-7, Jr., 6.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg; Michael Carrera, F, 6-5, Jr., 5.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg;Marcus Stroman, G, 6-2, Fr., 4.7 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.1 rpg; Justin McKie, G, 6-4, So., 4.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg.
KENTUCKY
Pos.Player Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts.
G-Andrew Harrison 6-6 So. 4.1* 7.4
G-Aaron Harrison 6-6 So. 2.5 11.5
F-Trey Lyles 6-10 Fr. 5.4 7.6
F-Karl-Anthony Towns 6-11 Fr. 6.6 8.3
C-Willie Cauley-Stein 7-0 Jr. 6.9 9.4
* assists per game
Key reserves –Dakari Johnson, C, 7-0, So., 8.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg; Tyler Ulis, G, 5-9, Fr., 5.6 ppg, 3.6 apg; Devin Booker, G, 6-5, Fr., 10.4 ppg, 1.5 apg; Marcus Lee, F, 6-9, So., 2.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg; Dominique Hawkins, G, 6-0, So., 1.9 ppg, 1.1 apg; Derek Willis, F, 6-9, So., 2.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg.
STORY LINES
1. Andrew Harrison: Rain Man. Kentucky's freshmen have been impressively poised this season, but it helps that the Cats have an unusual number of veterans to help show them the ropes – and take the pressure off. Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker, for instance, don't even start. Whereas Calipari's point guards are usually under a microscope from Day 1, Ulis has the sophomore Harrison shouldering most of the stress.
"When it rains in Lexington, whose fault is it? It's Andrew's fault," Calipari said. "That's just how it is right now, and he's accepted it. But at the end of the day, he's the same guy that's led us to a championship game and gave us a chance to do something unique and special."
Ulis, though, was an instant fan favorite. He's tiny and talented, speedy and efficient, shooting 50 percent from 3-point range and averaging 3.6 assists for every turnover. Like many backup quarterbacks, he's the most popular guy on the team. Harrison is taking it in stride.
"There's no pressure on them at all," he said of the freshmen. "I can take whatever anyone throws at me now. I know whatever's said, it doesn't really matter. I've heard it all. I'm just starting to get my confidence back and knowing I'm the starting point guard and I can play just as well as anybody."
2. South Carolina's stingy defense. The Gamecocks allow just 61 points per game and rank eighth nationally in field-goal percentage defense (36.6), 21st in block percentage (14.8) and 22nd in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted defensive efficiency. Frank Martin's defensive approach is "a great concept," Calipari said. "They'll pressure you all over the place, deny wings, and if you drive, they all race to the lane – like, everybody just run to the lane on the drive."
It's a variation of the Pack-Line defense second-ranked Virginia has used to devastating effect under Tony Bennett, who took Washington State to a Sweet 16 and whose father led Wisconsin to a Final Four using the same defense. The idea is "we're just going to have our heels on the 3-point line and let you do what you want and give you one tough shot and then when you drive you got three guys on you because everybody's in there," Calipari said. Only Martin is doing that, plus, "they'll top you, they'll face guard, they'll deny. And then if you drive from that way, we're all running in the lane."
How, then, can Kentucky beat this approach?
"Gotta be strong with the ball, gotta play through bumps," Calipari said. "You gotta know that they're coming and find open men. I don't think they'll leave the baseline like they've been, because we'll throw lobs, so I think they'll leave from everywhere else and leave one guy back, which means maybe you can get to the rim. Maybe you can't."
* For instant updates on the Wildcats, follow me on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ. Email me at ktucker@courier-journal.com.