Mississippi State basketball: Chris Jans 'looking forward' to challenge of facing Kentucky in Rupp Arena

Wednesday evening, Chris Jans and his Mississippi State basketball team will be on the road to take on the Kentucky Wildcats. Rupp Arena isn't exactly known for being a friendly place for opposing teams to play and that means Jans and his Bulldogs will have a tough test on their hands.

This tough SEC showdown is yet another rigorous matchup for Jans and the Bulldogs. The Mississippi State men's basketball team is only three games into SEC play, but the Bulldogs have already faced a challenging conference slate that has included games against the Tennessee Volunteers, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Alabama Crimson Tide.

Now MSU gets the distinct pleasure of facing an always talented Wildcats squad that looks to keep winning at home.

Again, Rupp Arena is a tough place to play and so far the Wildcats boast an 8-1 record on their home floor this season. When asked about how he and his team are preparing to handle the raucous crowd and daunting environment, Jans seemed pretty intrigued by the opportunity to coach the Bulldogs in the hostile setting.

Mississippi State basketball: Chris Jans 'looking forward' to his first trip to Rupp Arena as Bulldogs hit the road to face Kentucky Wildcats

"I've never coached in Rupp Arena," Jans said. "So, I'm looking forward to that opportunity. I've certainly heard a lot about it, watched a lot of games, talked to people about it, etc. Most importantly, just trying to get our kids ready to go. You know, it'll be a heck of a challenge."

That last bit might be a bit of an understatement.

But hey, MSU has already faced some tough challenges. And while the Bulldogs haven't always come out on top, they've gotten some valuable experience in taking on talented rosters. And well, the Bulldogs aren't that far removed from beating the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers.

Still, this test is going to be intriguing. UK has five guys averaging double digits scoring per game. With guys like Antonio Reeves averaging 18.9 points per game, it's worth wondering how Mississippi State will fare as the Bulldogs try to keep up with the Wildcats.

"At first glance, they're uber talented. Obviously they've got a lot of young guys this year, they're just very, very talented and they don't play like freshmen. They seem very seasoned already," Jans explained.

After all, as a team, this particular Kentucky team is averaging over 90 points per game. MSU, meanwhile, is scoring 75.3 points per game. UK is winning by an average of 14.8 points per game while the Bulldogs are winning by an average of 10.5 points per game.

And when Jans got a chance to talk about the folks on Kentucky's roster, he noted just how talented (especially on offense) this group of Wildcats happens to be.

"They're very high-octane on offense. It's very similar to Alabama in terms of their transition baskets, their ability to get downhill, multiple playmakers on the floor at one time," Jans said. "Then they shoot the ball really, really well."