Kentucky vs. LSU: Game Preview, Prediction

After earning a tough road win on Saturday night, the Kentucky Wildcats attempt the same feat on Tuesday night, as they visit the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge.

Kentucky beat the Florida Gators 68-61 in Gainesville on Saturday in a tough SEC battle. Aaron Harrison led the ‘Cats with 23 points, while freshman big man Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

The Wildcats are now 23-0 on the season, including a 10-0 mark in the conference. Head coach John Calipari has seen his team survive some close calls in SEC play, but the Wildcats have been equal to the task every time.

For the season, Aaron Harrison is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 11.5 points per game. Freshman guard Devin Booker is the only other Wildcat averaging in double figures, scoring 10.7 points per contest.

LSU has been somewhat of a mystery this season. At times, they have appeared to be an elite team (earning a road victory over the nationally-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers), while at other times, they seem to have trouble finding their way (a home loss to the Auburn Tigers).

Overall, LSU is 17-6 this season, including a 6-4 mark in SEC play. The Tigers beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 71-60 on Saturday night to snap a two-game losing streak.

Sophomore forward Jordan Mickey is LSU’s best player on both ends of the floor. He averages 17 points, 11 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. His front court mate is sophomore forward Jarell Martin, who averages 16 points and nine rebounds per game.

In the backcourt, junior guard Keith Hornsby scores 12.5 points per game, while sophomore guard Tim Quarterman puts up 12.3 points per outing.

LSU figures to be the type of team that can challenge Kentucky. The Tigers have the height to hang with Kentucky’s front line, and their shot-blocking ability could shut down some of Kentucky’s drives to the basket.

The big problem for LSU is, can Hornsby and Quarterman hang with Kentucky’s talented back court players? If they can, this could be an upset in the making.

However, it says here that Kentucky will have enough to pull out another tough SEC road game.

Final score prediction: Kentucky 66, LSU 61

Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.