2015 SEC Tournament for March 15: Who, what, where, and when

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Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

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#1 KENTUCKY WILDCATS 33-0 (16-0)
# 2 ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS 26-7 (13-5)

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The Kentucky Wildcats have played nine games since the last time they were severely tested by LSU and only one team (Georgia) has lost by single digits. Kentucky defeated Georgia by just 8, but since that LSU scare they have won by an average of 20.25 points a game. In other words, this Kentucky team is focused on perfection and winning their first SEC Tournament title in four years. At this point, I get the feeling that it is going to take a perfect storm to beat Kentucky and even with that, it will be close.

Karl-Anthony Towns has become of the best big men in the country in just 33 games. If his numbers were projected to that of a regular starter, he would easily average a double-double for the year. Willie Cauley-Stein is one of the best defenders in college basketball and is also up for the National Player of the Year honors. And if you can control Kentucky inside, they have one of college basketball’s best sharpshooters in Devin Booker and the best clutch shooter in Aaron Harrison.

Andrew Harrison has really stepped up his game lately as a floor leader and is at his best when he attacks. Tyler Ulis would start for most schools in the nation, but is content and thriving in John Calipari’s platoon system. The thing about this team is that if even three or four players are having a really bad night, Kentucky still have five McDonald’s All Americans to take their place. This team can be a bit sluggish offensively, but this team has won games shooting in the mid-thirties. When their offense if off, it seems as if the defense steps it up. And if the offense is clicking, it’s virtually impossible to beat this team.

If any team can match Kentucky in depth, it is Arkansas. The Bobby Portis/Michael Qualls combination is the best dup in the conference and one of the best in the country. Portis and Qualls average 33.5 points and 14.1 rebounds a game. Aside from that paid, only Rashad Madden averages in double digits, but as with Kentucky, you can’t go by numbers alone. Arkansas has ten players that average more than 11 minutes a game and Mike Anderson loves to throw his “forty minutes of hell” defense at you. This has not been one of Arkansas’s better defensive teams, however.

There is a lot to like about this Arkansas team. Bobby Portis is such a complete player. He does not shoot a lot of three pointers, but hits 44.4% of them. This team passes so well, and Rashad Madden has the eye for the open player. One two players in the regular rotation have an A/TO ratio of less than 1.0. The Razorbacks are in constant attack mode and they come at you as if in a video game. Arkansas averages close to 20 3-point attempts a game and if they are falling, it is a long day for anyone. As I’ve said, the Razorbacks are a Sweet 16 team.

However, Kentucky is the far superior team defensively. And ultimately, that is what decides championships. Kentucky won the first meeting 84-67, holding Arkansas 12 points below their season average. And that is what this Kentucky defense does to you. They disrupt your offense and take away your first, second, and third options on offense. Expect a great game, but it’s hard to pick against Kentucky right now.

Next: Know Your Enemy: Arkansas Razorbacks

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