Kentucky at Georgia

WHEN: Saturday, 6 p.m.

WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum

RECORDS: Kentucky 21-5, 11-2; Georgia 15-11, 6-7

TV/RADIO: ESPN (Dave O’Brien, Dick Vitale, Kris Budden); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuck Dowdle, Tony Schiavone); SIRIUS/XM: 136/190

Most Recent Starting Lineups

Kentucky

G De’Aaron Fox (15.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

G Isaiah Briscoe (13.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg)

F/G Malik Monk (21.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg)

F Wenyen Gabriel (6.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg)

F Bam Adebayo (12.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg)

Georgia

G J.J. Frazier (16.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg)

G Juwan Parker (9.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg)

F/G E’Torrion Wilridge (1.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg)

F Yante Maten (19.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg)

F Derek Ogbeide (7.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg)

Resume win, signature victory--whatever you want to call it, the Georgia basketball team could certainly use one.

Saturday’s game against Kentucky (6 p.m., ESPN) will likely be the final opportunity in the regular season to make that happen.

Star junior Yante Maten acknowledged as much during Friday’s interview session at the team’s practice facility.

“I think it’s definitely going to help our resume by beating a good team,” Maten said. “But we’re just trying to come out and play smart basketball.”

If the Bulldogs (15-11, 6-7) harbor any sliver of hope to earn an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament, Georgia needs find a way to prevail against the nation’s 13th-ranked team.

Obviously, the Bulldogs have been close on several occasions but have been unable to close the deal.

Overtime losses at Florida (80-76) on Jan. 14 and at Kentucky (90-81) on Jan. 31 were two games that would have looked good in the win docket for Georgia, which also dropped a 77-75 decision at No. 19 South Carolina two weeks ago in Columbia.

“It’s pretty frustration,” Maten said. “When you lose after you are so close to winning, it’s pretty frustrating. Anytime you lose it’s frustrating, but we have to find a way to channel that frustration and start to find what you’re lacking in--what the team needs, and try to work on that.”

Junior guard Juwan Parker agreed.

“Every game is important,” Parker said. “This one isn’t any different as far as level of importance. You’ve go out, try to win and try to compete.”

The Bulldogs certainly made the Wildcats (21-5, 11-2) sweat during their earlier meeting in Rupp Arena as Kentucky had to overcome a 14-point deficit before Georgia reclaimed the lead at 73-71 with 1:46 left on a jumper by Jordan Harris.

“That game showed that we were able to compete with pretty much anybody. We finished plays, but we have to make sure we get back on defense because they’re pretty fast, and as soon as the ball comes off the rim they’re sprinting down to score a bucket,” Maten said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re getting back on defense. That’s the first and foremost thing.”

Finding a way to slow down freshman sensation Malik Monk wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

In that first meeting, Monk torched the Bulldogs for 37 points, including a 7-of-11 effort on his 3-pointers. It was Monk’s jumper with eight seconds that forced the game into overtime.

“He’s a great player and sometimes in competition, you’ve just got to tip your cap to the other guy for making a great play,” Georgia head coach Mark Fox said. “Obviously we’ve got to find a way to slow him down. We’ll try a number of different things that hopefully will give us a chance to do that but they’re not a one-man team. They’ve got great balance and they’re really connected with the way they are playing.”

Obviously, Kentucky has a lot more than Monk to give trouble to the Bulldogs.

This time, Georgia will also have to contend with freshman guard De’Aaron Fox, who missed the first game with an injured ankle.

“They’re a different team than they were a couple of weeks ago. I think they have a very talented team. They do have some young guys on their team, but their young guys are playing sophomores,” Fox said. “Kentucky has a great team, a very balanced team and coming off its best performances of the year.

We can’t look back at Game 1 and draw as much as people might think because their team is different, and ours is too.”

NOTES: ESPN’s Dick Vitale will be part of ESPN’s crew calling Saturday’s game. … Kentucky leads the all-time series with the Bulldogs 122-26. … Sophomore Derek Ogbeide had his career game against the Wildcats, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in Georgia’s overtime loss. .. J.J. Frazier is six 3-pointers away from becoming the first player in Bulldog history to have 100 assists and 50 three-pointers in three seasons.