Kentucky is one of the teams that is dominating the national conversation when it comes to the college basketball season, but the Wildcats are a two-point underdog in tonight's road game against South Carolina.
Cats Illustrated staff members break down the matchup and offer predictions ahead of tonight's game in Columbia, S.C.
David Sisk: I keep waiting to see if a team dedicated to defense and slow pace can slow this Kentucky offense down. Tuesday night will offer another case study, and maybe the sternest one to date. South Carolina plays at the 309th slowest pace in the country. They average ten fewer possessions than Kentucky. They also give up under 65 points per game which is in the top-20. The Gamecocks are also one of the most physical teams around. I just don’t think you can hold Kentucky down enough if you can’t score enough, and that is the case today. I had a friend ask me why the spread is just four. This will be a tough matchup, and Columbia has offered its share of horror stories. Having said all of that Kentucky will still play the game closer to its style of play. Kentucky 87 South Carolina 81
Justin Rowland: The line just says a lot about the sport here and how hard it is to win games on the road. South Carolina is definitely an improved basketball team and maybe Vegas knows something, but I've got to go with Kentucky's offense in this game. As always, on the road shot selection is going to be critical. They can't have stretches where they commit several turnovers in a row. This team is too good offensively to allow that to happen and these road games are good preparation in forming mental toughness. This team has really been all over the place, looking good in wins against Mizzou and Arkansas but losing to Alabama by 27 earlier this month. South Carolina lost its last game at home, to Georgia. This game is all about Kentucky. If they sustain focus for 30-35 minutes of this game then I think they've got a great chance. If they aren't digging out of a hole down 6-8 points with under eight to play, you just have to trust they have too many scorers. But I fully expect it to be a barnburner with a few minutes remaining. The one dynamic in the game that gives me some pause is how South Carolina lost to UGA at home last time out. You have to assume they're going to play at a high level. Kentucky 86, South Carolina 84.
Travis Graf: Tuesday is going to be a clash of styles and whichever one can establish their preferred pace on the game. South Carolina plays at a very slow pace and Lamont Paris has done a great job of turning that program around in year two of his tenure. Talent wise, Kentucky has the clear edge here but being on the road with Vegas having set a narrow spread raises some eyebrows with this matchup. South Carolina’s defense is strong and despite not having great rim protectors, they keep opponents from scoring very efficiently from all over the court. Meechie Johnson has the ability to get hot at anytime, so Kentucky must keep constant tabs on him. Kentucky 80, South Carolina 72.
Jeff Drummond: Columbia, S.C., has occasionally been a trouble spot for even the best Kentucky teams over the years. Just ask John Wall and Demarcus Cousins. For whatever reason, the Cats haven’t always played well down there, regardless of what kind of team the Gameocks had. That feels like something of a red flag for tonight’s game as South Carolina comes in with a 15-3 record and UK riding high off its Big Z debut against Georgia. The analytics don’t suggest the Gamecocks are anything but average on either end of the floor (65th nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency) but Vegas thinks this could be a two-possession game. I’m going to take that advice and pick Kentucky 87, South Carolina 81. Give me Rob Dillingham as my pick to click, and the anticipation of what Zvonimir Ivisic does as an encore makes this must-see TV.
