Good Saturday afternoon to ya.
Texas A&M is on the verge of upsetting Arkansas to go to the SEC Championship Game where it'll play the winner on Tennessee/Kentucky.
No. 9 Vols (24-7) and No. 5 Cats (26-6) will tip about 25 minutes after A&M/Arkansas. Here's some pregame reading material for you — strength/weaknesses of Kentucky and some notes on the game:
Notes on today’s matchup:
Projected No. 5 Kentucky (26-6) starting lineup:
Key Kentucky bench players:
Kentucky offensive strengths: — No. 4 in offensive efficiency (120.8)
Kentucky defensive strengths: — No. 27 in defensive efficiency (93.7)
Refs for today’s game: (Rank per KenPom)
TV Crew (ESPN):
Texas A&M is on the verge of upsetting Arkansas to go to the SEC Championship Game where it'll play the winner on Tennessee/Kentucky.
No. 9 Vols (24-7) and No. 5 Cats (26-6) will tip about 25 minutes after A&M/Arkansas. Here's some pregame reading material for you — strength/weaknesses of Kentucky and some notes on the game:
Notes on today’s matchup:
- Tennessee is making its fourth straight SEC Tournament semifinal appearance.
- In SEC Tournament meetings, Tennessee is 5-12 against Kentucky
- Overall, Tennessee has won 7 of the last 12 games against Kentucky
- UT and UK split their two meetings this season, each team winning on its home court
- Tennessee is 3-1 this season against AP top-10 opponents
Projected No. 5 Kentucky (26-6) starting lineup:
- PG, Sahvir Wheeler, Jr. — transfer from Georgia
- 10.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 30.8 minutes
- All-SEC Second Team
- Named to the Bob Cousy Final Five
- Third in the country with 7.1 assists per game
- Has 16 games with seven or more assists
- G, TyTy Washington, Fr.
- 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 28.9 minutes
- All-SEC Second Team and All-SEC Freshman Team
- Set the school record with 17 assists vs. Georgia
- Averaging 12.6 points and 4.0 assists per game
- Leads the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.45
- 19 double-figure scoring games
- G, Kellan Grady, Gr. — graduate transfer from Davidson
- 11.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 32.9 minutes
- Team-best 87 3’s on SEC-best 47.4% 3-point shooting
- Averaging 11.8 points per game — 15 games with three or more 3's
- F, Keion Brooks, Jr.
- Averaging 10.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game
- Scored in double figures in 16 games
- F, Oscar Tshiebwe, Jr. — transfer from West Virginia
- 17.1 points, 15.3 rebounds, 31.7 minutes
- SEC Player of the Year and All-SEC First Team selection
- leads the country in rebounding (15.3), offensive rebounds per game (5.3), offensive rebounding percentage (.198) and defensive rebound percentage (.347)
- tied Dan Issel for the single-season UK record for double-doubles (26)
- Team-best 17.1 points per game
Key Kentucky bench players:
- G, Davion Mintz, Gr. — transfer from Creighton
- 8.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 24.9 minutes
- Second on the team with 43 3-pointers
- Averaged 9.9 points per game during SEC regular-season action
- F, Jacob Toppin, Jr. — transfer from Rhode Island
- 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 18.0 minutes
- Averaging 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game over his last seven games played
- F, Damion Collins, Fr.
- 2.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 7.4 minutes
- G, Dontaie Allen, R-So.
- 2.3 points, 1.2 rebounds, 6.7 minutes
- F, Bryce Hopkins, Fr.
- 2.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 6.5 minutes
- F, Lance Ware, So.
- 1.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 6.1 minutes
- Kentucky is No. 2 in KenPom entering the game — KenProm projects a 71-69 Kentucky win
- KenPom gives Tennessee a 43% chance of winning
- 160th in adjusted tempo (67.5)
- 185th in average height (76.9”)
- 187th in experience (1.87 years)
- 244th in bench minutes (28%)
- 296th in minutes continuity (30.8%)
- 328th in 2-foul participation (5.1%)
Kentucky offensive strengths: — No. 4 in offensive efficiency (120.8)
- 1st in offensive rebound% (37.9)
- 17th in block% (6.5)
- 32nd in effective FG% (53.9)
- 39th in 2P% (53.9)
- 61% of points come from two’s (3rd)
- 63rd in 3P% (35.8)
- 64th in turnover% (16.7)
- 67th in non-steal TO% (7.9)
- 107th in A/FGM (53.4)
- 111th in steal% (8.8)
- 135th in FT% (73.0)
- 15.4% of points come from free throws (303rd)
- 274th in FTA/FGA (26.9)
- 351st in 3PA/FGA (27.9)
- 23.6% of points come from three’s (342nd)
Kentucky defensive strengths: — No. 27 in defensive efficiency (93.7)
- 26th in 3P% defense (30.1)
- 29.6% of opponent points are three’s (238th)
- 35th in effective FG% defense (46.5)
- 43rd in FTA/FGA (24.5)
- 60th in offensive rebound% (24.9)
- 67th in A/FGM defense (46.2)
- 73rd in block% (10.9)
- 76th in 2P% defense (47.2)
- 54.5% of opponent points are two’s (60th)
- 123rd in steal% (9.9)
- 125th in 3PA/FGA (36.2)
- 182nd in FT% defense (71.7)
- 15.9% of opponent points are free throws (283rd)
- 235th in turnover% (17.4)
- 326th in non-steal TO% (7.5)
Refs for today’s game: (Rank per KenPom)
- Doug Shows (No. 16)
- Pat Adams (No. 30)
- Chuck Jones (No. 41)
TV Crew (ESPN):
- Karl Ravech (pxp)
- Jimmy Dykes (analyst)
- Marty Smith (sideline)
