Three things to watch for against Canisius

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1500"] @KentuckyMBB[/caption] As we quickly approach today's matchup with the Canisius Golden Griffins, here are three things to watch for:

1. Will the Cats crash the boards better?

The most alarming statistic from Friday's game happened to be rebounds. Stephen F. Austin out-rebounded UK 36 to 28, something you definitely don't want to see during a season-opener. While it didn't cause too many problems on Friday, going forward that will lead to major issues against tougher opponents. Tonight's match-up is very favorable for the Cats, so look for them to clean up near the rim. Look for the guards to crash the boards more, and the big guys practice blocking-out. This is their last tune-up before facing the Spartans, so they'll have to be ready to rebound.

2. Will Bam avoid more foul trouble?

It's no secret that Bam is a big guy. Unfortunately, that caused him to pick up two fouls within the first minute of the season-opener, according to Coach Cal. “He is so big, when he moves, he fouls", said Calipari following Friday's game. With just 15 minutes of playing time, Bam finished with 4 fouls. In that short amount of time, Adebayo was only able to produce 5 points and 1 rebound. That can't happen. In tonight's game, look to see how Bam adjusts his defensive playing style. Going forward, we'll have to have solid playing time from our starting center to have any chance in March. It's still early, so expect Bam to eliminate his foul troubles with more time on the court.

3. Can De'Aaron Fox improve upon his assist record?

De'Aaron Fox's 12 assists in the season-opener was a school record for an opening game and debuting player. He broke Dirk Minniefield's record of 11 assists, when the Cats opened up against Butler in 1982. He also broke Kyle Macy's record for most assists in a UK debut. The team showed on Friday that they weren't selfish, and looked to create opportunities for teammates to score. “I think this is an unselfish team,” Briscoe said. “We all play for each other and that’s going to take us to the next level.” Who will lead the team tonight against Canisius? It'll be interesting to see if Fox can improve upon his record of 12 assists, or if another Wildcat will lead in creating scoring opportunities. Don't forget, the Cats tipoff tonight against Canisius at 6:00 PM on ESPN 2. We'll have more pre-game coverage coming up soon!