Calipari’s crew pursues authoritative win
With ever-dangerous Florida looming on the horizon, Kentucky has a lot to think about as conference action winds down. But John Calipari merely wants his squad to survive a classic trap game.
The 11th-ranked Wildcats visit lowly Missouri tonight, with a 9 p.m. ET tip in Columbia. Online sports book BetDSI gives UK odds of -650 to earn its fifth consecutive victory. Conversely, the Tigers represent +500 underdogs.
This weekend, Kentucky and UF will battle for first place in the SEC. First, however, Malik Monk & Co. must power past Mizzou. After opening league play with nine straight losses, Kim Anderson’s troops are 2-3 since Feb. 4. They recently routed Vanderbilt, 72-52, canning 17 of 22 attempts from the charity stripe.
Still, MU’s chances of reaching the rack often against the Wildcats’ wingspan-endowed starting five look … bleak. Although Monk’s hit a slight rough patch of late, he nonetheless paces the program in scoring at 21.4 points per contest. Fellow guards De’Aaron Fox and Isaiah Briscoe keep making strides, too, providing Calipari with three elite offensive options on any given evening.
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UK admittedly struggled to finish off Georgia several days ago. If we’re being candid, however, Missouri doesn’t possess a single athlete with the ability to consistently create off the dribble. That spells certain doom vs. Calipari.