Kentucky
vs.
South Carolina
SEC
College Basketball
Pick
1/24/15
After back-to-back overtime Games to open Conference play, Kentucky is back to its winning ways. The Wildcats beat Missouri by 49 points and then at Alabama by 22 points in what was supposed to be a decent test. Kentucky will return to the road to take on South Carolina, who is just 1-4 in SEC play.
Just five Games into the Conference season, Kentucky is the lone undefeated team in the SEC. As the weaker teams beat up on each other, that lead should only expand as the season goes on. It’s almost a given that the Wildcats win this Game, so we’ll just be looking at how big that margin will be.
The Gamecocks aren’t a terrible team by any means and after a 2-3 start to the year, picked up some quality wins against Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Despite their slow Conference start, this is a team that can compete with most in the SEC, especially at home. However, they are coming off a surprising home loss to Tennessee on Tuesday, a Game in which they were 7-point favorites.
Kentucky struggled on the road in their first two true road Games of the year, but those struggles weren’t seen at Alabama. If UK plays to their ability, there’s not much South Carolina will be able to do. The Gamecocks have a deep squad, but with only one guy listed above 6’9″, height and size will be an immediate issue. They are actually a solid rebound team with three guys averaging at least 5.2 boards per Game.
The problem is that Kentucky has Four guys averaging at least 5.6 boards per Game. The Wildcats also boast probably the best defense in the country, which won’t help a sometimes inconsistent offense of South Carolina.
The Gamecocks shoot a paltry 30.4% from long range and they’ll have to do their scoring from elsewhere. Unfortunately, Kentucky’s size limits what opponents can do in the paint. Duane Notice and Tyrone Johnson will likely be South Carolina’s best chances to keep up on the scoreboard. They are the team’s best shooters and need to make something happen. FrontcOurt guys like LAimonas Chatkevicius and Mindaugas Kacinas are playing well, but against the likes of Willie Cauley-Stein and company, that may be a different story.
The Wildcats also boast a large backcOurt with the Harrison brothers and Devin Booker. In addition, the platoon system is working close to perfection so far, outside of those overtime Games.
While Kentucky does stand out in every aspect of this Game, it can’t be forgotten that they needed two overtimes to beat Texas A&M on the road a couple weeks ago. The Aggies stayed close by playing great defense (Kentucky shot 28% from the field) and crashing the glass (18 offensive rebounds). The Gamecocks are averaging 12 offensive rebounds per Game and have only given up 70-plus points three times this season.
With the way the Wildcats have looked since those overtime Games, it’s hard to see this being a close Game. Granted, Vanderbilt did give them some trouble on Tuesday. South Carolina’s lack of size will be an issue out of the gates and they’ll need huge Games from their guards, which is never a given.
Our Prediction – Kentucky by 19