Missouri-Kentucky men’s basketball preview

No. 1 Kentucky at Missouri

▪ WHEN/WHERE: 8 p.m. Thursday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia

▪ TV/RADIO: ESPN; KMBZ (98.1 FM)

▪ ABOUT MISSOURI (7-12, 1-5 SEC): Sophomore guard Wes Clark has emerged as the Tigers’ leading scorer in conference play at 11.7 points per game. Clark also leads MU with 20 assists and 11 steals during SEC games. Along with senior Keith Shamburger, the Tigers’ primary ball-handlers have racked up 39 assists and only 13 turnovers in conference games. Sophomore forward Johnathan Williams III scored in double figures with 15 points Saturday against Arkansas for the first time since the SEC opener against LSU. He and freshman Montaque Gill-Caesar, who scored 16 against the Razorbacks and missed the first game against Kentucky with back spasms, must be productive against for MU to have a shot at taking down the top-ranked Wildcats.

▪ ABOUT KENTUCKY (19-0, 6-0 SEC): The Wildcats are 7-0 against Missouri all-time, including an 84-79 win at Mizzou Arena last season in the only prior meeting between the programs in Columbia. Led by freshman Karl-Anthony Towns and junior Willie Cauley-Stein, an Olathe Northwest graduate, Kentucky averages eight blocks per game in SEC play. Freshman Devin Booker, who is the son of former Tigers great Melvin Booker, is shooting 59.1 percent from three-point range in conference. Booker, who averages 12.5 points the last six games, and sophomore Aaron Harrison, who leads the Wildcats in conference scoring at 14.3 points per game, have stepped up since the SEC slate commenced.

This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Missouri-Kentucky men’s basketball preview."