UA out to spoil Kentucky's run

Arkansas junior Michael Qualls gets pumped up against Texas A&M in the first half Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The last team to beat Kentucky in Rupp Arena hopes to be the next one, too.

Arkansas will look to extend its winning streak over Kentucky to four games when the No. 18 Razorbacks (23-5, 12-3 SEC) play the No. 1 Wildcats (28-0, 15-0) at 3 p.m. Central today. The game will be nationally televised by CBS.

TODAY’S GAME

NO. 18 ARKANSAS AT NO. 1 KENTUCKY

WHEN 3 p.m. Central

WHERE Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.

RECORDS Arkansas 23-5, 12-3 SEC; Kentucky 28-0, 15-0

RADIO Razorback Sports Network

TELEVISION CBS

Kentucky has won 18 consecutive home games since the Razorbacks beat the Wildcats 71-67 in overtime at Rupp Arena last season to complete a sweep that included an 86-84 overtime victory at Walton Arena on Michael Qualls' last-second putback dunk.

"Nobody wants to lose to them again, the players or the coaches," Kentucky freshman forward Trey Lyles said. "Everybody's pretty much energized for it."

The Razorbacks' winning streak over Kentucky started two years ago with Arkansas' 73-60 victory in Walton Arena.

"I think our guys will have the fire," Wildcats assistant coach Kenny Payne said. "They have a competitive edge about them. They know this team has beaten us, and they'll go out and compete."

Arkansas, closing in on its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2008, is playing Kentucky as a ranked team for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

"We're just trying to earn some respect around the country," Razorbacks sophomore forward Bobby Portis said. "People don't believe in us, I feel like. So many people still kind of sleep on us at the moment. Hopefully our team can change that."

Kentucky has won an NCAA record 2,168 games, but this is the first season the Wildcats have won their first 28. Their average margin of victory is 22 points.

"When you look on paper, a lot of people are going to say, 'Hey, there's no way that Arkansas is going to match up with them,' " Razorbacks Coach Mike Anderson said. "You can go on and on with this roster. They're deeper than they've ever been.

"If you ask many people their opinion, the game is already over with."

The Razorbacks don't share that opinion.

"Our guys will go in there with the ultimate confidence," Anderson said. "We respect our opponent, but we fear no one."

The Razorbacks have a seven-game winning streak -- their longest in SEC play since the 1994-95 season -- and are 10-1 in their last 11 games.

"I feel like if we go in with a level head and keep playing our brand of basketball, everything will take care of itself," Portis said.

"They will not be in awe of us," Payne said. "They won't be intimidated. They'll come in with some confidence, but we will, too.

"We'll come in knowing that we're a different team and we're going to get after them, just like they're going to try to get after us."

Kentucky is down to eight McDonald's High School All-Americans on its roster -- Lyles, twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Devin Booker, Karl Anthony-Towns, Tyler Ulis, Dakari Johnson and Marcus Lee -- with the loss of forward Alex Poythress to season-ending knee injury December.

Portis is Arkansas' lone McDonald's All-American.

"We've got Bobby, and we've got some Burger King guys as well," Anderson said with a laugh. "But it's got to be more than just Bobby. This is going to be about our team."

Portis said comparing McDonald's All-Americans is meaningless.

"That's high school stuff," he said. "That's out the window."

If the Razorbacks ruin Kentucky's perfect season, they'll be the top sports story in the nation.

"We know it's a big opportunity, just to show the country we're as good as them, too," Arkansas junior guard Anthlon Bell said.

"If we're playing at our best, we're going to be a tough team to beat," said Booker, a freshman guard. "We go in with the mind-set of playing against ourselves.

"If we focus on what we're doing, I feel like we'll be all right. We've basically seen it all, and I guess we're going to see what Arkansas brings."

The Razorbacks want to bring plenty of defensive pressure. Last season they forced the Wildcats into a combined 35 turnovers over 90 minutes.

"If you think you're just going to catch the ball, hold it and run the offense, it's not happening," Payne said. "They will force you to attack, and teams that can handle that have success. Teams that don't struggle.

"One of their strategies is that they feel like they're in better condition than us. We'll see. The players dictate that."

Payne said Louisville -- a team Kentucky beat 58-50 earlier this season -- plays a similar defensive style as Arkansas.

"We've seen it before," Payne said. "We've just got to go out there and handle it."

Booker smiled when asked about the Razorbacks' desire to get opponents out of their sets and force them to make plays.

"I feel like we have good enough players to play basketball," Booker said. "We have so many different weapons, we can adjust to any playing style.

"I know Arkansas is going to bring that up-tempo game, and I think it will be a fun little challenge for us."

Payne said the coaches tell the Wildcats every game they are playing a quality opponent.

"When we win, they say, 'I thought you said they were good,' " Payne said. "Arkansas is a very, very good team coming in here, a team that's capable of beating us.

"We'll have to play well to beat them."

Sports on 02/28/2015