The Tigers just let Georgia shoot 43 percent from deep in Columbia, Mo., leaving the Bulldogs wide open multiple times. Missouri lost 75-68 at home to the team picked to finish 12th in the 14-team SEC. That does not bode well for Mizzou's visit to Lexington, Ky. The Wildcats rank sixth nationally from beyond the arc (40.6 percent) and are coming off a rare poor shooting performance: 5 of 20 from deep in a gritty 87-85 win at Florida. Kentucky's loaded freshman class has won the SEC Freshman of the Week award five times (Reed Sheppard twice, D.J. Wagner twice, Aaron Bradshaw). The Wildcats rank sixth nationally with 1.068 points per possession and should thrive against a Missouri team ranked 181st in defense.

Coach Cal has his usual legion of new, blue-chip recruits, augmenting that youth with some legit veteran seasoning, as both G Antonio Reeves (19 ppg) and PF Tre Mitchell (13 ppg & 7 rpg) are in their fifth seasons of college ball, with perspectives and experienced gained from a variety of locales outside of the SEC. It’s the latest collection of diaper dandies, however, who could propel the Cats deep into March, with crackling backcourt options such as Gs Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, and D.J. Wagner all scoring in double digits. This all looks problematic for wobbling Mizzou, as Dennis Gates also has depth issues, as the Tigers’ bench contributed just 3 points in last Saturday’s home loss vs. Georgia. Play UK