No 1 AP College Basketball Rankings Kentucky vs St. John's

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Frank Martin

Due to his ongoing recovery from prostate cancer surgery, St. John’s coach Steve Lavin won’t be on the bench when the St. John's Red Storm visit No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC-Big East Challenge. Assistant Mike Dunlap will be in charge for the fourth time in eight games.

Lavin’s absence is one of many obstacles for St. John’s, which is 5-10 all-time against the Wildcats. Kentucky has won each of its first six games by at least 10 points, including two blowouts by at least 48 points.

- St. John's Red Storm @ #1 Kentucky Wildcats
When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, December 1, 2011
Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
TV: 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

The Wildcats have opened as 21.5-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NCAA Basketball Odds.

St. John's Red Storm (4-3): The nation’s No. 3 recruiting class has shown that the Red Storm will be a force by season’s end. Freshman F Moe Harkless averages 14.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, and freshman G D’Angelo Harrison averages 14.3 points while hitting 79.5 percent from the foul line. Junior college transfer God’sgift Achiuwa, who has an 87-inch wingspan, chips in 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the floor.

Kentucky Wildcats (6-0): The Wildcats are young, as usual, starting three freshmen and two sophomores. But they have a senior leader in forward Darius Miller, who scored 19 in Saturday’s 87-63 win over Portland. Kentucky is shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc, and is outrebounding opponents by nine per game. Freshman F Anthony Davis has blocked 26 shots, putting him on pace to break the school’s single-season record of 83. This is the second time Kentucky earned the No. 1 ranking under coach John Calipari; it also happened in 2009-10.

1. The Wildcats are 36-0 at Rupp Arena under Calipari.

2. Kentucky sophomore Doron Lamb is 12 of 26 on 3-pointers.

3. St. John’s has knocked off five No. 1 teams in its history, but hasn’t done so since upsetting Georgetown in 1985.

NCAA BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Wildcats 82, Red Storm 58

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anthony davis - d’angelo harrison - darius miller - doron lamb - god’sgift achiuwa - john calipari - kentucky wildcats - mike dunlap - moe harkless - rupp arena

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