Kentucky basketball wants Nick the knife, not Nick the nice. Cats face Missouri.
Takeaways from media sessions Friday previewing Saturday’s Kentucky-Missouri men’s basketball game:
1. Assistant coach Tony Barbee, who subbed for John Calipari, said the tougher recent practices were intended to refocus the UK players after an emotional victory over Louisville. “Anybody can beat anybody,” he said of SEC play.
2. Barbee said Nick Richards is so nice, you’d want him to babysit your children. But UK wants a meaner, tougher Richards on the court.
3. To explain his double-double against Louisville (13 points and 10 rebounds), Richards said he “took it up a notch” because of the importance of the game.
4. Tyrese Maxey said that fellow freshman Kahlil Whitney is holding up well emotionally despite not putting up big numbers. Whitney was UK’s “biggest cheerleader” in the Louisville game, Maxey said.
5. Missouri emphasized containing Kentucky’s transition offense as a key. “They have good guards, and they get out in transition,” Mark Smith said. “So, obviously, stopping the ball in transition is a big thing.”
Saturday
Missouri at No. 17 Kentucky
When: 2 p.m.
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Missouri 8-4, Kentucky 9-3
Series: Kentucky leads 12-1
Last meeting: Kentucky won 66-58 on Feb. 19, 2019, at Columbia, Mo.
