Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball to Host Minnesota State University, Mankato
A High-Stakes Matchup for Both Teams
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team will host the Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks on December 10th at Rupp Arena.
The Wildcats are coming off a disappointing loss to the Michigan State Spartans in the Champions Classic, while the Mavericks are 2-0 on the season.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Kentucky Looking to Bounce Back
The Wildcats are looking to bounce back from their loss to Michigan State, a game in which they were never really in contention.
Kentucky was led by Oscar Tshiebwe, who had 21 points and 18 rebounds, but the rest of the team struggled to score.
Minnesota State Looking to Make a Statement
The Mavericks are looking to make a statement against Kentucky, a team that is ranked No. 4 in the country.
Minnesota State is led by Malik Willingham, who is averaging 22.5 points per game this season.
The Mavericks are also a very good three-point shooting team, making 40% of their attempts from beyond the arc.
Matchup to Watch
The matchup between Oscar Tshiebwe and Malik Willingham will be one to watch.
Tshiebwe is one of the best rebounders in the country, while Willingham is a very good scorer.
If Tshiebwe can control the boards, Kentucky will have a good chance of winning. However, if Willingham can get hot from three-point range, Minnesota State could pull off the upset.
Prediction
Kentucky is the clear favorite in this game, but Minnesota State is a dangerous team.
If the Wildcats can control the tempo of the game and keep Willingham from getting hot, they should be able to win.
However, if the Mavericks can make a few early three-pointers and get the crowd behind them, they could pull off the upset.
Prediction: Kentucky 75, Minnesota State 65