Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis is predicting South Carolina to upset Kentucky Saturday night.
No. 24 South Carolina (15–3) at No. 5 Kentucky (16–2)
Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN
It is nearly impossible to go into Rupp Arena and slow down the Wildcats’ ridiculously speedy attack, but if any team can do it, it’s Frank Martin’s Gamecocks. They lead the nation in defensive efficiency, they are ranked 200th nationally in tempo, and they have not lost a game with senior guard Sindarius Thornwell in the lineup. South Carolina is especially proficient at locking up opposing guards. It’s much easier to take a team that wants to run and force it to play slow than the other way around. Yes, it won’t be easy for an offensively challenged team to put enough points on the board to pull this off, but that’s why they’re called upsets.
South Carolina 62, Kentucky 61
Kentucky is currently a 13 point favorite.
