Dedric Lawson looking forward to Kansas-Kentucky battle of ‘bluebloods’
First-team All-America candidate Dedric Lawson envisioned dream top-10 matchups such as Saturday’s Kansas-Kentucky showdown when he decided to transfer from Memphis to KU two years ago.
“I’m excited playing against Kentucky. I’ve never played against Kentucky. You want to play in one of the best arenas in college. Rupp is one of them. Bluebloods battling it out … it’s something I’m looking forward to,” Lawson, KU’s 6-foot-9 junior power forward said in previewing an SEC/Big 12 Challenge contest between No. 9 Kansas (16-3) and No. 8 Kentucky (15-3) set for a 5 p.m. tip, at 23,000-seat Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
Lawson — the national player of the year hopeful who averages 19.5 points and 10.9 rebounds a game — happens to be friends with former Team Penny AAU teammate PJ Washington of Kentucky. Washington, a 6-8 sophomore who averages 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, figures to spend some time guarding, and being guarded by, his buddy.
The game also will reunite former Oak Hill Academy teammates David McCormack of Kansas and Keldon Johnson of Kentucky. Johnson averages 14.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game; McCormack 2.1 and 2.2.
“We are really excited. Everybody will be pumped up,” KU freshman guard Ochai Agbaji said. “Rupp Arena is really famous, really big. I’m just excited to play there.”
Kentucky has won five straight games in the SEC after dropping its opener against Alabama on Jan. 5. KU enters 5-2 in the Big 12, but is 1-3 in true road games this season. Kentucky has won 14 straight games at Rupp.
“They are a tough opponent. We are vulnerable,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “They are coming in here … last time they came in they beat us. We know it’s a big game. It’s a game we need to show up and do what we’re supposed to do.”
KU did indeed stop UK 79-73 on Jan. 28, 2017 in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge game at Rupp. Overall, KU coach Bill Self’s KU teams are 3-3 versus Calipari’s Kentucky teams going back to March 2007.
“They are a team that can win a national championship,” Self said. “I know everybody thought that before the season and then you have one game where the attention shifts (118-84 loss to Duke in Champions Classic) and they’ve done it the right way. They’ve grinded their way back to where they are right now and that’s being one of the best teams in the country.”
Kentucky may not have been ready for prime time in that season opener, but since then the Wildcats have re-established themselves as elite.
Kentucky in the past two games won at No. 14 Auburn (82-80) and blew out No. 22 Mississippi State at Rupp (76-55).
“Five wins in a row against good people, too. They’re playing well. They were really good, especially the last 10 to 12 minutes against Mississippi State the other night,” Self said. “They’re good. They’re big. They’ve got enough fouls to give so they should never have to play shorthanded up front. (Ashton) Hagans has developed into a premier guard and maybe he is as good a defensive guard (as there is in country). He’s their Marcus Garrett. (Tyler) Herro and Keldon Johnson are both having terrific years and are on a roll right now.”
Hagans, a 6-3 freshman guard, had eight steals in an 80-72 win over North Carolina. Herro, a 6-5 freshman guard, started slowly this season but has emerged into the Wildcats’ top three-point shooter. He’s made 32 of 90 treys for 35.6 percent.
UK, which averages 80.0 points a game and allows 67.5, has four starters who are double-digit scorers. KU, which averages 78.1 points and allows 70.2, has three starters who average double digits in points.
“What I see now is a driving team that plays, that scrambles and collapses on you defensively. They will trap the post,” Calipari said. “Bill has great stuff that he runs that gives guys opportunities to score. They run their weave, their pic and rolls. They do what they do. It doesn’t seem to matter who he has (on team). He coaches the team and gives them a chance to win.”
Hall of Fame coaches Self and Calipari are in agreement that this is not a great time to play the game — in the midst of conference season.
Asked if he likes the SEC/Big 12 Challenge being held at the end of January, Self said: “I would say, ‘absolutely not,’ but we get a chance to play Kentucky so I’d say, ‘absolutely.’ The negatives are, it comes at a bad time of the season. It’s not a great game for Kentucky and it’s not a great game for us. But, it’s a great game because to the kids, that we get a chance to play Kentucky. And to their (Kentucky) kids, they probably feel the same thing about playing us. There’s a natural rivalry there, even though it doesn’t go back as many contests as you may think.
“But when you are talking about the two winningest programs of all time, there’s a built-in natural rivalry. Adolph Rupp played at Kansas. There are so many things that intertwine the schools. I also think Cal brings an element to the rivalry with the success that he’s had. To me, it’s not as important as playing at Texas (Tuesday in Austin) but in the moment, it’s as big as any game that we’ll have. And to our players, they’ll feel that same way too. Breaking up your conference season to do this, I don’t know of any coach who would say they are a huge fan of it, but it’s great exposure for our league. It’s great exposure for the SEC and for one day, on ‘(ESPN) GameDay,’ we’ll actually be hearing about the Big 12 and all the schools in it, which is great for our league.”
Calipari also made his feelings known about the topic.
“To play this at this time of year, I’m not for it,” Calipari said. “It’s a tough game in the middle of your league schedule which is ridiculously tough. But it’s a good opponent and well-coached and terrific talent and one of the bluebloods so it should be a good contest.”
Self said if truth be known, he’ll be as fired up as his players.
“There’s certain games that coaches get excited for as well,” he said. “This will be one of those games that it’ll be even more fun preparing for and watching and that kind of stuff. I’m sure it is for them too.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Dedric Lawson looking forward to Kansas-Kentucky battle of ‘bluebloods’."
