The Kentucky Wildcats will kick off SEC conference play on Saturday morning at 11 am EST against the #6 Florida Gators at Rupp Arena and on ESPN. As they leave non-conference play, Kentucky is a top-three team in three very important stats but also stats that may surprise you, especially with a couple of the lapses they've had against Clemson and Ohio State. Let's break down the three stats that Kentucky ranks among the top in.
1. Assist/Turnover Ratio
The Wildcats are the second-best team in the nation at the assist-to-turnover ratio. They are almost at 2.0 in the positive, with their actual stat being 1.99. They have 243 assists and 122 turnovers, which is an amazing clip to jump into the season. Auburn is the only team better than them right now, with a 2.21. Kentucky also has UCONN tied with them at 1.99.
This is an important stat that needs to be focused on throughout the season. Taking care of the basketball while setting up teammates to score is a key component of head coach Mark Pope's offense.
2. Defensive Rebounding
This is the one that may surprise you with how frustrating rebounding has been at times for Kentucky, yet they are third in the nation in defensive rebounding. The Wildcats average 30.69 defensive rebounds a game as a team, and it's a big key to their defense. Limiting an opponent's opportunities is huge. The only two teams better than them are Illinois at 32.33 and Alabama at 30.77.
Yes, they need to improve the offensive rebounding, but that tends to be more because of the scheme than anything. Kentucky wants to run the fastbreak, which limits chances, and the Wildcats also like to play 5-out, making it hard to consistently get offensive rebounds. Pope would still love to see the offensive rebounding increase.
3. Scoring Offense
Kentucky has been one of the top teams in this all season, so this one is a little less surprising. They are the third-ranked team in this category, too, at 89.0 a game. If you aren't sure what scoring offense means, it's basically just how many points they put up in a game on average. The two teams ahead of them are Alabama at 89.9 and Iowa at 89.7.
Scoring will be at more of a premium in the physical environment of the SEC, but the Wildcats can do it, and they can do it in bunches, and that'll be vital starting Saturday.