JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Two weeks ago, Mississippi State had itsfirst big test of the season against nationally ranked Cincinnatiin Las Vegas.

The Bulldogs failed – miserably.

Mississippi State gets another chance to prove its 13-1 start ismore than a byproduct of a weak schedule Saturday when it takes onNo. 6 Kentucky at Humphrey Coliseum.

”This will let us know where our team stands,” forward MichaelGholar said.

The Bulldogs won 10 straight against mid-major opponents tobegin the season.

Then they met Cincinnati on Dec. 22 in the Las Vegas Classictrying to match the best start in school history and earn a littlerespect.

”We looked at the Cincinnati game as a statement game,”second-leading scorer Marckell Patterson said. ”It didn’t turn outlike we wanted it to.”

The Bulldogs proved the skeptics right by getting blasted by theBearcats 90-56.

Mississippi State, picked last in the SEC in the preseason, haswon three straight since the Cincinnati debacle, including a 77-66road victory over Tulane.

”I’m not really as surprised with them (the Bulldogs) as I amimpressed,” said Kentucky coach Tubby Smith. ”They are reallygood.”

But the Bulldogs haven’t faced anything like the Wildcats, withtheir seemingly endless depth and versatility.

”They do a lot of good things,” Mississippi State point guardDerrick Zimmerman said. ”They’ve got size. They shoot thebasketball well. They have the reigning SEC player of the year inTayshaun Prince.”

They also have a five-game winning streak against MississippiState that includes three straight double-digit victories.

Prince, a 6-foot-9 forward who can play inside and out, scored18 points in Kentucky’s 76-57 victory over the Bulldogs inLexington last year.

He leads the SEC in scoring at 18.6 per game and is getting lotsof help from a talented supporting cast that includes Keith Bogans,Jules Camara, Gerald Fitch and Cliff Hawkins.

”Different players are stepping up each night to carry theirpart of the load and it’s translating into wins and good teambasketball for us,” Hawkins said. ”That’s important heading intothe SEC schedule.”

Mississippi State – as has become the norm under fourth-yearcoach Rick Stansbury – is one of the top rebounding teams in theSEC, ranking third overall (41.6 rpg) and second in reboundingmargin (plus-9.5).

Center Mario Austin, much improved in his sophomore season, isthe Bulldogs’ leading scorer (14.8) and rebounder (7.9).

But the Bulldogs can’t count on owning the glass againstKentucky. The Wildcats lead the nation with a 12.1 reboundmargin.

The last time Mississippi State beat Kentucky was in the finalsof the 1996 SEC tournament in New Orleans. The Bulldogs went to theFinal Four that season.

The Bulldogs’ last regular-season win over Kentucky was 1995 inLexington. The last time they beat the Wildcats in Starkville was1991.