UK-Providence Glance | Stats, storylines

PROVIDENCE (6-0)

AT NO. 1 KENTUCKY (6-0)

Game time : 2 p.m.

Site: Rupp Arena (23,000), Lexington, Ky.

Favorite: Kentucky by 20

Series: UK leads 2-0. Last meeting: UK won 79-65 on Dec. 1, 2013 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Television: ESPN2 (David Fleming, Fran Fraschilla)

Radio: WHAS-AM 840 (Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Matt Jones)

PROVIDENCE

Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts.

G-Kyron Cartwright 5-11 Fr. 4.8* 4.2

G-Junior Lomomba 6-5 So. 1.2 1.8

F-LaDontae Henton 6-6 Sr. 5.8 24.3

F-Tyler Harris 6-9 Jr. 5.7 13.7

C-Carson Desrosiers 7-0 Sr. 4.7 6.2

* assists per game

Key reserves – Kris Dunn, G, 6-3, So., 9.0 ppg, 7.4 apg; Ben Bentil, F, 6-8, Fr., 6.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg; Jalen Lindsey, G, 6-7, Fr., 5.2 ppg; Ted Bancroft, G, 6-6, Sr., 4.2 ppg.

KENTUCKY

Pos.Player Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts.

G-Andrew Harrison 6-6 So. 3.3* 8.7

G-Aaron Harrison 6-6 So. 1.7 11.2

F-Alex Poythress 6-8 Jr. 4.8 5.8

F-Karl-Anthony Towns 6-11 Fr. 3.5** 7.5

C-Willie Cauley-Stein 7-0 Jr. 6.0 8.3

* assists per game

* blocks per game

Key reserves –Dakari Johnson, C, 7-0, So., 11.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.6 bpg; Trey Lyles, F, 6-10, Fr., 9.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.8 apg; Marcus Lee, F, 6-9, So., 2.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.2 bpg; Tyler Ulis, G, 5-9, Fr., 5.3 ppg, 3.3 apg; Devin Booker, G, 6-5, Fr., 11.2 ppg, 2.3 apg.; Dominique Hawkins, G, 6-0, So., 2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg.

STORY LINES

1. Providence hobbled. The Friars might not be at full strength, as starting point guard Kris Dunn and sixth man Jalen Lindsey both sat out Friday's win over Yale with ankle injuries suffered during a victory over Notre Dame. Both are questionable for today's game against Kentucky. Dunn is off to a great start, averaging 7.4 assists per game, including a whopping 14 against Navy. Lindsey has provided solid depth off the bench, including 15 points (on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range) in a win over Florida State. If either or both can't go against the Cats, even more of the scoring burden will be on star LaDontae Henton's shoulders. He's scored 67 points combined in the last two games, including 38 against the Fighting Irish, and has scored 20-plus in 5 of 6 games so far.

2. Sharing is caring. Through six games, John Calipari's two-platoon system is working to perfection. The Wildcats are walloping everyone and 10 players average at least 15 minutes per game – with no one getting more than 21.5. Nine of them average at least five points and six average at least four rebounds. "What I don't get: If this were other schools they'd say, 'This is all what college athletics is about. Sharing. Team before everything else.' Can you imagine?" Calipari said.

"I'd be called before the congressional hearing down in D.C.: 'Coach, what are you doing to make this about college athletics?' But instead the dialogue becomes 'He can't keep these guys happy. There's no way these guys can be happy.' If it were at other schools, 'Oh, is this great for college athletics. Is this refreshing to see, in this me society and narcissism and all that. This is the greatest thing. We all got to follow this team and cheer this works.' Hoo, it's not happening that way. But, all right, I got to go."

– Kyle Tucker