NCAAB Game Preview - Fairleigh Dickinson at Kentucky
Sat Dec 7, 2019 4:00 PM EST

Colora
58
Kansas
72
F
Ill
58
MD
59
F
PSU
74
OhSt
106
F
FaDi
52
KY
83
F
Ariz
58
Baylor
63
F
HI
64
Oreg
89
F
Mem
65
UAB
57
F
Vill
78
StJos
66
F
Fla
62
Butl
76
F
Fres
70
UtSt
77
F(OT)
NJIT
65
UCF
78
F
Syr
97
GaTec
63
F
WVU
68
StJon
70
F
StFNY
63
UMassL
94
F
FIU
84
KennSt
81
F
Stetsn
61
VMI
88
F
StFPA
63
UMBC
60
F
UMass
55
Harv
89
F
E MI
55
Detr
51
F
CarBi
40
Citad
108
F
Lafy
62
Corn
59
F
Maine
66
CenCT
64
F
IUPUI
54
Ball
102
F
LIU
85
Army
72
F
NCAT
52
Brad
83
F
Presb
68
SCSt
80
F
BC
73
ND
72
F
Mia-O
87
Evans
101
F
Nev
100
AF
85
F
CSBak
67
Miss
83
F
(N/A)
59
LoyIL
90
F
Boston
79
Bingha
84
F(OT)
IndSt
84
WriSt
77
F(OT)
YSU
64
W MI
66
F
NCSU
91
Wake
82
F
UNCC
76
UNCW
57
F
Longw
65
Morg
73
F
Manh
54
Ford
53
F(OT)
LaSal
71
Drex
63
F
Nebras
76
Crei
95
F
Hof
45
StBon
73
F
NMSt
54
WaSt
63
F
UNLV
50
BYU
83
F
ArkSt
66
Tuls
63
F
UCSB
72
TexAr
68
F
SIU
69
USM
72
F
Rice
60
Lamar
73
F
(N/A)
47
TXSo
85
F
LoyMD
64
MtStM
48
F
Del
56
GrgWas
66
F
NM
79
Wyo
65
F
UtVal
72
S UT
73
F
UNCA
77
WCU
78
F
UNCG
60
Radf
58
F
David
70
NE
63
F
Oakl
65
BGSU
68
F
IPFW
49
IL-C
62
F
WIGB
80
E IL
93
F
GASt
73
Mercer
61
F
(N/A)
53
TXAMC
81
F
Ind
64
Wisc
84
F
Cal
52
SCla
71
F
CenAR
67
Utah
98
F
JSU
62
AlaAM
67
F(OT)
UTSA
77
TxSt
71
F
NFla
83
APSU
90
F
Cin
66
Xav
73
F
UNH
67
Quin
75
F
NCC
53
ChaSo
58
F
BethC
60
JU
82
F
SEMO
73
Drake
78
F
ArkLR
53
N TX
76
F
Norf
53
Hamp
64
F
RobM
64
FlGlf
59
F
GWebb
77
Woff
81
F
Tows
38
Vermt
55
F
Pacif
65
LongB
46
F
MorSt
50
IlSt
61
F
CoCar
92
Winth
88
F
Brown
63
Stony
79
F
Maris
51
Navy
53
F(OT)
Yale
78
Leh
65
F
Clev
59
Kent
81
F
Amer
53
GMas
68
F
Albany
64
Buck
65
F
Ark
79
W Ky
86
F(OT)
Mizzu
64
Temp
54
F
NIU
57
UCDav
66
F
(N/A)
65
InWor
101
F
ETSU
68
NDSU
78
F
Samf
113
HCU
90
F
(N/A)
34
AbCh
102
F
ODU
57
VCU
69
F
MTSU
52
Murr
85
F
Sac
62
CS-Ful
59
F
(N/A)
46
Web
86
F
ArkPB
50
UTEP
59
F
ColSt
64
Bois
75
F
Marq
73
KSU
65
F
UL
65
AzSt
77
F
GTown
91
SMU
74
F
Gram
67
LoyMa
83
F
Sien
66
CAPoly
70
F
Portl
71
Seatt
73
F
HolyC
51
USD
68
F
CBU
68
UCIrv
60
F
Fairleigh Dickinson next up for No. 8 Kentucky
Fri Dec 6, 2019 2:16 AM

Kentucky (6-1) should have little trouble running its win streak to five in a row when Fairleigh Dickinson (2-5) visits Lexington, Ky., on Saturday afternoon.

After all, the Knights are 0-5 on the road, including double-digit losses to DePaul (11 points), Army (16) and Notre Dame (25).

But the opponent is the least of the concerns for Wildcats coach John Calipari.

"All I'm trying to do now is, how good can we get?" Calipari told reporters Thursday. "I said publicly, if we don't become an unbelievable defensive team, we will not be playing late in March. We will not. If we are that, and we rebound and have some toughness about us, fight, then we'll have our chances to advance and do what we want to do."

Calipari has been taking note of the wild results around college basketball this week. No. 1 Louisville crushed No. 4 Michigan, No. 6 Ohio State rolled No. 7 North Carolina by 25 points in Chapel Hill, and Purdue rocked defending national champion and fifth-ranked Virginia by 29.

"The teams that are winning right now are playing great defense. Most of them have veterans. I mean, that's what it is," Calipari said. "You've gotta guard, and you got to have some veteran leadership.

Calipari has boiled it down to two words -- fight and finish.

"Fight for rebounds. You fight harder than he's fighting," he said.

"The second word is finish," Calipari added. "The last four minutes of games, we have been atrocious, but we were last year, too. So now I'm working on how we finish the last four minutes of games, what we're going to do, what's your mentality."

The Kentucky coach says practices are not place for the faint of heart.

"Last two days, whew. Really the last three practices were like, literally we might as well put helmets on," Calipari said. "Literally, it's like lacrosse. I might as well give them sticks. But it's been good."

Kentucky is attempting to grow while still fighting injuries. Graduate transfer Nate Sestina had surgery on a broken left (non-shooting) wrist, and freshmen Dontaie Allen, who had yet to play, is attempting a comeback from knee surgery.

"Nate's still two weeks, maybe three away from us figuring out if he can play," Calipari said. "Dontaie practiced, and then he's out for two more days. So yesterday and today, knee soreness. He's not nearly ready. He practiced one day, half of the practice maybe."

Kentucky enters Saturday's game shooting 46.9 percent, including 30.1 from 3-point range. The Wildcats' average point differential is plus-15.8, and they average 9.3 more rebounds per game than opponents.

Freshman guard Tyrese Maxey leads the way at 14.7 points per game. Next comes junior forward Nick Richards at 14.3 and a team-best 8.3 rebounds. Sophomore guard Ashton Hagans averages 13 points and 6.4 assists, and sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley checks in at 12.5 points.

Fairleigh Dickinson shoots 45.9 percent, including 32.6 percent from 3-point range. The Knights are minus-1.4 points per game in the scoring differential and a minus-3 in rebounding.

Junior guard Xzavier Malone-Key is the leading scorer at 20.3 points per game. Junior guard Jahlil Jenkins averages 15.6, junior forward Elyjah Williams 13 and senior forward Kaleb Bishop 12.6.

"Now we are off to Lexington, and again we look forward to playing against one of the gold standard programs in the nation in Kentucky," FDU coach Greg Herenda said. "Our players, our program and our university are excited, and so am I."

The Knights blew an 18-point lead against Quinnipiac on Tuesday but hung on late, with Malone-Key winning it on a free throw in the final seconds.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Fairleigh Dickinson  
Kentucky  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

--%>