Kentucky coach John Calipari is hoping to see Marquis Teague continue to improve, especially with a pair of high-profile games coming up.
Before starting that pivotal stretch, the freshman guard for the second-ranked Wildcats will get another chance to work on his game when Portland visits Rupp Arena on Saturday night.
Teague had committed 18 turnovers through his first four games, and Calipari told his freshman before Wednesday's matchup with Radford that he was going to allow him to make one per half before possibly pulling him out.
Calipari didn't have to go through with that plan as Teague turned the ball over just twice, scored 13 points and provided five assists during an 88-40 rout.
"Everybody's just been telling me to come out, play aggressive, just play my game," Teague said. "A lot of other games I was just thinking too much, trying to do too much. So I just wanted to come out and make things easy."
The Wildcats (5-0) could use some solid play from Teague with St. John's visiting Thursday as part of the Big East/SEC Challenge and No. 1 North Carolina coming to Lexington two days later.
"This kid is going to do whatever I ask him to do. He's a great kid," Calipari said. "I've got to coach him better. I've got to be more prepared to really break down tape with him and show him and talk to him during the games. He's got to be right near me, at least for the next month, and then he'll be fine."
Teague will try to continue his progress while helping Kentucky improve to 36-0 at Rupp Arena under Calipari. The Wildcats should have a good chance to accomplish that feat against a Portland team that's been outscored by an average of 18.0 points during a three-game losing streak.
The Pilots (2-3) gave up 52 points in the second half to UC Santa Barbara in an 83-69 road defeat Tuesday. Scoring co-leaders Ryan Nicholas and Nemanja Mitrovic, averaging 11.8 points, were among three players in double figures with Nicholas' career-high 16 leading the way.
Mitrovic, who was 13th in the country with a 46.3 shooting percentage from 3-point range in 2010-11, is off to a slow start from beyond the arc, connecting at just a 29.0 percent clip (9 of 31).
Senior guard Eric Waterford was the only player to score in double figures (12 points) during last season's visit from the then-No. 12 Wildcats, a 79-48 loss. Darius Miller, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb were among Kentucky's scoring leaders along with the departed Brandon Knight, who had a team-best 21 points.
The Wildcats, who have outscored their first five opponents by an average of 31.2 points, won 88-71 during the previous matchup in Lexington on Dec. 22, 1989.
