Kentucky vs. LSU: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The LSU Tigers will face the No. 1 team in all of college basketball late Saturday afternoon in the form of the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky has suffered only one defeat on the season as opposed to 20 wins, but the Tigers will look to shock them thanks to home-court advantage.

LSU hasn't exactly set the world on fire this year with a 12-8 record, but it is a vast improvement as the Tigers have won just 11 games in consecutive seasons. LSU is still in the hunt for a spot in the NCAA tournament if it can finish the season strong, and a win over Kentucky would be a huge boost to its resume.

The Wildcats continue to roll along, as they have been dominant aside from a slip-up against the Indiana Hoosiers. Kentucky is 6-0 in the SEC and has yet to truly be tested. There is a major talent gap between the Wildcats and Tigers obviously, but winning on the road in a hostile environment is still never easy.

Kentucky is trying to continue its march toward a national championship while LSU is simply trying to get back to relevance. A win would help both teams accomplish their goals, but only one will come out on top when it's all said and done.

Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

When: Saturday, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN3

Live Stream: ESPN3

Listen: WKYM 101.7 FM (Kentucky) and New Country 100.7 FM The Tiger (LSU)

Betting Line: Kentucky (-10)

Kentucky Key Injuries (According to USA Today): G Jon Hood (knee) and G Sam Malone (knee) out

LSU Key Injuries (According to USA Today): F Jalen Courtney (illness) questionable

What's at Stake?

This game is actually a pretty big one for both sides. From LSU's perspective, a win would be huge from a confidence standpoint and it would also force observers to take notice. The Tigers have been way down for a couple years, but they are clearly on the ascent. An upset of the top team in college hoops would obviously affirm that.

When you're the No. 1 team like Kentucky, every game is the utmost importance. To be the best you have to beat the best, so every team is gunning for the Wildcats. A win over the Tigers probably wouldn't impress too many people, but the Kentucky players and coaches realize that they have to win games that they're supposed to win, and this contest would certainly qualify.

What They're Saying

As if hosting the No. 1 team in the nation weren't enough for LSU, there is a very interesting subplot in Saturday's game. The Tigers' freshman point guard, Anthony Hickey, was Kentucky's Mr. Basketball, but the Wildcats didn't recruit him. Despite that, Hickey is only focused on the task at hand, according to Jerry Tipton of KentuckySports.com.

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"I had a chip on my shoulder," Hickey said when asked about UK's lack of recruiting interest. "But I brushed it off."

"I've got to play my basketball game," Hickey said of facing Kentucky this weekend. "I can't worry about chips anymore."

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Kentucky Player to Watch: F Anthony Davis

Thanks to a stacked lineup that features six players who average double-digit points per game, it's extremely difficult to single out one player to watch from Kentucky. My choice, however, is fabulous freshman forward Anthony Davis. Not only is Davis second on the team in scoring with 13.2 points per game, but he also leads the team in rebounding with over 10 per contest, blocks with an incredible 4.7 per game and field-goal percentage at 62.9.

Davis is a complete player who perfectly complements the skills of this teammates. The Wildcats obviously have a lot of skill on the perimeter, but Davis is the one who brings it all together with his presence in the paint. Despite his age, Davis is often a man amongst boys and the Tigers will find that out the hard way.

LSU Player to Watch: C Justin Hamilton

LSU is a team that doesn't have a ton of depth, but one player who could probably play for any top team in the nation is junior center Justin Hamilton. The big 6'11", 260-lb behemoth is akin to Anthony Davis of the Wildcats in a lot of ways as he leads the Tigers in scoring (13.9 PPG), rebounding (7.4 RPG), blocks (1.5 BPG) and field-goal percentage (52.2).

The Tigers are lacking a bit in terms of top-flight talent, so they lean on Hamilton quite heavily. It won't be easy, but he will have to excel amongst Kentucky's tall trees if LSU is going to entertain thoughts of an upset. If Hamilton has a monster game like he is capable of, then anything can happen.

Key Matchup: Doron Lamb and Darius Miller vs. LSU Perimeter Defense

While Kentucky's big men are what set it apart from its competition, guards like Doron Lamb and Darius Miller are charged with doing most of the offensive legwork. Since Lamb and Miller do a lot of the ball-handling and set up much of the Wildcats offense, the Tigers might be able to keep things close if they can rattle either of those players.

That is obviously easier said than done as both Lamb and Miller have been in some high-pressure situations. LSU's defense has been inconsistent this season, but when it's on it can be stifling. The Tigers aren't going to match up with the Wildcats in the paint, so their best chance is to be physical with Lamb and Miller.

Prediction: Kentucky 84, LSU 70