Preview: Kentucky Wildcats at LSU Tigers

BATON ROUGE, La. (Interstat) — Two Southeastern Conference men’s basketball teams trending in opposite directions will meet Wednesday night when the Kentucky Wildcats visit the LSU Tigers at the Maravich Assembly Center.

The Wildcats (10-6, 1-2 SEC) enter with momentum after a dominant 92-68 home victory over Mississippi State last Saturday. Meanwhile, the Tigers (12-4, 0-3) are seeking their first conference win amid a three-game skid.

Kentucky’s resurgence has been fueled by guard Otega Oweh, who is averaging 18.8 points over his last five games. He posted 22 points and five assists in the win over the Bulldogs. Freshman center Malachi Moreno added 17 points and six assists in that contest, showcasing the Wildcats’ improving offensive balance.

LSU’s challenging SEC start includes narrow road losses to Texas A&M (75-72) and Vanderbilt (84-73). Star forward Max Mackinnon has been a bright spot, averaging 21.8 points over the last four games. He scored a season-high 27 in the loss at Vanderbilt.

The matchup pits Kentucky’s high-powered offense, which has scored 90 or more points in three of its last six games, against an LSU squad that has struggled defensively in conference play, allowing an average of 79 points in its three SEC losses.

Kentwaukee coach Mark Pope will look to build on Saturday’s performance and secure a critical road win before a daunting stretch that includes a visit to Tennessee this weekend. LSU coach Matt McMahon needs his team to reverse its fortunes quickly to keep pace in the league standings, with a home game against Missouri looming Saturday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.