Kentucky vs. Alabama – UK Athletics

On By Littum

During Kentucky’s win over Texas A&M on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena, UK point guard Lamont Butler took a beating and apparently injured multiple body parts during certain parts of the game. Butler always battled back on the floor, though, and helped make big plays down the stretch as the eighth-ranked Cats held off the No. 11 Aggies.

UK head coach Mark Pope was not surprised by Butler’s ability to literally bounce back every time he was knocked down.

“He’s a winner. He’s a winner,” Pope said. “I actually said that at the (joint) staff (meeting) yesterday. And we’ve said it 100,000 times, but it’s starting to resonate even more differently. We has said it, but now we’re all going to feel it, we’re all going to experience it, we’re going to witness it, and we’re going to see it in real time and on a bigger level than maybe we’ve seen before. He’s funny to train. He will keep fighting, fighting. It’s probably not the end of him getting beat up a little bit.”

After beating consecutive ranked teams (Mississippi State and Texas A&M), the Cats faced another top team in the country on Saturday. This time the opposition is provided by no. 4 Alabama. Pope admires the job Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats has done in Tuscaloosa.

“What Nate has done at Alabama has been incredible,” Pope said. “He plays a fun style of basketball. They’re really hard to prepare for. Their pace is elite. They’re one of the fastest-playing teams in the country. Their transition offense is incredible. They have the presumptive player of the year in the league (Mark Sears). They’re a great team.”

The game looks to be a high-scoring affair with a lot of three-point shots. Alabama leads the nation in scoring, averaging 89.5 points per game. game, while Kentucky is third in the nation with 88.7 points per game. competition. The Crimson Tide is shooting 31.2 three-pointers per game. game, while the Cats hoist 27.7 attempts per fight behind the arc.

Alabama is 14-3 and 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference. The Tide lost to Ole Miss 64-54 on Tuesday night, snapping an eight-game winning streak. Kentucky is also 14-3 and 3-1 in league games.

Tipoff for Saturday’s game in Lexington is noon ET, and the game can be seen on ESPN.