Kentucky vs. LSU: College Basketball Game Preview, Prediction, TV Schedule

By Taylor Sturm
LSU Basketball
Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

TV Schedule: Tuesday, Jan. 5, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

Arena: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, LA

 

The Kentucky Wildcats rebounded from their surprising loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes with back-to-back good wins over talented teams, the Louisville Cardinals and Ole Miss Rebels.

Next up for Kentucky, however, is the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, Ben Simmons, who will try and lead the LSU Tigers to an upset victory at home on Tuesday night.

After struggling earlier in the season, the Tigers got back their most talented veteran in Keith Hornsby who missed the beginning portion of the season with an injury, and they have looked like a completely different team ever since. LSU is coming off their best win of the season, as they traveled to Nashville and defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 90-82.

The Tigers’ defensive struggles have to be a concern, but with four players averaging double-digit scoring and two averaging over 17 points per game, LSU should be fairly confident they can outscore any team in the country.

That being said, LSU has yet to face a team as talented as Kentucky. The Wildcats have had some slip-ups, but their early season win against the Duke Blue Devils should have already proven to everyone that Kentucky is a legitimate national title contender. Jamal Murray continues to show that he is an elite scorer, and the rotation seems to be getting better as a whole.

As much as I want to call the upset, I think that Kentucky’s defense wins out in the end. Yes, I expect Simmons and Hornsby to both go for 20-plus, but I’m picking Kentucky to win in a high-scoring thriller.

Prediction: Kentucky 95, LSU 88

Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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