This will be quite a challenge for the unbeaten and 10th-ranked Miami Hurricanes.
On Tuesday night, the Hurricanes (5-0) will tip off in Lexington, Ky., against the 16th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats (5-1).
Kentucky is coming off an offensive explosion in a 118-82 win over Marshall on Friday night. That’s the most points scored by Kentucky under coach John Calipari, who took over in 2009 and has been criticized by some for not playing a more wide-open style.
Following the win over Marshall, Calipari said his style of play is dictated by personnel.
“If you have a bunch of guys who can shoot like this, you play this way,” Calipari said. “We’re creating great opportunities for a team that can shoot.”
The Wildcats, who scored 69 first-half points against Marshall, are shooting 42.5 percent on 3-pointers this season. The school record for a full season is 39.7 percent.
In addition, Kentucky is averaging 29 attempts from 3-point range. In his previous 14 years at Kentucky, Calipari’s teams never averaged above 20 attempts from deep. In fact, Kentucky last season ranked 330th in the nation in 3-point attempts.
The new-look Wildcats are led in scoring by 6-foot-6 guard Antonio Reeves, the only returner from last season’s rotation. He’s averaging 19.0 points and making 44.7 percent on 3-pointers.
Two other veteran Wildcats of note are 6-9 “stretch” forward Tre Mitchell, who is on his fourth college team, and defensive-minded 6-8 wing Adou Thiero.
But the heart of the team is the nation’s top-rated recruiting class that includes 6-8 lefty wing Justin Edwards and guards Rob Dillingham, D.J. Wagner and Reed Sheppard. Those four superstar freshmen combine to average 51.3 points.
They are keys to Kentucky’s season, which so far has suffered just one loss — to top-ranked Kansas by just five points.
As for the Hurricanes, Tuesday will mark their first road game of the season, although they beat Georgia and Kansas State last week at a neutral site in the Bahamas to win the Baha Mar championship.
In the title game against Kansas State, Miami got 28 points from Nijel Pack, who made 7 of 12 on 3-pointers. Norchad Omier added 23 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
But Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga saved perhaps his biggest praise for starting guard Bensley Joseph, who scored just three points.
“Bensley’s defense on (Kansas State guard) Tylor Perry was the key to the whole game,” Larranaga said.
The Hurricanes are one of the smaller teams in the Top 25 with just Omier (6-7, 240 pounds) in the post. Miami has been beaten on the offensive boards by an average of 14.0 to 7.8 this season. But that may be less of an issue on Tuesday since the Wildcats also play small.
Wooga Poplar leads Miami in scoring (18.0) and 3-point shooting (59.4 percent). Matthew Cleveland ranks second in scoring (16.8), and he leads Miami’s starters in two-point percentage (67.5 percent) and overall field-goal percentage (62.7).
Pack is third on the team in scoring (16.0) and first in assists (4.0). Omier is fourth in scoring (15.8) and first in rebounds (9.2). And Joseph is fifth in scoring (11.6) and tied for first with Omier in steals (2.4).
Despite his relatively small stature at 6-1, Joseph also leads the team in blocks (1.2).
– Field Level Media