GAME NOTES: The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC are set to square off in Lexington this evening. Alabama owns a respectable 13-10 overall record, but the team is just 2-6 in conference play. On Wednesday, the Crimson Tide dropped a 73-66 decision at Mississippi State to fall to 1-4 in true road games. With just one month left in the regular season, a major turnaround is needed if the club has any chance of reaching the NCAA Tournament, which at this point seems unlikely. As for Kentucky, it is finally playing up to its potential under first-year head coach Billy Gillispie. The Wildcats have overcome a shaky effort during the non-conference portion of their schedule to post a 5-2 mark against SEC competition. They are currently riding a four-game win streak that includes a 66-63 road decision over Auburn on Wednesday. Kentucky owns a 96-35 series lead over Alabama, and today's game marks the only meeting of the season.

Alabama relies heavily on the trio of Richard Hendrix, Alonzo Gee and Mykal Riley to carry the load at the offensive end. Hendrix is the best of the three, as he is scoring 19.0 ppg on 62.6 percent shooting from the floor. The big man is also pulling down 10.3 rpg to go along with 50 blocked shots, impressive numbers by any standards. Gee checks in with 16.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg, while Riley nets 13.2 ppg. Alabama is scoring 76.9 ppg while allowing 73.1 ppg overall, but the club is being outscored by SEC opposition. In the loss to Mississippi State on Wednesday, five members of the Crimson Tide reached double figures in scoring. Gee was tops with 16 points, but his 4-of-18 shooting effort from the floor left much to be desired. The team as a whole connected on only 36.2 percent of its field goal attempts and finished 9-of-17 from the foul line.

Patrick Patterson continues to lead Kentucky with 17.2 ppg, and the freshman center is also pulling down 7.9 rpg. The fact that a big man can average 35.6 minutes per game speaks to the young man's discipline and conditioning. Joe Crawford is close behind in the scoring column with 16.7 ppg, and the same can be said of Ramel Bradley (10.1 ppg). Jodie Meeks rounds out an impressive foursome of double-digit scorers with 10.1 ppg, and Kentucky is generating 71.7 ppg while limiting the opposition to 66.4 ppg. Crawford scored 20 points for the Wildcats in the hard-fought win over Auburn on Wednesday, and Patterson pitched in 19 points. The most impressive thing about that win is that Kentucky shot a blistering 66.7 percent from the floor without the services of either Bradley or Meeks. Bradley missed the contest with a concussion, and Meeks was held out of action because of a hip injury. Both players are listed as questionable for this contest.

It will be fun to watch Patterson and Hendrix do battle down low. Regardless of whether Bradley or Meeks plays, the Wildcats should be able to hold off the Tide at home.