In Kentucky’s three losses this season, they have been out-physicalled. In all three, they were outrebounded, exposed on the defensive end, and were never allowed to find a rhythm on the offensive end.

That has led to not only a gameplan format for opponents, but also a narrative that this Wildcat team is “soft”.

According to Ansley Almonor, that is something that the team has really taken to heart, and they are looking to silence that narrative.

“We’ve been hearing the chatter about us being a soft team,” Almonor said on Monday ahead of Kentucky’s matchup with Texas A&M. “That’s just not — We all come from different stories, backgrounds, but none of us are soft. That’s something that we took to heart. We’re going to out there to prove that we’re not a soft team and we’re going to prove that as the season goes along.”

A win over a tough, gritty Mississippi State team was the first step in doing that.

“A lot of people kind of try to say that we were soft from the past few games,” Williams said after Kentucky’s win in Starkville. “Coming into this game we tried to change the narrative.”

Over the next two weeks, the Wildcats have opportunities to continue to change that narrative, playing three Top-15 teams, who may be the most physical teams in the conference: Texas A&M, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Travis Perry is the only member of the current Kentucky team who was committed before Mark Pope took over as the head coach last Spring.

After the dust settled on the program’s overhaul, Mr. Kentucky Basketball found himself third on the depth chart behind seniors Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa, until the latter unfortunately suffered a leg injury in the second half of Kentucky’s win over Gonzaga.

Trial By Fire

With Kriisa out for an extended period of time, Perry stepped in as Butler’s backup without missing a beat. And, while it took a few games, he’s started to find his footing in the role and then some.

In each of the last four games, “TP,” as Coach Pope calls him, has managed to score, as well as to make an impact in other ways. Just this past game, a win at Mississippi State, Perry nabbed an offensive rebound, dribbled back out to the wing, and drilled a line-drive triple to sour the Bulldogs’ momentum. He’s become a pivotal piece on Kentucky’s bench as they work their way through a rigorous conference schedule.

In a press conference previewing the team’s upcoming home bout with Texas A&M, who are ranked 11th in the national AP Poll, Perry was asked about the change from high school to college basketball, specifically on the defensive end.

“It’s an adjustment. You’re playing against a lot better players, even if you’re guarding the best player on the opposing high school team, you’re still probably not guarding somebody as good as you’re guarding now,” he said.

“I’ve had so many reps from the beginning of summer until now, I think I’m starting to get confidence in it.”

Confidence From Coach

Perry also mentioned Pope’s ability as a coach to imbue his players with confidence, as well as the depth of this year’s Kentucky team, “I think something that’s great about our team is we have so many weapons, so many guys that could have a great night any night… I think that in itself builds confidence.”

“Coach Pope instills a lot of confidence in us. The only time he gets mad at us on offense is for not shooting… that’s something you always want from a coach.”

Pope reported Perry’s high-level shooting efficiency in practice before the season started, and has proven at multiple intervals that he’s comfortable with anyone on the roster taking a shot when they have a look.

Perry and the Wildcats will look to build on their momentum Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. in Rupp Arena, in a fringe Top 10 matchup with the visiting Aggies.

The Kentucky Wildcats got a big-time road win against Mississippi State on Saturday. Their reward? Two top-15 opponents this week, the first of which will be the Texas A&M Aggies on Tuesday night.

Coached by two-time SEC Coach of the Year Buzz Williams, the Aggies are currently ranked 11th nationally, their highest ranking since the 2017-18 season. Falling just one spot after a loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday.

Texas A&M has not won in Lexington since their inaugural season in the SEC in 2013, but have won two in a row.

The big storyline for this game is around A&M guard and two-time All-SEC selection Wade Taylor IV, who has missed two games in a row with an undisclosed injury, rumored to be his knee. Williams says he does not have any recovery timetable.

Losing Taylor, their best playmaker, is a big loss for A&M. However, beating a top-20 Oklahoma team and only losing to Alabama by six points will still be a hard-fought contest for Kentucky.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Limit A&M on the Offensive Boards

Texas A&M is the best offensive-rebounding team in the country in nearly every category. The Aggies rebound 44% of their shots, collecting nearly 15 offensive rebounds per game. That said, they shoot just over 43% from the field, so their quality of shots are not great.

Kentucky’s struggles on the offensive glass have been apparent and is an area where Mark Pope and the staff are trying to improve quickly. However, they have given up double-figure offensive rebounds in three straight games.

With four players with more than 30 offensive rebounds on the season, A&M crashes the offensive glass as a team. To counter that, Kentucky will need to box out as a team.

Speed Up the Game

By adjusted tempo, Texas A&M plays at the fourth-slowest pace in the SEC. That is a pace that Kentucky has struggled to play at often this season, and they would like to speed up the game.

A&M guard Zhuric Phelps is someone that the Wildcats can exploit on defense, as he commits more than three turnovers per game. If Kentucky can secure the boards, they can push the ball at their own pace.

Interior Defense, Maintain Foul Trouble

Running a dribble-drive offense, Texas A&M is not a team that looks to shoot threes first. This means that Kentucky will likely prioritize defending the drive rather than the shot. Communication will be key in ball-screen situations, an area where the Wildcats have improved a lot in recent weeks.

That said, the Aggies are very good at drawing fouls. Drawing more than 20 fouls on their opponent per game, they rank in the top 25 in the country. With a lineup that is 7-8 players deep, defending without fouling will be critical for Kentucky.

Opposing Players to Watch*

*Note: If Taylor does not play.

G Zhuric Phelps 6-4, 190 lbs

• 15.4 PPG
• 4.9 RPG
• 2.7 APG
• 3.2 TOPG

F Henry Coleman III 6-8, 250 lbs

• 8.6 PPG
• 5.3 RPG
• 58.4 FG%

F Pharrel Payne 6-9, 250 lbs

• 8.9 PPG
• 4.8 RPG
• 67.1% FG

Kentucky Basketball vs. Texas A&M Aggies

Time: 7:00 PM ET on January 14th
Location: Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: ESPN2
Announcers: Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | A&M
Stats to Know: UK | A&M
KenPom: UK | A&M
Team Sheet: UK | A&M

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky favored by 6.5 points with an over/under 157.5. That line is likely smaller if Wade Taylor IV plays, so it could indicate he’s trending toward being out Tuesday. Bart Torvik is the most confident in Kentucky’s chances to win at 67%. EvanMiya, again, is the most pessimistic, giving the Cats just a 58.3% chance of victory. ESPN (60.6%) and KenPom (60%) fall in between.

Predictions: The analytics predict a narrow Wildcat victory. Bart Torvik (81-76) is the sole projection going with a two-possession victory. KenPom (80-77), EvanMiya (79-76), and Haslametrics (79-78) going with a one-score victory. A&M may be without Taylor, their best player. While they still won’t be an easy out, I’m going with an 84-77 victory, Kentucky!

How do you see this one going? Send us your Kentucky vs. Texas A&M score predictions in the comments section!

Go Cats!!

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.