With Wink out of commission for the moment, I’m doing my first game preview this morning, and today we’re talking about UK’s matchup against the Central Michigan Chippewas in the second half of Kentucky’s two game stretch against schools that played in the Motor City Bowl this year. It’s the Cats last game of the calendar year, and with a win they’ll be 23-10 in 2008, and more importantly 11-3 with the SEC schedule and UofL on tap.

The Chippewas are a bit undermanned at the moment. They will be without two of their best players in former UCLA signee Marcos Spica (lost for the season) and Chris Kellermann (fractured his right foot two weeks ago and was leading the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game). On the season, CMU is 3-8, beating only Princeton, Wright State, and Alcorn State. CMU currently checks in at 284th in the country according to realtimerpi.com.

The Chippewas have only scored 64.8 points per game on 41.1% shooting, which bodes well for a Kentucky team that allows on 65.5 points per game on 37.2% shooting (16th in the country). Additionally, CMU has been outrebounded in 7 of their last 8 outings, more good news for the Cats. CMU starting lineup is undersized, with no player over 6’7 and forwards measuring at 6’3 and 6’5.

With Kellermann and Spica out, the Chippewas boast a balanced scoring attack. The leading scorer among starters and leading rebounder is senior center Marcus Van, who comes in averaging 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds, with four double-doubles thus far. He also averages 2.2 blocks per game, which would lead the MAC if he had played enough games. Junior guard Robbie Harman and junior forward Jacolby Hardiman join Van in double figures in the starting lineup, averaging 12.1 and 10.7 points respectively. Sophomore forward Jeremy Allen came off the bench for the first time all season against Detroit, and he is leading the team in scoring at 12.6 per game, but has been held to single digit outputs in each of the last two games. He has scored 20 points or more three times this season, so it will be interesting to see if he comes off the bench again, and if so, whether he has a hot hand.

Robbie Harman is the player to watch. He has scored in double figures in seven straight, he leads the team at 34.5 minutes per game, ties for the lead in the MAC in steals (2 per game), and is second in the MAC in three pointers made per game (2.73). 76% of his field goal attempts are threes on the season, so whoever draws the assignment of guarding him will need to get a hand in his face.

CMU’s coach is Ben Howland disciple Ernie Zeigler, so any fan of college basketball this decade could guess that the calling card of this team is pressure defense. CMU will certainly get after you on defense, and they are not preoccupied with playing a pretty game: last season they were second in the country in fouls, and in Zeigler’s first year, they were third in the country. This style of basketball has been both popular and successful in recent years, so I’m glad that UK has the opportunity to play against it, even if the personnel is not great. Zeigler is in his third year at CMU, after serving as an assistant to Howland at both UCLA and Pitt. He inherited a struggling program in 2006-2007, leading the Chippewas to a 13-18 record and the nation’s 17th best turnaround (they were 4-23 the previous year).

This is the second time that Central Michigan and UK have matched up, with the first coming in second round of the 1975 NCAA Tournament. UK led that game only 66-63 with 6:30 left, but closed the game on a 24-10 run on their way to the National Title game.

Another interesting tidbit: CMU has already played 2 of the top 3 scorers in the country this season in Joseph Akognon of Cal State Fullerton and David Holston of Chicago State. They held Holston to only 11 points, but Akognon scored 27. CMU now faces the nation’s 6th leading scorer in Jodie Meeks, so for UK fans it will be fun to see how Jodie fares compared to Akognon and Holston.

The Chippewas have not shown themselves to be a good passing team, averaging 5.6 more turnovers (16.1) than assists (10.5). Look for the Cats defense to do the trick and force CMU into a lot of one on one play and subsequent contested shots.

I do think defense will be the story of tonight’s game. I would not expect the Cats to threaten the century mark tonight, but I do expect the Cats to keep the Chippewas in the 50’s or 60’s.
Kentucky has been much better at limiting turnovers of late, and they will be tested by the style of the Chippewas, and I think a lot of easy baskets will be in order for Mr. Patterson against an undersized front line if they can deal well with the pressure.