The Indiana Hoosiers will welcome the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats (9-0) into Assembly Hall on Saturday. The rivalry matchup will air at Noon on CBS with Don Criqui and Greg Anthony making the call.
- UK leads the all-time series 29-23
- The 2008 meeting at Rupp Arena was won by Kentucky, 72-54
- The teams have split the last four contests, though Kentucky has won 14 of the last 18 games.
- This is the fourth different coaching matchup in as many years: Kelvin Sampson-Tubby Smith (2006), Kelvin Sampson-Billy Clyde Gillispie (2007), Tom Crean-Billy Gillispie (2008), Tom Crean-John Calipari (2009)
- Calipari has never faced the Hoosiers, while Crean is 2-1 versus the Wildcats including a 2003 Elite Eight victory that sent Marquette into the Final Four
- Maurice Creek ranks ninth in the Big Ten in points, Christian Watford is ninth in rebounds and Jeremiah Rivers is seventh in assists, according to the IU game notes
Projected starters and prediction below the jump:
Kentucky Pts., Rbs., Asts.
G - Eric Bledsoe Fr. 6'1, 190 lbs. 9.8, 2.2, 3.2
G - John Wall Fr. 6'4, 195 lbs. 19.0, 3.8, 7.0
F - Darius Miller So. 6'7, 223 lbs. 7.8, 3.2, 1.8
F - Patrick Patterson Jr. 6'9, 235 lbs. 16.6, 9.4, 0.7
F - DeMarcus Cousins Fr. 6'11, 260 lbs. 14.2, 8.3, 0.3
Indiana
G - Jeremiah Rivers Jr. 6'5, 214 lbs. 7.3, 5.8, 4.3
G - Maurice Creek Fr. 6'5, 200 lbs. 15.6, 4.1, 2.0
G - Verdell Jones So. 6'5, 213 lbs. 12.5, 3.8, 3.1
F - Christian Watford Fr. 6'9, 220 lbs. 13.3, 6.5, 0.6
F - Tom Pritchard So. 6'9, 248 lbs. 4.9, 3.3, 0.5
Prediction :
IU is coming off their best played game all season and the Assembly Hall atmosphere should be fantastic. However, Kentucky is too talented and IU will likely struggle to matchup with the likes of Wall, Bledsoe, Patterson and Cousins. It might be close early, but it seems unrealistic to expect the Hoosiers to prevail in this one.
Kentucky 75, Indiana 61 (contrary to what was published in Friday's IDS)
