Staff Predictions
Kentucky hasn't had as much success in the SEC tournament in recent years as they frequently have, but the Big Blue Nation is hopeful this year's hot UK team can make some noise.
On Friday the Cats take on Texas A&M in the tournament's quarterfinal round.
Here are takes and predictions from Cats Illustrated staff members.
Jeff Drummond: It seems like an eternity since Kentucky and Texas A&M first played this season. In many ways, it has been. The Cats are a different team than they were on Jan. 13, when they lost 97-92 in overtime at College Station. The freshmen have matured, players have developed into their roles, and UK has finally gotten healthy. Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic did not play in the first matchup. That should help the Cats against one of the best rebounding teams in the country. A&M grabbed 54 boards and a ton of 50/50 balls to eke out the win in the first meeting. Kentucky will have to do a great job on the glass, much like its winning effort at Tennessee. The Cats will also have to do a better job of staying in front of Wade Davis IV (31 points) and Tyrese Radford (28 points). Those guys combined to go to the charity stripe 21 times on Jan. 13. Davis hit 11 of his 12, essentially winning the game for the Aggies despite going 7-of-24 from the field. I like the Cats in this one, flipping the five-point margin to the tune of 82-77, with Antonio Reeves leading the way.
David Sisk: John Calipari is probably preaching focus and execution more than revenge, but rest assured the Big Blue Nation wants its pound of flesh from the January 13 loss to Texas A&M in College Station. Look for the Aggies to try to slow the pace down in this one. Kentucky will need to Leto A&M off the boards, and their backcourt studs out of the scoring column. Wade Taylor IV is as good as there is in the league. Tyrece Radford is a handful, and Manny Obaseki is emerging. Those things won’t matter. This will be a home game for Kentucky. They are playing their best ball of the season right now, and I expect them to put up numbers. The start may be a little slow, but once the offense cranks up it should be too much. Ole Miss got three-point looks, but just couldn’t connect. The four freshmen guards combined for 68 in the first meeting. Look for more of the same Friday with Antonio Reeves leading the way. Kentucky 83 Texas A&M 75
Travis Graf: It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Cats start a little slow due to post season jitters, but this team is built for big stages in my opinion. It’s a huge revenge spot for Kentucky and look for that to dominate the storylines before and during the game. Kentucky must keep their composure and match Texas A&M’s intensity from start to finish, because you know a Buzz Williams team is going to bring that. Reed Sheppard leads Kentucky with a stuffed stat sheet in a 85 to 75 win.
Justin Rowland: This game is a testament to how much tougher the SEC is than it used to be. Texas A&M is 19-13 and coming off a win against a quality Ole Miss team. If you go back to A&M's blowout loss to Tennessee, they've been very good since then. But the Cats won in College Station and have been a better basketball team this year. I just think Kentucky has too much firepower for the Aggies. I'm expecting a close game with Kentucky making more shots and pulling away late. UK 84, A&M 78