Sizing up the 'Cats

IU senior forward Marco Killingsworth has dealt with some big bodies in the low post already in the young season -- like Duke standout Shelden Williams and Eastern Michigan's John Bowler.\nBut the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats will throw something completely different at the Auburn transfer Saturday -- an arsenal of the 7-foot variety.\nKentucky coach Tubby Smith has a lineup with major height in 7-foot centers Lucasz Orbek and Jared Carter and 7-foot-3-inch center Shagari Alleyne, the presumed starter in the middle at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.\n"I don't think anyone can guard (Killingsworth) one-on-one," IU coach Mike Davis said. "Shelden Williams is the best defensive player in the country at that position. To play him one-on-one no matter how big you are is definitely in his favor."\nKillingsworth has yet to see significant minutes against any opposition as big as Kentucky's centers, playing instead against big men built more like him. Williams registers at 6 feet 9 inches, 250 pounds and Bowler at 6 feet 8 inches, 255 pounds. Killingsworth is cut similarly at 6 feet 8 inches, 267 pounds.\nBut the Kentucky big men don't carry the team like Killingsworth, who is IU's leading scorer and rebounder with 19.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a game.\nAlleyne, who posted 10 points against IU last year, had a career game against Georgia State on Tuesday, scoring 13 points. But even with his strong showing, not one of Smith's 7-footers ranks in the team's top five in rebounding or scoring. Alleyne tops all of them with 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds a game. \nUK's most consistent frontcourt player has been 6-foot-8-inch, 200-pound forward Rekalin Sims, who averages 8.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Sims will get the start at the four spot, squaring off against sophomore forward Robert Vaden, who measures 6 feet 5 inches, 224 pounds.\n"Their inside guys, like Sims, can make plays," Davis said. "Sims can really shoot the basketball."\nThe Wildcats start a three-guard set, much like the Hoosiers have with the injury to sophomore forward D.J. White. In White's absence, 6-foot-10-inch freshman center Ben Allen has posted back-to-back career-high performances. \nDespite their inside size, the Wildcats have looked largely to their backcourt for scoring and rebounding this season, with 6-foot-1-inch point guard Rajon Rondo posting a team-best 14.7 points and 10 boards per game. \nGuard Patrick Sparks is the only other Wildcat scoring in double figures, averaging 10.6 points per game.\n"They have really good guards," Davis said. "I think their guards are the strength of their team."\nThe Hoosiers have the advantage statistically, but history is certainly not on their side.\nThe Wildcats have won the last five meetings between the two rivals and have come away victorious in 10 out of the last 11 showdowns. But an interesting parallel does exist.\nIn the 1993-94 season, a Damon Bailey-led IU squad came into the RCA Dome reeling from an upset at Butler, much like this season's Hoosiers after Tuesday's loss to Indiana State. Bailey went on to have a huge game against the No. 1-ranked Wildcats to lead the Hoosiers to the 96-84 upset.\n"There are a lot of teams that haven't beaten teams," Davis said. "You don't base your season on it unless it is the last game of the season"