LEXINGTON, Ky. — Never mind the chest-thumping take-that-and-like-it taunts associated with the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry. For SEC Network analyst Jimmy Dykes, Saturday's game holds much more importance for Kentucky than inspiring braggadocio from prideful fans.
"To me, it feels like it's a must-win against Louisville," Dykes said earlier in the week. "Just for them to kind of regather some form of confidence (and) some form of who we are going into SEC play."
Kentucky takes a 1-5 record into the game. Only twice previously has a UK team begun a season with six losses in the first seven games, none since 1926-27.
But Dykes offered a more practical up-to-date reason beating Louisville is important. In his estimation, Kentucky needs the victory to gain favor with the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
"If you lose that game, you're down to one game out of conference that you can prove yourself worthy," Dykes said in reference to Kentucky's game against Texas (presently ranked No. 10) in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 30.
In Dykes' estimation, the Southeastern Conference presently does not suggest many ways to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Only two SEC teams made the Associated Press' top 25 poll this week: No. 8 Tennessee and No. 14 Missouri. Of the major conferences, just the Pac-12 had fewer ranked teams (No. 25 Oregon) while the Big Ten had seven, the Big 12 five and the Atlantic Coast Conference five.
On the plus side, Dykes noted that Kentucky does not play Tennessee nor Missouri until February. So Kentucky can be a much improved team for the Feb. 2 at Missouri or the games against Tennessee on Feb. 6 and Feb. 20.
"So they have some time, it would look like, till they have to go up against what looks like the best in the SEC," Dykes said.
Of more immediate concern is the 1-6 record should Kentucky lose at Louisville.
"You have nothing on your resume that says keep your eyes on us," Dykes said. "That's to me the importance of the Louisville game. You get a good non-conference win most likely. If they lose to Louisville, they have hardly any leeway left at all."
Freshman Lance Ware did not endorse a must-win approach for Kentucky at Louisville.
"Obviously, every game that we go out there we want to win," he said. "But we just want to continue to work and just get better every day in practice."
When asked about the must-win label and how he thought Kentucky would approach the game, Louisville coach Chris Mack said, "I'm expecting a team that plays extremely hard on the defensive end. (A team that) is long and athletic, that makes some mistakes and makes up for them by deflecting passes and blocking shots and plays with a ton of effort."
Louisville (5-1) is coming off a restorative 64-54 victory at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. That came three days after an 85-48 loss at Wisconsin.
Mack downplayed how the victory over Pittsburgh might give his team momentum going into the game against Kentucky.
"I just think every game is a new experience," the U of L coach said. "(Each game) is an opportunity for our young guys to gain some experience, to both make mistakes and be successful (and) help them become veterans, to become older. They need to grow up."
Wisconsin inflicted Louisville's largest margin of defeat since a 99-59 loss at Xavier on Feb. 13, 1956. The 44-18 halftime deficit was the largest in U of L history.
Mack called it a "humbling game."
Louisville had not played in 18 days because of a coronavirus pause and played without leading scorer Carlik Jones, who had been idle after testing positive for COVID-19. The Cardinals had only eight healthy scholarship players with Malik Williams (foot), Charles Minlend (knee) and Josh Nickelberry (knee) sidelined with injuries. Nickelberry played nine minutes at Pittsburgh.
Jones, a graduate transfer from Radford, also played at Pittsburgh. He scored 11 points and posted a seven-to-two assist-to-turnover ratio.
"I think Calik did an incredible job for a guy who hadn't practiced in so long," Mack said.
Mack dismissed the idea that U of L would have a distinct advantage in backcourt experience. He said sophomore guard David Johnson played only 53 seconds at Kentucky last season "and gave up a three in our zone.
"And Carlik has never played Kentucky."
Not that Mack discounted experience.
"They're going to have to make experience-type plays to win," he said.
Mack offered one example of an experienced play.
"If you've had two turnovers in a row, that's not the time you try to punch the gap when there's a couple (defenders) in there to make a play early in the shot clock," he said. "Experienced teams don't do that."
