STARKVILLE – In recent days, it would have been easy for the Mississippi State players to look down the schedule and think of Kentucky. But in a stretch of three games in five days, the Bulldogs didn’t have to worry about that problem.

“With the situation we’re in, every game is important so we know we can’t overlook anybody,” said MSU senior guard Barry Stewart, who averages 11.8 points a game.

The Bulldogs and Wildcats tip off tonight at 8 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum in a game televised nationally by ESPN. The Wildcats are the highest-ranked team the Bulldogs have played since losing to then No. 2 Memphis in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

That “situation” for MSU involves the big picture – trying to earn quality wins to boost their NCAA tournament resume.

MSU currently sits at 18-7 overall and 6-4 in the SEC, good enough for a first-place tie with Arkansas in the Western Division.

But finding that win against second-ranked Kentucky (24-1, 9-1 in the SEC) will not be an easy task.

“We just came off a very tough stretch with Ole Miss and Auburn - two games in three days - and now you got Kentucky staring you in the face,” said MSU head coach Rick Stansbury, who has won his last three meetings with Kentucky. “That’s a challenge in enough of itself but the biggest challenge is playing that Kentucky team.

“They present all kinds of problems at every position. It’s the players they have that makes it the challenge.”

Up against the Wall

MSU will face those matchup issues in the paint and on the perimeter. Freshman sensation John Wall leads the SEC with 6.4 assists a game and ranks fourth with his 17-point scoring average.

While Wall is surrounded by hyped recruits and skilled playmakers, he is the force behind head coach John Calipari’s dribble-drive offensive attack.

“He has a lot of athletes in that system and (Calipari) recruits his athletes for that system,” said Stewart. “They get spaced out a little bit and go and make plays. It’s a different type of offense but I think the players he has in that program is what makes it excel.”

The Wildcats also feature another rookie in the backcourt in Eric Bledsoe, who ranks seventh in the league at 3.4 assists per outing.

“It’s very obvious,” said Stansbury. “To have a point guard come through this league that everybody has said is a No. 1 (NBA) draft choice after one year, that hasn’t happened in 20 years. So that says something about him.

“And from folks that have faced them, some say Bledsoe is quicker than Wall.”

Formidable inside

MSU center Jarvis Varnado and his post mates will also face size and talent from Kentucky. The Bulldogs are familiar with Kentucky junior Patrick Patterson. But now the Wildcats have other pieces to the puzzle in 6-foot-7 and 260-pound DeMarcus Cousins and top reserve Daniel Orton.

Patterson leads the SEC in field-goal percentage (57.7 percent) while Cousins ranks second in the league with 10.2 boards a game.

Varnado’s leads the SEC with 11.2 rebounds a game and is also just 17 blocked shots shy of establishing a new NCAA standard.

“It’s another game, you know,” said Varnado. “Cousins is a great player and Patterson is going to be Patterson. Me and Patterson have had our battles in the past. By adding Cousins, it’s given them an edge with two good, low-post scorers.”

And for MSU to pull out the upset, and much-needed win for its NCAA tourney hopes, Stansbury stated the obvious.

Yes, the Bulldogs need to contain Kentucky’s big men and their quick guards. But Stansbury and company will also need their best total team effort of the season.

“To beat a Kentucky, you have to do a lot of things special,” said Stansbury. “You can’t have an ordinary game and have a chance against them. We’ve got to have a bunch of people step up for us. I know I put a lot of pressure on our (forwards), but we’ve got to have everybody else step up and make plays, too.”