Kentucky plans to add some roadkill and get statement win at LSU

Davion Minitz believes UK has a chance to make a statement tonight and also prove to itself just how good it is. (Jeff Houchin/Nolan Media)

Kentucky assistant coach Chin Coleman didn’t leave any doubts about what the Cats hope to do tonight at LSU in their first Southeastern Conference road game.

“We are going on the road to get some roadkill,” said Coleman Monday.

Coleman emphasized that head coach John Calipari was “unapologetic and direct” in how he wants his players to react to the opponents’ zeal on the road. Kentucky could not offset Notre Dame’s enthusiasm in mid-December when it lost its only true road game of the season before tonight.

“Now, we have experience,” Coleman said. “Experience is the best teacher. Now we know to go on the road with a different mentality. To have that roakill instinct. And to play with swagger. And to play to ruin the (opposing) team’s weekend.

“When you play Kentucky, you’re everybody’s biggest game and it shows,” Coleman said. “If you lose, there’s gonna be a scrum. There’s going to be the court rushing and the whole deal, right? So I think that we understand that target that’s on our back.”

Senior guard Davion Mintz said tonight is “just another statement game” for the Wildcats, who have won four straight since the loss at Notre Dame. However, this is a chance to beat a ranked LSU (12-1) on the road and Mintz said doing that would be “big” for UK.

LSU is naming its basketball court for former coach Dale Brown, a four-time SEC coach of the year who won 448 games at LSU from 1972-1997, before tonight’s game.

“What you have got to get used to is that opposing teams on the road will do what they can to muster a crowd to give them an advantage to win the Super Bowl and that is playing and beating Kentucky,” Coleman said.

Mintz has said the Cats understand “it’s an attraction” for opposing teams when UK comes to town.

“That’s why you come here. What else do you want? It is what it is. We’re used to it at this point,” the Kentucky senior said. “This is what we are: UK.”

Mintz said a win would prove “we’re road warriors” and send a message to other teams.

“We can come into your house and dominate the game the way we do (in Rupp Arena). We want to prove that there’s no layoff,” Mintz said. “That we’re a legitimate top-10, top-five team in the country no matter where (the game is). We can play anybody anywhere. It’s more so to prove to ourselves than just everyone. The first step is proving it to ourselves and what we are coming in to do.”

Coleman said Kentucky is “trending” in the right direction and wants to continue that against LSU, which won its first 12 games before losing at Auburn last week.

“It is business. It is not personal,” Coleman said.

Coleman said the “swagger is back” for the Cats no matter who they play and that needs to continue.

“We’re playing against ourselves. As long as we continue to do what our points of emphasis are, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing. “I promise we can play any ranked team in the country when we’re playing Kentucky basketball. We’ve kind of identified what that is right now,” Coleman said.

“We have a top 10 offense, top 20 defense. Our standard is one way. We are playing at a high level right now. It is us against us.”