Hartford Hawks @ Kentucky Wildcats:  Pre-game

Tuesday night, the Hartford Hawks come in to Rupp Arena to take on the Kentucky Wildcats.  This will be the last game before the Wildcats face the Louisville Cardinals, and from there, it is straight into SEC play vs. the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Hawks are by far the weakest team that Kentucky has faced since UNC-Ashville, and as such, if this team gives the Wildcats difficulty, we can begin to worry a lot about the future.

Here is the quick comparison between the two teams so far this season:

Notable opponents for the Hawks this year:  The Baylor Bears, who beat them 71-69, and Seton Hall Pirates, who defeated the Hawks 89-56.  The two Hawk victories have come at home versus the Marist Red Foxes and the Fordham Rams.

The Hawks are from the America East conference, which includes such members as the Albany Great Danes, the Maine Black Bears, the Boston University Terriers, the Stony Brook Seawolves and the Vermont Catamounts.

More after the jump.

The Hartford Hawks Roster

The Hartford Hawks Player Statistics

Four Factors Analysis (Via Kenpom.com)

Analysis:

The Hartford Hawks have struggled this season due to the youth of their most significant and effective players.  The Hawks are very small across the front line, with their biggest starter at only 6'8" tall.  Hartford is a very dangerous 3-point shooting team, but a relatively poor 2-point shooting team.

This team, young as it is, has much more experience than the diaper-dandy Wildcats.  Hartford will test the Wildcats' perimeter defense on almost every possession, and if Kentucky does not stay in the face of their three-point shooters, it is possible that Kentucky fans will witness another Sam Houston-like barrage from outside.  Fortunately, the Hawks are not nearly as accomplished as the Bearkats.

Kentucky should have an extraordinary advantage on the glass, and only by packing the defense inside can the Hawks hope to fend off the inside attack of Kentucky.  The Wildcats will need to make their perimeter shots, but they can expect to practice a lot of zone or sagging man-to-man offense in this game.

The Hawks will try to keep the Wildcats in a half-court game, and their 64.0 pace figure is the slowest team the Wildcats have faced in some time.  This will be an interesting test for Kentucky, but they are almost certain to prevail.

Projected score:  Kentucky, 80, Hartford 55.