Kansas vs. Kentucky preview — Can the Wildcats keep Kansas out of the paint?

Kansas scored 48 points in the paint against Middle Tennessee. Kentucky gave up 15 threes to James Madison and needed a second-half run to pull away. When they meet in the Champions Classic, watch where Kentucky makes Kansas start its offense. The farther the Jayhawks have to work from the basket, the more room the Wildcats have to keep it close.

Make Kansas earn its touches

Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting in the 89–45 win over Middle Tennessee. Kansas also scored 28 points off 16 turnovers. For Kentucky, getting back and setting its defense starts with taking care of the ball. Every possession that ends with a shot gives the Wildcats a better chance to make Kansas work against five defenders.

Kansas was a 4.5-point favorite in the DraftKings snapshot. Kentucky showed it can answer a run of made shots when Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins scored 16 apiece against James Madison. The Wildcats went from two down to ten up with a 15–3 run, and Justin McBride hit three of their 10 threes. If Kansas cuts off the first drive, getting the ball to a second scorer before the defense recovers gives Kentucky a way to stay in touch.

Two ways to score 89

The early results show how much the other team matters at a total of 158.5. Kansas and Kentucky each scored 89 last time out, but their games finished at 134 and 169 combined. Kansas’s 95–65 win over Fordham reached 160, while Kentucky’s 85–57 win over Manhattan ended at 142.

Two games per team leave plenty to learn. If Kansas is getting to the rim and Kentucky is finding clean looks on the perimeter, both offenses can keep the score moving. If the Jayhawks get those same chances off giveaways while Kentucky is stuck taking late shots, Kansas can build a lead without much help from the other offense.

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