Today at 4 p.m. on the SEC Network, the #4 Kentucky Wildcats return to the road after back-to-back home games at Rupp Arena to take on the struggling Louisiana State Tigers down in Baton Rouge at the Maravich Assembly Center. Here are some numbers and facts of interest headed into today’s game:
LSU Struggling In SEC Play
The Tigers have played half of their conference schedule so far and they have yet to win a game against SEC competition, a horrid 0-8 record. The last school to finish winless in SEC play for an entire season was Georgia Tech in 1953-1954. The Yellow Jackets that season finished 0-14 in SEC play and had a 2-22 overall record. Since the current format of a 16 game conference schedule, started in 1991-1992, the worst record in SEC play by a school has been 2-14. Five times a SEC school has had the unfortunate distinction of having a 2-14 in SEC play since 1991-1992, and here are those 5 schools:
Tennessee, 1993-1994: 2-14 (.125) 5-22 overall record (.185)
LSU, 1997-1998: 2-14 (.125) 9-18 overall record (.333)
LSU, 2000-2001: 2-14 (.125) 13-16 overall record (.448)
Georgia, 2004-2005: 2-14 (.125) 8-20 overall record (.286)
Arkansas, 2008-2009: 2-14 (.125) 14-16 overall record (.467)
With one more loss LSU will be guaranteed a losing season in SEC play. There have been 5 SEC schools have at least 10 losing seasons in SEC play since the 1991-1992 season, and LSU is one of them. Here are the 5 schools:
Auburn: 13 losing seasons
South Carolina: 13 losing seasons
Mississippi: 12 losing seasons
Georgia: 10 losing seasons
LSU: 10 losing seasons
So it’s evident that LSU has struggled in SEC play, not only this season, but over the past 18 seasons as well.
A 3 Game Losing Streak To LSU?
With a loss against the Tigers today, UK would have a current 3 game losing streak against LSU. Throughout UK’s history, they have had 20 total losing streaks of at 3 games against SEC opponents. Here are the most 3+ game losing streaks to SEC schools:
Tennessee: 6
Vanderbilt: 4
LSU: 3
Florida: 2
Georgia Tech (Left The SEC After The 1963-1964 Season): 2
UK Not So Dominant At The Maravich Assembly Center
Since its opening in the 1971-1972 season, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center has been an extremely difficult place to win at for the Wildcats. Here are UK’s 5 worst winning percentages at SEC opponents’ current home courts:
Alabama (Coleman Coliseum): .529 (18-16) (Includes 2 NCAA Tournament Games)
LSU (Pete Maravich Assembly Center): .531 (17-15) (Includes 3 SEC Tournament Games)
Tennessee (Thompson-Boling Arena): .565 (13-10) (Includes 1 SEC Tournament Game)
Florida (Stephen C. O’Connell Center): .567 (17-13)
Vanderbilt (Memorial Gymnasium): .615 (40-25) (Includes 4 SEC Tournament Games And 5 NCAA Tournament Games)
UK’s Various Records vs. LSU
UK’s overall record vs. LSU: 78-24 (.765) (lost last 2 meetings, 7-3 last 10 meetings)
UK’s record vs. LSU on the road: 27-16 (.628)
UK’s record vs. LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center: 15-15 (.500) (won last meeting, 6-4 last 10 meetings)
UK’s record vs. LSU when UK is ranked and LSU is unranked: 45-6 (.882) (won last 14 meetings)
Other Various Records
UK’s overall record playing on February 6th: 24-5 (.828)
UK’s record playing LSU in the month of February: 24-11 (.686) (lost last meeting, 7-3 last 10 meetings)
Largest crowd to attend a Kentucky/LSU game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center: 15,192 (January 19th, 1981, #3 Kentucky – 67 #6 LSU – 81)
Smallest crowd to attend a Kentucky/LSU game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center: 7,225 (February 26th, 1972, #18 Kentucky – 71 LSU – 88)
RPI Rankings (As Of 9:30 P.M. February 5th)
Kentucky: 6th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 46th
LSU: 210th
LSU’s Strength Of Schedule: 92nd
Pomeroy Ratings (As Of February 4th)
