Chris Jans talks Kentucky's explosive offense, underrated defense: 'They got everything you want.'

Another tough matchup in the unforgiving league that is the SEC awaits Kentucky this weekend. After the Wildcats split its first two conference games against quality opponents, No. 14 Mississippi State is set to host Mark Pope‘s squad on Saturday night in Starkville at 8:30 p.m. EST.

Mississippi State (14-1) has yet to face a team as highly ranked (by both the polls and the computers) as Kentucky so far this season, but we won’t pretend the Bulldogs aren’t legit. Head coach Chris Jans, AKA The Dentist, has produced a Top 20 offense and Top 30 defense in year three at MSU. They’ve boat-raced a pair of SEC teams already, smashing South Carolina by 35 before taking down Vanderbilt by 12.

Granted, those are two of the league’s worst teams, but Mississippi State also has quality wins over Utah, SMU, UNLV, McNeese, Pittsburgh, and Memphis — teams all ranked among the KenPom Top 100. The Bulldogs are good on both sides of the floor. Kentucky is a whole new challenge though.

“They’re just so explosive offensively,” Jans told reporters Thursday when asked about UK. “I think they’ve got, I know five and maybe six depending on the game, one guy kind of fluctuates, double-figure scorers. So, it’s not as if they’re not equipped to handle off nights by certain individuals. It’s pretty remarkable to have that many guys on a consistent basis averaging that many points over the course of a season.

“They just run their stuff with so much confidence and so much pace. They know they’ve got a great buy-in with their team. They believe in what they’re doing. They play together, and they share the basketball at a high, high level. Obviously, they’re very skilled and talented, but more importantly they play together. Coach Pope and his staff have done a tremendous job of getting their kids to, like I said, buy in and understand the system and buy into the system.”

Jans and Pope have gone head-to-head plenty of times before at their previous head coaching spots, so the two are familiar with each other’s playstyle. But Jans is particularly impressed with Kentucky’s overall size at every position, especially with how it translates on defense.

“On the other end, not that it doesn’t help them on offense, but they’re just so big all the way around,” Jans added. “Out front, they’ve got big strong guards. It starts with (Lamont) Butler as the head of the snake defensively and the experience and the size he brings to the table. Then, they’ve got tremendous size around the basket with great shot-blocking ability as well. So, they’re obviously a very good basketball team.”

And then, of course, Jans is well aware of Kentucky’s three-point shooting capabilities. When the outside shots are falling, the Wildcats have proven incredibly tough to take down. UK shot 40 percent or better from deep in wins over Duke, Florida, and Louisville this season. On the flip side, Kentucky is 0-3 when shooting under 26 percent from deep. Jans also made it a point to highlight the Wildcats’ defensive skills, which he believes are an underrated part of this Wildcat group.

“They shoot the ball so well. They can stretch you,” Jans said Thursday on the Dear Ol’ State podcast. “Koby Brea has got to be one of the top two or three shooters in the country. He does it with size and he can do it off the catch and the bounce. They just got nice pieces that complement one another. They play both ends of the floor. Their offense gets a little more publicity than their defense and rightfully so, but it’s not as if they don’t guard on the other end.

“And certainly their size all the way around can make up for any technique deficiencies that they may have on a possession or two. They got everything you want. They got experience, they got size, they got shooting, they got guys that can get downhill. They seem to like each other, they seem to play for each other. They got a new coach, energy, vibe going on. Which sometimes is a spark to everybody and I think that’s kinda what’s going on over there.”

Coming off a road loss to Georgia earlier in the week, Kentucky will need that spark going into enemy territory once again on Saturday.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.