UK Basketball Preview - Know Your Enemy: Rider Broncs

GAME 4 - 11/21/2009

1:00 PM EST - RUPP ARENA

RIDER BRONCS (2-1)

TV - FOX SPORTS SOUTH

UK LEADS SERIES 2-0

LAST MEETING:

12/27/1995: UK 90 RIDER 65

Rider lost whatever element of surprise they had planned for UK when they knocked off #22 Mississippi State 88-74. The way that UK's season has started, it appears that the Broncs are another team that can not be taken lightly. The Broncs are coming off a 19-13 season and return four starters and eight lettermen from that team. There is a little bit of synchronicity in this meeting because the last time these teams met, it was early in UK's '96 championship season.

On paper and given the last two games for UK, Rider could be a problem. Through two games, Rider had tallied 26 3-pointers in it's first two games for a .578 percentage from beyond the line. If you are looking for a ray of light, Rider is coming off a 79-46 pasting at the hands of unheralded Virginia (a team UK may play in Cancun) and the Broncs managed to shoot just 7-23 in that game. So are the Broncs cooling down? Or getting ready to heat up again? Let's look at the Rider starting 5.

THE STARTERS

G- RYAN THOMPSON - SR - 6'6 - 220
18.0 ppg, 6.5 reb, 3.2 assists

G- NOVAR GADSON - SO - 6'7 - 230

10.8 ppg, 6 reb

G- JUSTIN ROBINSON - JR - 6'2 - 190

10.4 ppg, 3.4 reb, 2.5 assists

F- MIKE RINGGOLD - JR - 6'7 - 215

11.4 ppg, 6.8 reb

F- JERMAINE JACKSON - SO - 6'7 - 230

2.4 ppg, 2.7 reb

Defend the three. Defend the three. Defend the three.

If you are sick of reading that, just imagine how sick UK is going to be of hearing it tomorrow. Rider is a dangerous team as they have made 10, 16, and 7 3-pointers in their games this year and actually have big guards that may test Wall and Bledsoe. This team has FOUR players that are deadly from behind the 3 point line ( Thompson, Robinson, Gadson, and Patrick Mansell).

Rider actually has a couple of players that Calipari would appreciate. Both Thompson and Gadson can play the point forward position and Gadson had a double double versus Mississippi State.

You have to wonder which game is the real Rider: the upset of Mississippi State or the blow out loss to Virginia. My guess is that answer lies somewhere between.

OUTLOOK

Did I really pick UK by 26 over Sam Houston State? Sigh. I did. So what preposterous predictions am I going to come up with now? To be honest, I would be kind of worried had UK not gotten burned the last two games. If this team does not come out Saturday and defend the 3-point shot, we can start to lower our predictions a bit.

I think that UK knows they are playing a dangerous team on Saturday, and will come out a different team. This game is the first big test of Calipari's coaching and motivator on the UK squad and I think he will pass the test and have this team ready. Look for UK to be tenacious on D and for the bench to get involved in the game this time. Let's say it's going to be UK jumping out by about 10 and holding onto that lead most of the first half and pull away in the second half for a 81-63 win.