Preview: Wright State vs. Kentucky

Wright State (1-2) vs. Kentucky (3-0)

When: 8 p.m. today

Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington Ky.

TV: SEC Network

Radio: 106.5-FM

Probable Wright State starters

Name;Ht.;Yr.;Pos.;PPG

Grant Benzinger;6-3;So.;G;9.1

Parker Ernsthausen;6-11;Fr.;C;0.3

Mark Alstork;6-5;So.;G;15.7

Joe Thomasson;6-4;Sr.;G;15.7

J.T. Yoho;6-6;Sr.;F;15.7

Probable Kentucky starters

Name;Ht.;Yr.;Pos.;PPG

Marcus Lee;6-9;Jr.;F;10.7

Skal Labissiere;6-11;Fr.;F;14.0

Isaiah Briscoe;6-3;Fr.;G;11.5

Jamal Murray;6-4;Fr.;G;14.3

Tyler Ullis;5-9;So.;G;11.7

Series history: Kentucky leads 3-0, winning 97-75 in 1998, 90-62 in '96 and 81-65 in '92.

Coaches: Billy Donlon is 88-83 in his sixth season with the Raiders. … John Calipari is 193-38 in his seventh season at Kentucky. He's won at least 35 games three times, including a 38-1 mark last year. Under Calipari, the Wildcats have had 25 players taken in the two-round NBA draft, including 19 first-round picks. That includes three No.1 overall selections: John Wall, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns.

About Wright State: The Raiders went 1-2 in the Northern Illinois Showcase to start the season, beating South Dakota (77-69) but losing to Cal State Northridge (72-67) and Northern Illinois (65-69). … They've out-scored their opponents by 12 points in the first half but are minus-15 in the second half. … They have a plus-6.3 rebound margin. … They're shooting 47.1 percent on 3-pointers but getting hurt at the foul line. Foes are 60-for-88 this year, while Wright State is 31-for-43.

About Kentucky: The Wildcats have beaten Albany (78-65), NJIT (87-57) and fifth-ranked Duke (74-63). … Opponents are shooting 38.3 percent from the field and 23.9 on 3-pointers. … Kentucky is plus-12.3 in rebound margin. … The Wildcats signed the No. 1 recruiting class among this year's seniors, including four players ranked in the top-10 nationally. Under Calipari, they've had the No.1 class six out of seven years and finished second their lone year out of the top spot.

Stepping up: The Raiders are no strangers to playing big-time opponents under Donlon, although they've yet to pull off an upset. They've played Cincinnati three times, Ohio State twice and Indiana, Georgetown and Florida. They did knock off Butler, 69-64, in 2011 — when the Bulldogs reached the NCAA finals. And they've been giant-killers in the past, shocking Michigan State, 53-49, at home before the Spartans went on to win the 2000 national title.

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