The eight national championship and other Final Four banners hanging atop Rupp Arena might be intimidating enough. The typical sellout crowd of 22,000-plus wearing blue is another factor that can make opponents melt.
Then there's this fact for Illinois State to chew on ahead of facing No. 1-ranked Kentucky at 6 p.m. Monday:
The Wildcats have lost just twice at home as the Associated Press top-ranked team in the history of the program and once in Rupp Arena's 40-year history. Both losses came by one point.
The Redbirds (3-4) try to buck all those odds when they meet Kentucky (6-0) in front of an ESPN2 national television audience. This is only the second time the Redbirds have faced the No. 1-ranked team. The other came on March 1, 1980 when ISU lost at DePaul, 97-81.
"The sheer size of it (Rupp Arena) is impressive, but the truth is it won't be anymore hostile as San Diego State was," said ISU coach Dan Muller, who was on Rupp's opposing bench for 12 years as a Vanderbilt assistant.
"It does get loud, but the biggest thing that makes them good is the guys wearing the uniforms and the coach on the sidelines."
Only Kentucky coach John Calipari could have seven players leave early for the NBA from a team that won its first 38 games last season and look every bit as good thanks to a couple veterans and another heralded recruiting class.
Two freshmen ? Canadian guard Jamal Murray (14.8 points per game) and 6-foot-11 Skal Labissiere (14.7) from Haiti ? lead the Wildcats in scoring. Labissiere is drawing comparisons to Anthony Davis, who as a freshman led Kentucky to the 2012 NCAA title, and figures to be a high pick in next summer's NBA draft.
Point guard Tyler Ulis (13.2) has emerged as Kentucky's leader, but the 5-9 sophomore's status is unclear after suffering a hyperextended elbow during Friday's 84-63 victory against South Florida.
"Knowing him he'll want to play, but we'll just have to see," said Calipari on Sunday. "We're playing a good team. I watched their Maryland game. They had Maryland beat."
ISU enjoyed a five-point lead with less than eight minutes left before No. 2 Maryland rallied Wednesday for a 77-66 victory in Cancun, Mexico.
ISU guard Paris Lee hopes Ulis will be on the court. It won't be their first encounter against each other.
"I played against him in AAU a couple times and I think we played against each other in summer leagues with our high school teams," said Lee, who went to Proviso East while Ulis was at Marian Catholic.
"I know what kind of player Tyler Ulis was in high school. It doesn't surprise me at all he's stepped in some big shoes at Kentucky and run with it."
Kentucky's average winning margin this season is 19.3 points, with its closest game a 74-63 win over Duke in Chicago. But Calipari isn't taking the Redbirds lightly.
"They've got their quick guard (Lee)," said Calipari. "I'm not sure what we'll be able to do with him. They've got a kid (DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell) that's scoring 16-17 a game. It will be a tough matchup for us depending on how we play ... we've got a hard game."
For ISU to keep the game close, limiting turnovers will be a key. The Redbirds have averaged almost 16 turnovers in their last six games.
Muller knows what happens to teams that allow Kentucky to get out and run in transition.
"If you want to lose quickly or get blown out at Kentucky just give them the ball much," he said. "They are as good as anyone in the country not only at converting turnovers, but also long rebounds."
ISU is unsure if MiKyle McIntosh will play. The 6-7 sophomore forward suffered a concussion during Wednesday's loss to TCU and didn't dress for Friday's 73-63 victory over Quincy. McIntosh first must pass the concussion protocol test, said Muller.
Then there's this fact for Illinois State to chew on ahead of facing No. 1-ranked Kentucky at 6 p.m. Monday:
The Wildcats have lost just twice at home as the Associated Press top-ranked team in the history of the program and once in Rupp Arena's 40-year history. Both losses came by one point.
The Redbirds (3-4) try to buck all those odds when they meet Kentucky (6-0) in front of an ESPN2 national television audience. This is only the second time the Redbirds have faced the No. 1-ranked team. The other came on March 1, 1980 when ISU lost at DePaul, 97-81.
"The sheer size of it (Rupp Arena) is impressive, but the truth is it won't be anymore hostile as San Diego State was," said ISU coach Dan Muller, who was on Rupp's opposing bench for 12 years as a Vanderbilt assistant.
"It does get loud, but the biggest thing that makes them good is the guys wearing the uniforms and the coach on the sidelines."
Only Kentucky coach John Calipari could have seven players leave early for the NBA from a team that won its first 38 games last season and look every bit as good thanks to a couple veterans and another heralded recruiting class.
Two freshmen ? Canadian guard Jamal Murray (14.8 points per game) and 6-foot-11 Skal Labissiere (14.7) from Haiti ? lead the Wildcats in scoring. Labissiere is drawing comparisons to Anthony Davis, who as a freshman led Kentucky to the 2012 NCAA title, and figures to be a high pick in next summer's NBA draft.
Point guard Tyler Ulis (13.2) has emerged as Kentucky's leader, but the 5-9 sophomore's status is unclear after suffering a hyperextended elbow during Friday's 84-63 victory against South Florida.
"Knowing him he'll want to play, but we'll just have to see," said Calipari on Sunday. "We're playing a good team. I watched their Maryland game. They had Maryland beat."
ISU enjoyed a five-point lead with less than eight minutes left before No. 2 Maryland rallied Wednesday for a 77-66 victory in Cancun, Mexico.
ISU guard Paris Lee hopes Ulis will be on the court. It won't be their first encounter against each other.
"I played against him in AAU a couple times and I think we played against each other in summer leagues with our high school teams," said Lee, who went to Proviso East while Ulis was at Marian Catholic.
"I know what kind of player Tyler Ulis was in high school. It doesn't surprise me at all he's stepped in some big shoes at Kentucky and run with it."
Kentucky's average winning margin this season is 19.3 points, with its closest game a 74-63 win over Duke in Chicago. But Calipari isn't taking the Redbirds lightly.
"They've got their quick guard (Lee)," said Calipari. "I'm not sure what we'll be able to do with him. They've got a kid (DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell) that's scoring 16-17 a game. It will be a tough matchup for us depending on how we play ... we've got a hard game."
For ISU to keep the game close, limiting turnovers will be a key. The Redbirds have averaged almost 16 turnovers in their last six games.
Muller knows what happens to teams that allow Kentucky to get out and run in transition.
"If you want to lose quickly or get blown out at Kentucky just give them the ball much," he said. "They are as good as anyone in the country not only at converting turnovers, but also long rebounds."
ISU is unsure if MiKyle McIntosh will play. The 6-7 sophomore forward suffered a concussion during Wednesday's loss to TCU and didn't dress for Friday's 73-63 victory over Quincy. McIntosh first must pass the concussion protocol test, said Muller.
