Mark Pope and his Kentucky Wildcats are ready for a fast-paced matchup with Alabama

Kentucky basketball is no stranger to top 15 matchups this season, and on Saturday they will be playing their third-straight top 15 game at home this season, the first time that has ever happened. It's just a testament to how good the SEC is. The Wildcats are welcoming #4 Alabama into Rupp Arena for what is expected to be a high-scoring game, with Alabama leading college basketball averaging 89.5 points per game and Kentucky ranking 3rd at 88.7 per game.

Like last season, it's going to be another faced-paced battle between the two teams with lots of scoring. But, on top of that, Alabama is the 3rd best rebounding team in the country, so it will be another battle on the glass that Kentucky needs to be ready for. The Crimson Tide play fast, and so do the Wildcats, but the rebounding needs to be at the top of the scouting report again for Kentucky. Mark Pope spoke with media on Thursday about what Alabama brings to the table, including reigning SEC Player of the Year, guard Mark Sears, who is also on the Naismith National Player of the Year watch list.

"They're really tough to prepare for. Listen, every team in this league is impossible to prepare for. Everyone is so good, they pose different challenges. Alabama right now is - of course they've always been so potent demanding that you guard space. Their pace is elite, ....one of the fastest playing teams in the country, and when you break down their possession usage, in the first six seconds and the second six seconds of the shot clock. After makes, ...they punish you. It's one of those games where if you're not careful, you're gonna be making a big time play and all your guys are gonna be celebrating, and the cameras are gonna be focused on your guy, and then they're gonna come back to your guys and they're gonna have the ball again because Alabama's already gone and scored. Their transition offense is incredible, their space is incredible, they've got the presumptive Player of the Year in the league (Mark Sears). In the last five games, they've been the number one offensive rebounding team in the country. Certainly their use of the three-point line is pretty heavy. I think they're actually third in the country in two-point field goal percentage. They're really, really effective at the rim. Their volume from the three-point line is intense. They haven't shot it great, but their volume is always scary. Like, on a night where they're making shots, it's a long night for their opponent. Really for me, it's their pace, and them on the offensive glass right now, it's just been remarkable."
Pope on Alabama.

There is a lot of similarities between both teams playing fast and wanting to shoot, but Alabama loves to get to the free throw line if the shots don't fall. One thing is true once again in another physical matchup, and that is Kentucky must get on the glass in the expected high-scoring matchup.