The Associated Press

LEXINGTON - LSU coach John Brady is the ideal person to ask how third-ranked Kentucky matches up with the nation's No.1 team.

Brady's Tigers (14-8, 3-7 Southeastern Conference) defeated top-ranked Arizona 66-65 on Dec.21. This week, they've been breaking down film of Kentucky (19-3, 9-0) in preparation for today's game in Rupp Arena.

Brady says the SEC's Wildcats are better.

"Since I'm an SEC guy, I'm a little biased," Brady said. "But I think the physicalness and the way they can get out and cover and the way they're rebounding the ball gives them an edge. If they played right now, I would certainly take the Kentucky team."

So would a lot of people.

Kentucky has won 13 in a row - the nation's longest current winning streak - and has won its nine SEC games by an average of 15 points. The Wildcats have beaten their last eight opponents by double digits, including then-No.1 Florida 70-55 last week and No.20 Georgia 87-67 on Tuesday.

LSU has won two of its last three, but Brady is realistic about the Tigers' chances in Lexington, where they've won only four times in 39 visits.

"The last three games, we've played pretty well," Brady said. "But I don't know if that will be good enough Saturday."

Brady jokingly is hoping for some magic left over from LSU's 33-30 football victory over Kentucky in Lexington on Nov.9. The Tigers won it on a 75-yard Hail Mary pass on the game's final play.

"Something like that would need to take place for us to beat them in basketball," Brady said. "Maybe we can come up with some kind of another `Bluegrass Miracle.'"

But Kentucky assistant coach David Hobbs said LSU has enough veteran leadership to deal with the intimidating environment in Rupp Arena without getting rattled. The Tigers have three seniors (Ronald Dupree, Torris Bright and Collis Temple III) and a junior (Jaime Lloreda) in their starting lineup.

"The thing that concerns us most is that they have veteran players who've been through the wars and won some big games," Hobbs said. "Our job is to try to keep the pressure on as much as we can, try to do what we've tried to do with everyone lately, and that's take them out of their rhythm. That's a little more difficult with a veteran team."

Lloreda and Dupree are the second- and third-leading rebounders in the SEC, behind Alabama's Erwin Dudley. Oddly, the Tigers rank only seventh in the league in rebound margin (+3.4).

Kentucky is fifth in the league in rebound margin (+4.6) but ranks second in SEC games only (+5.2). The Wildcats have outrebounded seven of their nine league foes.

Kentucky outrebounded Florida and Georgia in Rupp Arena by a combined margin of 81-60.

Brady knows the challenge.

"We're going to have to rebound better than we ever have this year, not let them get baskets on us in transition and try to make it half-court as much as we can," Brady said. "If we're not good enough to do that, it could get like the Georgia game and the Florida game where it just gets over."

Hobbs, meanwhile, said the Wildcats must guard against lethargy because they've been winning so easily lately.

He said second-ranked Louisville's loss at Saint Louis on Wednesday night will help Kentucky focus on LSU.

"The biggest fear we have is that we'll have some complacency. I don't think we will," Hobbs said. "What happened in Saint Louis with Louisville reminds us we have to be ready to play every game.

"Any time you let your guard down, you could pay a terrible price for that. Hopefully, that's something our guys realize."

Lineups:

LOUISIANA STATE	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Collis Temple III	Sr.	6-7	10.0
Ronald Dupree	Sr.	6-7	15.9
Jaime Lloreda	Jr.	6-9	12.0
Torris Bright	Sr.	6-4	10.4
Xavier Whipple	So.	6-2	1.6

Coach: John Brady (95-78, sixth season; 184-155 overall).

KENTUCKY	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Chuck Hayes	So.	6-6	9.1
Erik Daniels	Jr.	6-8	10.3
Marquis Estill	Sr.	6-9	11.3
Keith Bogans	Sr.	6-5	16.5
Gerald Fitch	Jr.	6-3	12.4

Coach: Tubby Smith (151-46, sixth season; 275-108 overall).