FAYETTEVILLE — Kentucky has never lost in Rupp Arena under coach John Calipari, a streak that spans 44 games.
The Wildcats are ranked No. 2 in the country this season, thriving with a lineup that includes another wave of fabulous freshmen like center Anthony Davis and forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Kentucky hasn’t lost to Arkansas on its home court since 1994, either, a eight-game streak that includes a 31-point win in 2010.
But Arkansas freshman BJ Young didn’t sound intimidated about the daunting task facing the Razorbacks at 8 tonight, when they play Kentucky in Rupp Arena.
“This is a big game,” Young said. “I don’t think they have ever lost at Rupp. But we plan on going in there and getting one and giving it everything we’ve got.
“We are going to be ready for the game.”
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Youthful naivety? Vital confidence? No matter the case, the Razorbacks will find out how they stack up against one of the nation’s best in the spotlight tonight. Arkansas (13-4, 2-1 in Southeastern Conference), fresh off the 69-60 home win against LSU last Saturday, will step back on the road in search of its first victory outside of Bud Walton Arena.
The opponent carries a 45-game home win streak, including 44-straight in Rupp Arena, into a conference game that held plenty of importance on the national stage when first-year Arkansas coach Mike Anderson was an assistant on Nolan Richardson’s staff.
Anderson now is “remodeling” a program that hasn’t enjoyed much success against the Wildcats in the past decade, but did snap a 10-game losing streak to Kentucky with a 77-76 overtime win in Fayetteville last winter.
Making it two straight will be a big challenge.
“We have got to play one of our better games, almost a perfect game, to have a chance to win there,” Anderson said. “We have got to play good basketball for 40 minutes. It can’t be for 20 minutes or 25 minutes.”
Kentucky is powered by a big starting lineup, which begins with the 6-foot-10 Davis.
The freshman center leads the nation in blocked shots (4.6 a game) and also averages 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds a game. The front line also includes 6-7 Kidd-Gilchrist, who leads the team in scoring (13.4 points) and is second in rebounding (7.7). Then there’s SEC preseason player of the year Terrence Jones, who is averaging 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds as a sophomore.
It’s no surprise the trio has helped the Wildcats lead the SEC in scoring margin (plus-20.4), field goal percentage (48.3 percent), field-goal percentage defense (35.6), free-throw percentage (71.6), rebounding margin (plus-7.7), and blocked shots (9.7).
But Calipari doesn’t want his team thinking it is invincible when it plays the Razorbacks tonight.
“If we don’t play well, Arkansas will beat us,” Calipari said. “Their guys, they can shoot. Their three guards, where if you put it on the floor and you can’t stay in front of people, now, they’re getting to the rim. So they’re doing a good job. I like their team.”
Kentucky’s success getting up and down the floor has left plenty of teams trying to slow them down this year. But Anderson said Arkansas’ won’t change its up-tempo principles for the Wildcats. Instead, he said Arkansas will continue to attack on both ends of the floor.
“That is how we play,” Anderson said. “We play up-tempo, attack basketball. They play the same way in terms of getting up and down the floor. I think for the fans in attendance and the fans that are watching it should be a great game where two different teams go at each other, both defensively getting at each other.”
Will it result in a surprising win?
Anderson said he didn’t know, but is confident his team will be eager for the opportunity against Kentucky.
“When you’re playing one of the top teams in the country, coach doesn’t have to get you ready,” Anderson said. “He doesn’t have to tell you things to get you ready. You already know. They’ve seen Kentucky play.”
Arkansas is 2-11 all-time at Kentucky and hasn’t won in Rupp Arena since the 90-82 win in 1994, when the Razorbacks and Wildcats were ranked third and fourth, respectively. It ended Kentucky’s 33-game home winning streak, which is the fourth-longest in school history.
Not many expect the nation’s longest current home win streak to end tonight. Especially against an Arkansas team that has struggled when it plays on the road. But Young and the Hogs are confident anything is possible.
“This is a game I have been looking forward to for awhile,” Young said. “I think my teammates have, too.
“I am really ready to go get this — we are really ready to get this as a team.”