The Associated Press

NO. 8 KENTUCKY AT NO. 15 ALABAMA

Tipoff: 8 p.m. today, Coleman Coliseum (15,316), Tuscaloosa, Ala. Records: UK 14-3 (4-0 Southeastern Conference), Alabama 12-4 (2-3). Radio: WSAI-AM (1530). TV: ESPN. Series: UK leads 91-33. Line: Alabama by 2. KENTUCKY Player Yr. Ht. PPG Chuck Hayes So. 6-6 8.8 Erik Daniels Jr. 6-8 9.8 Marquis Estill Sr. 6-9 11.1 Keith Bogans Sr. 6-5 17.1 Gerald Fitch Jr. 6-3 12.1 Coach: Tubby Smith (146-46, 6h season; 270-108 overall). ALABAMA Player Yr. Ht. PPG Emmett Thomas Jr. 6-4 6.8 Erwin Dudley Sr. 6-8 14.1 Kenny Walker Sr. 6-9 11.6 Earnest Shelton So. 6-2 4.4 Mo Williams So. 6-1 15.4 Coach: Mark Gottfried (94-53, 5th season; 163-78 overall).

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Tubby Smith figures Alabama has fallen prey to target practice, a phenomenon the Kentucky coach knows better than most.

The bigger you get, the bigger the target plastered on your jersey.

The 15th-ranked Crimson Tide (12-4, 2-3 SEC) is still a neophyte at dealing with such hoops prosperity heading into Saturday night's matchup with the fast-rising, eighth-ranked Wildcats.

"I say to my team a lot: 'It's a lot tougher to deal with prosperity than it is to deal with adversity,"' Smith said. "When you're on that mountain, people are always looking to knock you off.

"That's what Alabama's getting - every team's best game and best effort."

Except, perhaps, its own. The Tide has lost two straight games and three of four, its two-week run at No. 1 fading fast into the rearview mirror amid offensive struggles and road woes.

The Wildcats (14-3, 4-0) ride an eight-game winning streak into Coleman Coliseum, where Alabama has won 28 straight. The game has been a sellout for about a month, a rarity for the Tide if commonplace for the Big Blue.

Of course, the tickets were flying out the window when the Tide was atop the polls and seemingly cruising to a second straight SEC title.

For Alabama, it would be a nice time to regain momentum and begin a climb back into the SEC race.

"It's a big game," point guard Mo Williams said. "It's a must-win for us. We've put ourselves in a situation where we have to win. We just have to live up to it and just come out and play.

"It'll come back quicker than people think."

Williams hit the go-ahead shot in Alabama's 64-61 win in the last meeting, the Tide's first victory in Lexington since 1989. Alabama has won three of the last four meetings after enduring a 10-game losing streak in the series before coach Mark Gottfried's arrival in 1999.

"They're going to come in here knowing we got them the last couple of years," Williams said. "They're going to have that as motivation."

But, he adds, "There shouldn't be a team in the SEC that's hungrier than us right now."

The defending SEC champions - and preseason favorites - have struggled offensively, failing to reach 70 points in their past seven games.

Kentucky is averaging 78.7 points, second in the league behind Georgia, and has scaled the rankings after nearly falling to No. 20 before the winning streak.

Alabama's recent struggles don't exactly make Smith comfortable.

"Alabama has its back against the wall," he said. "That's when teams are most dangerous. We're going to have to be ready on the road.

"We realize we've got to play a lot better than we've been playing and come ready to play."

Kentucky guard Keith Bogans, the team's leading scorer, expects the Tide to come out fired up.

"I know they're going to try to put us away early," Bogans said. "We have to put our hard hats on."

Gottfried has tinkered with his lineup in recent weeks, replacing senior shooting guard Terrance Meade with sophomore Earnest Shelton and inserting freshman forward Kennedy Winston into the lineup.

Demetrius Smith and Reggie Rambo, key reserves last year, have seen increased playing time.

Power forward Erwin Dudley promises Alabama's troubles are only temporary.

"We'll be back," said Dudley, the only league player averaging double digits in scoring and rebounding. "I'll promise you that. When we get back, there'll be no stopping us."

NO. 8 KENTUCKY AT NO. 15 ALABAMA

Tipoff: 8 p.m. today, Coleman Coliseum (15,316), Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Records: UK 14-3 (4-0 Southeastern Conference), Alabama 12-4 (2-3).

Radio: WSAI-AM (1530).

TV: ESPN.

Series: UK leads 91-33.

Line: Alabama by 2.

KENTUCKY

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Chuck Hayes	So.	6-6	8.8
Erik Daniels	Jr.	6-8	9.8
Marquis Estill	Sr.	6-9	11.1
Keith Bogans	Sr.	6-5	17.1
Gerald Fitch	Jr.	6-3	12.1

Coach: Tubby Smith (146-46, 6h season; 270-108 overall).

ALABAMA

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Emmett Thomas	Jr.	6-4	6.8
Erwin Dudley	Sr.	6-8	14.1
Kenny Walker	Sr.	6-9	11.6
Earnest Shelton	So.	6-2	4.4
Mo Williams	So.	6-1	15.4

Coach: Mark Gottfried (94-53, 5th season; 163-78 overall).