Cats to open SEC play with big challenge at Alabama

There’s no easing into the water for Kentucky as SEC play opens on Saturday.

The Wildcats travel to Alabama for a matchup with the No. 14 Crimson Tide (10-3), who a year ago became only the third team in history to beat UK three times in one season, culminating with a 99-70 blowout in the SEC Tournament.

There are a lot of new faces on the Alabama roster this season — and one player, Mouhamed Dioubate, who has transferred from the Crimson Tide to the Wildcats — but Nate Oats‘ team just keeps on rolling.

Alabama is coming off a 102-78 win over Yale on Dec. 29, a game which saw the Tide play without star guard Labaron Philon (thigh/groin) but were still unable to unleash their trademark bombardment of 3-pointers. Two Bama players, Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., each buried five treys in the blowout.

The current KenPom efficiency ratings have Alabama at No. 3 nationally in offense and No. 71 on defense. The Tide have topped 100 points five times this season. Kentucky (9-4) enters the matchup at 32/23, respectively.

“It’s, obviously, a great team,” UK head coach Mark Pope said. “… They’re playing with reckless abandon, still. They got up 54 or 55 3s last night and made 22 of them, I think, give or take. They’re playing with terrific pace. Terrific team. Well-coached team. We’ll have our hands full, but I can’t wait to get there.”

Kentucky brings a similar record into the matchup but a different vibe after suffering some tough losses in non-conference play. The Cats are, however, riding a four-game win streak into Tuscaloosa and say they’ve found a new mindset to keep their momentum going forward.

“We’re trying to evolve into the team that’s going to get us to the highest ceiling,” Pope said. “I think our guys are pretty resilient. I think they learned a lot about themselves and learned a lot about who we want to be and how we want to get there (during non-conference play).”

Asked if there was a moment or game that helped the team realize it needed a different approach, Pope pointed to lopsided defeats against Michigan State and Gonzaga.

“I think we walked out of Michigan State with some really serious lessons about what we were trying to earn for ourselves on the offensive end, and I think that’s something that we’ve reflected on a lot and has maybe been a defining feature for us,” the UK boss said.

“And I think the Nashville debacle was something that kind of touched us deep to our soul and kind of tested the resolve of this group and made us kind of redefine who we were going to be as human beings and as a team.”

Pope added that it wasn’t just setbacks, though, that helped pave a new direction. The Cats also confirmed that the new approach could work in wins against Indiana and St. John’s.

“It’s been an evolving piece,” he noted.

Part of that evolution has also been team health. Kentucky will enter league play with its roster largely intact.

According to Pope, both point guard Jaland Lowe and center Jayden Quaintance have done well in practice during the long holday layoff between games. The Cats have played only one game this season with the full roster active.

Tipoff for UK and Alabama is set for Noon ET on ESPN.