LSU's Mickey, Martin to challenge UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In No. 1 Kentucky's quest to beat all comers this basketball season, the Wildcats' next opponent figures to be one of the better equipped to combat UK's immense size.

LSU, which boasts talented sophomore frontcourt players Jordan Mickey, the nation's leading shot-blocker, and Jarell Martin, will welcome the Cats 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Maravich Center, where the Tigers defeated UK last season. LSU has announced the school's first sellout since 2006.

"It's going to be a game for the big boys," UK assistant coach John Robic said. "Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin are both two really talented players that use their size to their advantage."

In winning at Florida Saturday night, UK (23-0, 10-0 Southeastern Conference) got excellent performances from its exceptionally big front line of 6-foot-11 Karl-Anthony Towns (19 points, eight rebounds, two blocks) and 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein (13 points, five rebounds). Add Dakari Johnson and Marcus Lee off the bench, and few teams in the country can compete with UK's depth and productivity up front.

Presumably, the Tigers (17-6, 6-4) have the horses to challenges the Cats.

The 6-foot-8, 235-pound Mickey averages 17 points and 11 rebounds this season with 81 blocked shots — just eight fewer than UK leaders Towns and Cauley-Stein have combined. Mickey shoots 53.1 percent from the floor and has 14 double-doubles. His 3.7 blocks per game are No. 2 in NCAA Division I but trail only Washington's Robert Upshaw, who's been dismissed from that team.

UK coach John Calipari said Mickey is "just being vicious" in his pursuit of rebounds and believes the Cats need to be aggressive and attentive against him because "if you're turning your back or turning your head, he's dunking on you."

Martin (6-10, 235) averages 16 points and nine rebounds and has nine double-doubles. He's also made 12 3-pointers this year. Robic said LSU's big men remind him of Kansas' as far as possessing skill to go with size.

"They're basketball players," Calipari said. "They can make jump shots. They can beat you on the dribble. They both go at the rim. … Both of them have skills to play out on the floor, not just inside."

Robic said Mickey and Martin set the tone for a tall team that also includes 6-6 guard Tim Quarterman.

Robic called Mickey a "premier shot-blocker" with "extraordinary talent" whose rim protection gives the Tigers some inside insurance resembling what Kentucky has with its myriad of big men.

UK could be without one of its frontcourt players — freshmanTrey Lyles — again. He was expected to practice on a limited basis Monday afternoon as he copes with an illness that has caused him to miss the last three games, but Calipari wasn't certain if he'd fly with the team to Baton Rouge.

At 6-10, Lyles, who usually plays small forward, creates matchup problems for both bigger and smaller player, Robic said, comparing him to Darius Miller on UK's 2012 national title team. And Lyles is even significantly bigger than Miller.

"We've gotten by without him," Robic said. "He's going to get you some rebounds. He can shoot the jump shot. He can put the ball on the floor."

LSU coach Johnny Jones knows UK will present an immense challenge for his team, but he's confident in the ability of Martin and Mickey to match up.

"We've got an opportunity to compete at a certain level," Jones said. "Kentucky is a very tough basketball team that has played a very demanding schedule. They've been able to pass all the tests they've been faced with all year and accepted all challenges. We have a couple guys who are sophomores that had some experience last year with … playing against Kentucky three times last year, and we're hopeful through those experiences, that'll help."

Steve Jones be reached at (502) 582-7176 and followed on Twitter at @SteveJones_CJ.