One of the most anticipated games of the season is now just days away.

The No. 15 ranked Kentucky Wildcats will roll into Lubbock for the Big 12-SEC Challenge against No. 18 Texas Tech.

The Wildcats currently hold the second spot in the SEC with a 5-1 record while the Red Raiders dropped to the lower part of the Big 12 Standings after losing to TCU.

Although Tech's conference record won't be affected by this game, it will be used as a potential stepping stone for the youth on this Red Raider team.

When Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard was asked for an update on UNLV transfer Joel Ntambwe, it was a simple answer:

"I have not heard anything on Joel," Beard said.

This "news" comes after Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt announced on his radio show this week that the reconsideration process for Ntambwe was, again, denied by the NCAA. In a third and final effort, Ntambwe's case will go before a committee, which will determine if the UNLV transfer can play this season.

Beard said there is simply no time to beat themselves up about their most recent loss to TCU on Tuesday night.

No. 15 Kentucky will be in town this Saturday for a 5 p.m. tipoff inside the United Supermarkets Arena – where some will be camping as soon as Thursday afternoon.

Beard praised the coaching of Kentucky as far as their reputation in college basketball.

"It's big time programs that, you know, have all the players and have all the five-stars, and sometimes the coaching doesn't get enough attention," Beard said. "It's like in our league. We know in our league that (Kansas head coach Bill Self) is one of the best coaches in the history of college basketball, but sometimes the identity of Kansas is all the great players. I'd be really quick to tell you, 100 percent accuracy, (Kentucky head coach John Calipari) is one of the best that's ever done this. Year in and year out, he puts new teams in positions to be successful, and this year's team is no different.

Beard said it is similar to Duke and Kansas from last season and Louisville this year, those teams are really good defensively with their rim protection and great guard play.

What sticks out to Beard is the experience Kentucky brings back from last season, saying the Wildcats go with one freshman in their starting lineup as to last year.

"It's kind of dangerous to think about Kentucky having returning experienced players," Beard said, "and that's what this year's team is. They're definitely a pick to win the national championship, and a Final Four team in my eyes."

Beard said he expects his team to win this game and even joked about having a beer with Larry Bird who has a lot of respect for Kentucky.

However, Beard is not backing down from the basketball-phenom school. He said the good news is that Texas Tech plays in the Big 12, which Beard calls one of the best in the country to compete in.

"I think Kentucky's really, really good," Beard said, "but we all understand how good the Big 12 is, too. So, it's the next game on the schedule for us. It's a special game you got to out an asterisk next to because of Kentucky and their brand and history and their tradition and how good they are. But the reality of it is the ball will go up at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and it'll be very similar to the Big 12 games that we face every week if we're going to continue to be relative in college basketball.

Beard got a chance to talk about Kentucky sophomore guard Ashton Hagans, who is averaging 13.6 points, 7.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game this season. Beard said Hagans is as good as he gets.

"He runs their team," Beard said. "On defense, it starts with him in my opinion. He's one of the great steal-guys in college basketball. He's competitive. You can tell he's played for Coach (Calipari) for two years. You can tell the first year he basically learned what Kentucky basketball meant. Now, he defends their way of playing and exhibits their culture, you know, almost perfectly from the outside looking in.

Beard said Hagans is indeed a playmaker of the offensive end, calling Hagans the definition of one.

"He makes the other ones around him better," Beard said. "Not looking forward to competing against him, but I have enjoyed the week of preparation. He's one of those players that's just fun to watch."

Beard used the term "scrapfest" to describe what it will have to look like in terms of rebounding the ball against Kentucky, especially since the Wildcats hold the upper-hand as far as height goes.

Beard said if they cannot get the rebound, they will have to tip it out to a guard and then run the offense.

"It's going to have to be the Moro's, the Kyler's, the Ramsey's down there getting their nose dirty," Beard said. "We're just going to have to scrap. We've done this before, but it's definitely going to have to be an effort. We don't want a clean, kind of pretty game in that paint. It's got to get a little bit mucked up and dirty for us to have a chance because they're longer, they're more athletic. We're going to have to fight."

Beard said this game will be a huge challenge for the defense simply put because they are playing one of the best teams in college basketball. A key part of that pertains to rebounding and the size advantage held by Kentucky.

It will be a challenge to see how well Tech can keep the Wildcats off the boards.

As far as injury updates go, freshman Tyreek Smith has been cleared to practice, but has not been a part of practice. Beard said Smith has been working out and been going through individual workouts and pads. He hopes to have him in practice this coming week.

TJ Holyfield has been playing through a shoulder injury as he appears to be wearing a patch on his shoulder. Beard said he has been combating that really well, though. Beard has a lot of respect for Holyfield and the adversity he is playing through right now.