Don’t look now, but the Kentucky Wildcats have a chance to earn a double-bye in the SEC Tournament as March begins. In a season marked by injuries, drama and frustrating losses, the Wildcats unlocked a high level of resilience to put themselves in position to be in a favorable position in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.
Getting there, though, starts Tuesday night at Texas A&M. This is a big game. The Aggies are on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, and it’s their Senior Night. They will be ready to
play Tuesday night, so the question becomes whether or not the Wildcats can match their intensity from the opening tip.
Kentucky is one game ahead of Texas A&M in the SEC standings. That’s another reason why this game is so important. It’s paramount to handle business Tuesday night and scrape Texas A&M off any plate and chance they can catch Kentucky and jeopardize their chances of getting a double-bye or even a single-bye in the SEC Tournament.
Texas A&M is a good team. They can score and move the ball, and the Aggies are also a capable shooting team. This is a deep Aggies team with five players averaging double figures and five players having 50+ assists on the season.
The Aggies are just 2-6 in their last eight games, including a 76-70 loss at home to Texas on Saturday. Again, they will be ready to respond. Kentucky must be ready to match that intensity from the start.
Let’s look at the keys to the game Tuesday night in College Station against the Aggies.
Keys to the Game
1. Getting off to a good start
Kentucky did just that against Vanderbilt on Saturday. Doing that again Tuesday night will rattle the Aggies and take the crowd out of the game early.
2. Limiting turnovers and pressuring the ball
Texas A&M’s opponents have 13.5 turnovers per game this season. Kentucky needs to take care of the ball to avoid giving the Aggies the opportunity to get out and run. On the other side, the Aggies have 18.7 assists per game. The Wildcats have to find a way to pressure the ball and make it hard for the Aggies to get a good shot.
3. 3-point defense
The Aggies shoot 36.5 percent from 3-point range. Six players shoot 40 percent or better from 3-point range. Kentucky can’t give the Aggies any room from beyond the arc Tuesday night.
4. Rebounding
This is an Aggies team that can rebound at 37.5 boards per game. In a game where so many other elements will come into play, rebounding can’t be overlooked.
Score Prediction: Wildcats 83, Aggies 80
The intensity is going to be at a high level on Tuesday night. Winning this game will require a gusty 40-minute effort from the Wildcats. I believe they have it in them, but this will be a sweaty palms game for Big Blue Nation.
