Kentucky has been surviving on inconsistent play for most of the season as head coach John Calipari blames age on the Wildcats' struggles. However, they remain close with conference-leading Florida as they head into the second half of SEC play. The No. 18 Wildcats will certainly be tested on the road Saturday as they face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville.
Kentucky starts a two-game road trip against Mississippi State and is expecting a tough matchup from the Bulldogs. Despite being 3-6 in the SEC, they are 11-2 at home which looks good for their chances.
Kentucky is coming off their best game of the season against Ole Miss. Willie Cauley-Stein put up 18 points and 11 rebounds as five Kentucky players got into double digits. The team shot 51 percent overall and 63 percent in the second half alone as their defense kept the Rebels quiet on just 39 percent shooting.
Kentucky is currently 2-3 on the road and need to adjust those issues for the second half of the season. The Wildcats will play five of their final nine games on the road before heading into the conference tournament. The Wildcats play Florida twice along with Mississippi on the road where Marshall Henderson will certainly be waiting for them.
The Bulldogs have seen their struggles this season. They sat tied with Texas A&M in their most recent game before going scoreless for almost 10 minutes. The team eventually lost 72-52 while allowing the Aggies to shoot 69 percent in the second half. Playing that way against Kentucky will not give them the upset win. Kentucky has shot better than 50 percent in their last two games against the Bulldogs. Look for the team to do the same on Saturday.
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