Kentucky: 9th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 75th
Kentucky’s Non-Conference Strength Of Schedule: 173rd
LSU: 180th
LSU’s Strength Of Schedule: 83rd
LSU’s Non-Conference Strength Of Schedule: 242nd
Sagarin Ratings (As Of February 4th)
Kentucky: 7th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 91st
LSU: 186th
LSU’s Strength Of Schedule: 104th
Kentucky In The Top 30 In Team Statistics (As Of February 4th)
Assists Per Game: T-22nd (16.1)
Blocks Per Game: 7th (7.1)
Field Goal Percentage Defense: 16th (38.4%)
Field Goal Percentage: 13th (49.1%)
Rebound Margin: 1st (+9.9)
Scoring Margin: 7th (+16)
Scoring Offense: 8th (82.4)
3 Point Field Goal Percentage: 30th (39%)
Rebounds Per Game: 5th (41.9)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game: T-11th (15)
Defensive Rebounds Per Game: 21st (26.8)
LSU In The Bottom 30 In Team Statistics (As Of February 4th)
3 Point Field Goals Made Per Game: 322nd (4.2)
Kentucky Players In The Top 50 In Individual Statistics (As Of February 4th)
Assists Per Game: John Wall, 2nd (6.8)
Field Goal Percentage: Patrick Patterson, 2nd (60.2%) DeMarcus Cousins, 33rd (54.4%)
Rebounds Per Game: DeMarcus Cousins, 26th (9.8)
Points Per 40 Minutes: DeMarcus Cousins, 2nd (29.6)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game: DeMarcus Cousins, 7th (4.3) Patrick Patterson, T-48th (3.4)
Turnovers Per Game: John Wall, 11th (4.1) Eric Bledsoe, 27th (3.7)
LSU Players In The Top 50 In Individual Statistics (As Of February 4th)
Assist-To-Turnover Ratio: Chris Bass, T-34th (2.38 to 1)
Rebounds Per Game: Tasmin Mitchell, 24th (9.9)
Minutes Per Game: Tasmin Mitchell, 3rd (38) Bo Spencer, 30th (36.1)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game: Storm Warren, T-39th (3.5)
Defensive Rebounds Per Game: Tasmin Mitchell, 24th (6.7)
Turnovers Per Game: Bo Spencer, 43rd (3.6)
Kentucky Individual Game Records vs. LSU
Points: 51, Dan Issel (2/21/1970)
Rebounds: 29, Dan Issel (2/22/1969)
Assists: 13, Anthony Epps (3/4/1995)
Steals: 7, John Pelphrey (2/15/1990)
Blocks: 9, Andre Riddick (3/14/1993)
Free Throws Made: 13, Dan Issel (2/21/1970)
Field Goals Made: 19, Dan Issel (2/21/1970)
3 Point Field Goals Made: 7, Jeff Brassow (1/13/1990)
LSU Individual Game Records vs. Kentucky
Points: 64, Pete Maravich (2/21/1970)
Rebounds: 21, Shaquille O’Neal (2/15/1990)
Assists: 14, Derrick Taylor (2/27/1982)
Steals: 7, Clarence Ceasar (2/2/1992)
Blocks: 7, Shaquille O’Neal (2/5/1991)
Free Throws Made: 18, Pete Maravich (2/21/1970)
Field Goals Made: 23, Pete Maravich (2/21/1970)
3 Point Field Goals Made: 8, Ronnie Henderson (2/15/1994)
Memorable Game
February 21st, 1970
LSU Senior Day
John Parker Memorial Coliseum (Attendance: 9,000)
#2 Kentucky – 121
LSU – 105
It was Senior Day down in Baton Rouge as the Tiger faithful packed the “Cow Palace” to witness “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s final home game at LSU. Visiting the Tigers that day were the #2 Kentucky Wildcats with an impressive 20-1 record. What happened in that game nobody probably would’ve ever imagined. Maravich went on to score 64 points, the most points ever scored by an opponent against the Wildcats. UK senior center Dan Issel didn’t do too shabby either, scoring 51 points himself, what is now the 3rd highest scoring game by a UK player. Issel and Maravich combined to make 42 of 75 field goals, 31 of 39 free throws, 21 rebounds, and 115 points. The 115 points scored set a NCAA record for most combined points scored by two opposing players on Division I teams. LSU cut UK’s lead to 2 points 3 times throughout the game, as late as 9:17 left in the game, but could never get any closer than that as UK ran away with late in the 2nd half to win by 16 points. Pete Maravich ended his collegiate career with a 0-6 record against Kentucky while averaging 52 points in those 6 games.
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