Posts
Western Kentucky launched an amazing comeback to beat Mississippi Valley State, 59-58, in one of the First Four games.
Their reward for this spectacular performance? They get to play the nation's No. 1 team, Kentucky. Western Kentucky has been on a wild ride to get here. This team started the season just 9-18.
They have certainly hit their stride as they have now won seven in a row, but that streak is likely about to come to a screeching halt.
No No. 1 seed has ever lost to a No. 16 seed in the tournament.
Where: KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky
When: Thursday, March 15 at 6:50 p.m. ET
Watch: TBS
Betting Line: The Betting line is not yet available, but we will update when it is.
Key Injuries
Injury information via USA Today
There are no key injuries to report for either team.
What They're Saying
Aaron Smith of CBS Sports sheds some light on a fun storyline for this game.
A storyline to watch in Kentucky's NCAA tournament opener against Western Kentucky: Wildcats F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Hilltoppers G Derrick Gordon were teammates at St. Patrick High School in New Jersey. They were prominently featured in “Prayer for a Perfect Season,” an HBO documentary about their senior season.
Most Important Player to Watch: Kentucky forward Anthony Davis
Dynamic freshman Davis is the Wildcats leading scorer. He is nearly unstoppable down low, and has been up to the challenge all year. He was rewarded for this with the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Wayman Tisdale Award for the nation’s top freshman.
Still, this is the NCAA tournament, and this will be his first game on that crazy stage. Let's see how he reacts.
Key Matchup: Slow Down vs. Up-tempo
The Hilltoppers might as well just forfeit if they plan on trying to win this game in a track meet.
If Western Kentucky is going to have any chance in this contest they have to slow the game down. That is their style. At 65.1 points per game they are 238th in the nation in scoring.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats are at their best in a fast-paced game. They put up 77.1 points per game, which was the 20th highest in the nation.
Kentucky simply has way too many athletes for the Hilltoppers to hope to survive in a fast-paced game.
Prediction: Kentucky 76, Western Kentucky 58
Kentucky is way too powerful for the Hilltoppers to stay close.
No comments:
Post a Comment