Kentucky basketball: Preview, prediction vs Buffalo NCAA Tournament
By Drew Koch
The Kentucky basketball team got their first win of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night against Davidson. After an upset victory over Arizona, the No. 13 seed Buffalo Bulls stand in the way of the Wildcats and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
The Kentucky basketball team will take on the Buffalo Bulls in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Buffalo, the No. 13 seed in the South Region, upset the 4-seed Arizona Wildcats on Thursday night. The Bulls won that game in dominant fashion, 89-68.
Buffalo is a high-scoring team. The Bulls average almost 85 points per game, and shoot an adequate 37.5% from downtown. Buffalo’s head coach, Nate Oats, has amassed 64-38 (.627%) record, leading the Bulls to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years.
The Wildcats are coming off a solid victory over Davidson on Thursday night. Kevin Knox was on point, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who struggled early, got his game on track in the second half. Can the Cats get out of Boise with a win and advance to Cat-Lanta for the Sweet Sixteen? Let’s preview Saturday’s game:
Date – Saturday March 17, 2018
Time – 5:15 PM ET
Location – Boise, Idaho
Venue – Taco Bell Arena
TV – CBS
Live stream – CBS Sports Live
Keys to victory for the Wildcats
The Kentucky basketball team is going to need solid production from their reliable playmakers, Knox and Gilgeous-Alexander. Kevin and Shai combined for 44 of Kentucky’s 78 points against Davidson. Buffalo has committed 734 fouls on the season, the 3rd most in the NCAA. Knox, Gilgeous-Alexander and PJ Washington need to drive into the paint and draw fouls on the Bulls.
Buffalo is a very skilled rebounding team. The Bulls are No. 9 in the nation in total rebounds. The Cats are just behind them at No. 10. However, Kentucky will be without their leading rebounder Jarred Vanderbilt, who will miss his 5th straight game. Kentucky outrebounded Davidson by 8 on Thursday night, and will need to duplicate that performance Saturday against Buffalo.
Buffalo players to watch
The Buffalo Bulls have 4 players who average 15 points or more. Of the 4 players, 3 of them average better than 40% from beyond the arc. That’s pretty impressive. The Cats will have to lock down defensively on the No. 6 ranked team in the nation in scoring.
- C.J. Massinburg – 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 40.2% 3-pt shooting
- Nick Perkins – 16.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 47.8% FG shooting
- Jeremy Harris – 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Prediction
This was supposed to be a match up between the Kentucky basketball team and the Arizona Wildcats. Unfortunately for Arizona, no one told Buffalo. The Bulls embarrassed Arizona and proved to all the doubters that they belong in the NCAA Tournament. I do think, however, this is the end of the road for Buffalo.