Alabama Not Playing Up Matchup With Top-Ranked Kentucky [VIDEO]

No. 1 Kentucky at Alabama

When: 3 p.m.

Where: Coleman Coliseum

Records: Alabama 12-4, 2-1 SEC; Kentucky 16-0, 3-0 SEC

TV: ESPN

In Alabama’s last meeting against a No. 1 team at home, the date was Jan. 8, 1994 and the team it faced was Arkansas – winners of all 10 of its games to begin the season by an average of 32 points per game. The Crimson Tide, on the other hand, was off to its worst starts in years at just 3-5 under second-year coach David Hobbs.

But in this case, the records proved to be irrelevant.

Alabama upset then-No. 1 Arkansas 66-64 that Saturday, handing the Razorbacks its first of three losses in a season in which they went on to win their first-ever national championship.

Twenty-one years later, the Crimson Tide will again play host to a top-ranked team, this time against Kentucky in front of a sold-out crowd at Coleman Coliseum. But the hype surrounding the game has seemingly reached everywhere but the team itself.

In a media opportunity ahead of the game Friday, Alabama coach Anthony Grant and a couple players kept it brief as usual with reporters.

“They're really good,” Grant said. “Obviously, the No. 1 team in the country. They've got depth, they're extremely well-coached. They're a very good team.”

Any extra buzz coming into a matchup like this?

“We just try to take it as another game,” senior guard Levi Randolph said.

As cliché as it sounds, that approach might be Randolph and company’s best bet at upending another No. 1 team.

Saturday’s game will be the 10th time in program history Alabama has faced the top-ranked team in the nation, owning a 4-5 all-time record. In addition to its 1994 win over Arkansas, the Crimson Tide is 2-1 at home in such contests with its other win coming against Kentucky in a 78-62 decision on Jan. 23, 1978.

With a win versus the Wildcats on Saturday, Alabama will match its win total of a year ago (13) with 14 regular-season games left to play. Since taking the Alabama job in 2009, Grant is 2-5 against Kentucky with a 2-0 mark at home.

“Obviously, we’re playing a tough foe in Kentucky,” Grant said.

Alabama will have its hands full against the Wildcats. In its previous game, a 68-66 loss at South Carolina on Tuesday, the Crimson Tide was outrebounded 34-23 against a smaller Gamecocks team. Now it faces a Kentucky starting front court in Trey Lyles, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein that stands at least 6-foot-10 in all positions. Its back court – twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison – are 6-6 each, respectively.

Grant, in his standard demeanor, wasn’t fazed when asked how the Crimson Tide would handle the size disadvantage.

“We play our game,” Grant said. “Every game is different and every game has a life of its own. I think our guys will be ready.”

Watch the video of the short press conference below: