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The Kentucky Wildcats will take on the eighteenth ranked Missouri Tigers Wednesday night in Columbia at 7:00 PM. The game was previously scheduled for Tuesday night at 9:00 PM but had to be bumped due to COVID-19 protocols within the UK program.
Ahead of the matchup, Mizzou assistant coach Marco Harris-Stevens previewed the game with media, and he had some not-so-flattering things to say about the Kentucky guards:
Auburn and TCU really hurt Mizzou with ball screens their last two games. When asked about it assistant coach Marco Harris-Stevens said this of Kentucky's guards:
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) February 2, 2021
"I don't think they have guards that can wiggle like those guys did"
More tonight on @LEX18News at 7:30 PM pic.twitter.com/dcVmctZnNe
Many fans may see this as a shot at UK’s guards but, to me, I think he’s just being honest in his assessment of what he has seen from Devin Askew and Davion Mintz. John Calipari himself has bemoaned their lack of ability to create offense off the bounce or penetrate into the lane.
The fact of the matter is Kentucky really only has one guard that can create off the dribble, and that’s Terrence Clarke. But there’s not really been any new updates on whether or not Clarke is going to be available Wednesday night. I think it’s safe to say that the Cats will be without him in Columbia.
The challenge for John Calipari has been the same one most of the season: How can he run his offense without the usual explosive guards running the show? He has yet to come up with an answer as the rest of the team has been inconsistent on offense in both the front and back courts.
The Cats have been off for a week since we last saw them blow it down the stretch at Alabama. Lance Ware spoke to the media today and said that the team is refocused and re- energized at practice. Maybe that will translate tomorrow night, but I won’t hold my breath.