NCAAB Game Preview - Troy at Kentucky
Mon Nov 20, 2017 8:00 PM EST

Furm
63
Duke
92
F
WichSt
92
Cal
82
F
Troy
62
KY
70
F
UNC
96
Stan
72
F
Buff
67
Cin
73
F
ND
83
Chami
56
F
Hamp
60
Xav
96
F
TAMU
72
OkSt
55
F
Baylor
70
Wisc
65
F
UCLA
89
Crei
100
F
LongB
62
WVU
91
F
UMKC
74
Manh
63
F
UL
80
Iowa
71
F
TocF
36
ChaSo
107
F
GaSo
74
MOSt
73
F
PVAM
80
E KY
70
F
Marq
94
VCU
83
F
SDSt
65
Wyo
77
F
GASt
68
E WA
50
F
JSU
86
Savan
71
F
Penn
93
NIU
80
F
Rich
63
UAB
50
F
(N/A)
43
StJon
71
F
MD-ES
48
StBon
96
F
(N/A)
53
Stetsn
87
F
AlbSt
59
FlaAM
77
F
Del
66
UNCG
79
F
DelSt
57
ETSU
81
F
Sien
92
Buck
115
F
(N/A)
49
WriSt
73
F
(N/A)
77
Albany
102
F
(N/A)
53
Campbl
98
F
(N/A)
59
USC-Up
79
F
Oakl
50
Syr
74
F
Presb
74
UNCC
83
F
JackSt
45
MD
76
F
WebIn
70
JU
88
F
Rider
67
GrgWas
65
F
Clev
69
ECU
72
F
(N/A)
106
BGSU
109
F(OT)
ASU
50
Chat
67
F
Tows
76
FAU
52
F
ORU
64
Mont
69
F
E OR
52
UtVal
97
F
UTRGV
75
N TX
63
F
(N/A)
54
SDak
93
F
How
78
ArkSt
92
F
(N/A)
46
USM
90
F
Empor
62
Mizzu
67
F
WIGB
68
MissSt
77
F
NoAZ
58
KSU
80
F
Lipsco
75
AbCh
67
F
Norf
60
GrCan
85
F
ArkPB
47
AF
57
F
NebOm
66
TCU
99
F
PSU
85
Pitt
54
F
UNLV
95
Rice
68
F
UtSt
79
PorSt
83
F
ArkLR
52
USD
66
F
UCSB
92
Pepp
84
F
E IL
63
SDSU
94
F
Mich
75
LSU
77
F
Miss
74
Utah
83
F
'Frustrated' Calipari prepares No. 7 Kentucky for Troy
Mon Nov 20, 2017 3:50 AM

No. 7 Kentucky will play the second of five consecutive home games on Monday when Troy visits Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky (3-1) started the stretch Friday with a 78-61 victory over East Tennessee State. But that doesn't mean all things are coming up roses, as the Wildcats fell behind ETSU 18-8 early.

"I don't want to get frustrated," coach John Calipari said, "but I did (Friday) because I thought guys got selfish. But I don't know if it was selfish or if they just don't know. I gotta keep reminding myself of that because I want them to be better every night out. Well, guess what, they're not machines, they're not computers, they're not going to do that."

Kentucky, which has five freshmen in the starting lineup and only two sophomores among its top eight, missed its first eight free throws and committed 22 turnovers, a season high. Calipari knows he must be patient, but there is a job to do.

"I have a responsibility to help each of these kids grow individually and collectively," Calipari said. "If I see a guy slipping just because he's going to try to do things the way he wants to do them, I gotta say something and I gotta be firm about it."

For the season, Kentucky is averaging just 71.2 points per game, lower than the season average during each of Calipari's eight previous seasons in Lexington. Last year's team scored 85 points per game. The Wildcats also have more turnovers than assists, 64-63.

Freshman forward Kevin Knox leads the way at 15.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Hamidou Diallo scores 13.8 points a game, and freshman guard Quade Green checks in at 11.5.

Troy (2-2) played its first three games in the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii in mid-November. The Trojans defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 81-57 but lost to North Dakota, 83-80, and Hawaii, 72-67, in overtime.

Returning to the mainland, Troy beat Brewton-Parker 106-71 on Thursday in its final tune-up before the Kentucky game.

Leading the way is senior guard Wesley Person, who is rewriting the Troy record book early this season. Person became the school's career leader in 3-point field goals in the win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Troy's career leading scorer since the move to Division I against Hawaii.

Despite all that, Person is not Troy's leading scorer. That nod goes to junior forward Jordon Varnado at 19.5 points per game. Person scores 17.0. Next comes sophomore forward Alex Hicks at 10.8. Hicks and Johnson share top rebounding honors at 8.3 per game.

The Trojans shoot 44.8 percent, including 34.2 from 3-point range. Troy is a 68.1 percent free-throw shooting team. The Trojans have 59 assists and 55 turnovers.

"I would tell our fans to just enjoy this because I'm the one dying," Calipari said. "You should be enjoying it, watching these kids. We got great kids that I've been very tough on and probably dragging them faster than they really are capable of doing this. I've given them so much stuff. ...

"We're preparing them like we would a normal team here, and they're probably not ready for all that stuff. But that's my job. You are asking your players to do more than they think they can do, basically doing the impossible and you're asking them to do it. But what they find out is, 'Man, I can do way more than I thought I could do.'"

Troy coach Phil Cunningham has a much more positive outlook on the Wildcats.

"Game to game, the half-court offense is getting cleaner and crisper," Cunningham told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "You can tell they're figuring out what they want to do in late shot clock (situations) and those kind of things. You can see small improvement game to game."

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Troy  
Kentucky  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

--%>