The reigning Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year against last season's Big Ten Player of the Year. Ashton Hagans versus Cassius Winston.
The most compelling individual matchup when Kentucky plays Michigan State on Tuesday has that quality of irresistible force and immovable object.
"It's going to be a really good matchup because Ashton is a really good defender, one of the best defenders in college basketball going against one of the best point guards in the game," UK associate coach Kenny Payne said last week. "So it'll be interesting to see, and a big part of us having success in that matchup. (Winston) has to be disrupted. If not, it could be a problem for us because he controls the game."
During an interview session Sunday, Hagans sounded willing to accept the challenge of containing the best player on a team ranked No. 1 in various preseason polls.
"The team is as good as the best player," Hagans said. "You know he's the best player on that team. For us to do what we do, we're going to have to take that away. And that's what we're going to try to do."
Of course, many highly anticipated matchups fail to live up to the pregame hyperbole. Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo cautioned against the notion that Hagans-Winston will determine victory and defeat.
"Those are always key points," Izzo said Sunday of the point guard role the two players share. Then he added, "I don't think it'll define who wins the game. It'll be a good challenge for Cassius (and) a good challenge for (Hagans). Yet, I think we both have got enough good players that have to come through."
Payne suggested a group effort in the defense of Winston.
"I don't know if just playing Ashton on him solely is the right thing to do," he said. "I think you have to throw different guys, different sizes at kids like that, and see what works instead of making it Ashton versus this kid. Maybe that does something to Ashton. We just want to go out and make everything (Winston) does hard."
UK Coach John Calipari echoed that thought Sunday when it was suggested Hagans was the kind of lock-down defender to match up against Winston.
"If he doesn't foul," Calipari said. "If you're trying to keep this kid from scoring, you're going to foul. What you're trying to do is if he gets 25, make them a hard 25."
