Kentucky basketball: Preview, prediction vs Alabama in SEC Tournament
By Drew Koch
After handling the Georgia Bulldogs in their first game of the SEC Tournament, the Kentucky basketball team will face off against Alabama on Saturday afternoon. PJ Washington led the Wildcats’ victory over the Crimson Tide earlier this season.
After handling Georgia on Friday afternoon, the Kentucky basketball team must turn their attention to the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Wildcats defeated Alabama earlier this season 81-71. The Crimson Tide will be looking to exact revenge against UK and add to their NCAA Tournament resume`.
Alabama absolutely destroyed top-seeded Auburn on Friday afternoon. The Crimson Tide outscored the Tigers 50-22 in the second half and were propelled by a 28-3 run. If Kentucky has any hopes of beating Alabama, they’re going to have to stop Collin Sexton. The freshman phenom dropped 31 on Auburn.
Date: Saturday, March 10, 2018
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Venue: Scottrade Center
TV: ESPN
Live stream: WatchESPN
Keys to victory for the Wildcats
It looks like the Kentucky basketball team will be without Jarred Vanderbilt for a second straight game. John Calipari commented on Vanderbilt’s availability after UK’s win over Georgia. “Jarred, what I saw today, will not play tomorrow,” Calipari said via 247Sports.com. Without Vanderbilt, Kentucky will rely, once again, on PJ Washington and Wenyen Gabriel to pick up the slack in the paint.
The two forwards combined for 13 rebounds against Georgia, however, the Bulldogs as a whole outrebounded the Cats 42-39. Kentucky dominated Alabama earlier this season on the boards. The Cats need to win the battle of the boards, especially on the offensive glass.
Kentucky also needs a solid offensive performance from their guards. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Quade Green must both perform well in order for UK to emerge victorious. Green was 5-of-6 with 12 points in the earlier meeting against the Crimson Tide, while Gilgeous-Alexander had a pedestrian 6 points and shot 20% from the field. Both Quade and Shai must play to form in order for the Cats to win.
Alabama players to watch
I think by now, the college basketball community understand how good Collin Sexton really is. The Alabama freshman, who is soon-to-be an NBA lottery selection, is playing out of this world thus far in the SEC Tournament. Over the past 2 games, Sexton has averaged 29 points and hit 9-of-14 from downtown. The kid is on fire. Kentucky doesn’t have to stop him, but they have to contain him.
- Collin Sexton – 18.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists
- Donta Hall – 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.2 blocks
- John Petty – 10.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 36.3% 3-pt shooting
Prediction
This game will be a tough test for the Wildcats, but one that they need to prepare them for March Madness. If Kentucky is going to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, they must prove to themselves that they can win games like this. Sexton is a talented player, but UK has talented players too. I expect Shai to out-duel Sexton and stake his claim as one of the best freshmen guards in the country.