Kentucky basketball: Preview, prediction vs Tennessee in SEC Tournament
By Drew Koch
The Kentucky basketball team will play their 3rd game this season against the Tennessee Volunteers. This time, it’s for the SEC Tournament Championship. Can the Cats finally get over the hump and defeat the Vols?
The Wildcats took care of business against Georgia on Friday. Then UK dominated the red-hot Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday afternoon. Now the Kentucky basketball team has their sights set on the Tennessee Volunteers. Is the 3rd time a charm or will Rick Barnes and the Vols take home the SEC Tournament championship. Let’s preview the match up.
Both Kentucky and Tennessee had convincing wins against their opponents on Saturday. The Wildcats obliterated Alabama 86-63 behind a career-high 23 points from Wenyen Gabriel. The Vols followed suit and laid waste to Arkansas 84-66.
Both teams did what they needed to do in this tournament and reached the championship game. In my opinion, the outcome of Sunday’s game has little to no bearing on the teams’ seeding when the brackets come out tomorrow evening. The Cats appear locked in to a No. 5 seed with an outside chance of snagging a No. 4. The Vols also appear to have secured their spot and have a firm grasp on a No. 3 seed come Selection Sunday.
So what’s really at stake in this game? Bragging rights! Tennessee has defeated Kentucky twice this season. The Vols thumped UK at Thompson-Boling Arena in early January and squeaked out a 61-59 victory at Rupp Arena in February. Kentucky is going to be looking to stop UT’s win streak at 2 and take home another SEC Tournament championship trophy.
Date: Sunday, March 11, 2018
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Venue: Scottrade Center
TV: ESPN
Live stream: WatchESPN
Next: Wenyen Gabriel and the Cats roll Bama to advance in SEC Tourney
Keys to victory for the Wildcats
The Kentucky basketball has played Tennessee twice this season and both times have resulted in a loss for the Wildcats. What can UK do to avoid a third straight loss to the Vols? For starters they can take care of the basketball. In Kentucky’s 2 losses to Tennessee, the Wildcats have turned the ball over 31 times. Over the past two games of the SEC Tournament, UK has only had 15 total turnovers. The Cats need to protect the basketball.
Kentucky must also rebound better. In both UK’s losses to the Volunteers, Kentucky has been outrebounded. In the Cats’ two victories this postseason, Kentucky has also been outrebounded. Granted, UK is missing their best rebounder in Jarred Vanderbilt, but the Wildcats can’t let Tennessee take advantage on the glass.
Nick Richards has continued to struggle of late, so I expect to see a lot more of Sacha Killeya-Jones, espeically with Vanderbilt likely out for a third consecutive game. Calipari seems to be trusting Killeya-Jones more of late, and Sacha can give the Cats another big body and capable rebounder.
Tennessee players to watch
Sophomore forward Grant Williams was named SEC Player of the Year, but he hasn’t been a dominant force against Kentucky. The Wildcats were hurt more by junior forward Admiral Schofield and sophomore guard Lamonte Turner. Turner is the Vols most dangerous threat from downtown and Schofield is a beast down low.
- Grant Williams – 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists
- Admiral Schofield – 13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists
- Lamonte Turner – 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 40.1% 3-pt shooting
Prediction
As I wrote earlier, this is not a “must win” game for either team. That being said, you’d love to go into the NCAA Tournament on a winning streak. Kentucky has yet to prove that they can beat a top-notch, quality opponent. UK’s wins at Arkansas and at West Virginia rank as their best this season.
A win over the No. 13 ranked Vols can give Kentucky some much needed confidence heading into the tournament. This will be a close game, and one I think the Wildcats can win. However, the absence of Jarred Vanderbilt will be felt in this game, and I just don’t think the Cats have enough to get the win. I hope I’m wrong.