Everyone at ESPN is picking Kentucky to beat Kansas tomorrow night at Rupp Arena.
Here is an excerpt:
How do you see Kansas @ Kentucky playing out?
Medcalf: Well, I’m looking forward to being in Lexington to see it live. Kentucky has had problems with teams that can play efficient four-guard lineups, but so much of Bill Self’s success is tied to Dedric Lawson. And I think Lawson will have a big night, probably in front of a lot of family members who will make the six-hour drive from Memphis, but I think Reid Travis, Nick Richards and PJ Washington will wear him down and help Kentucky secure the victory in the final five minutes of an intense game.
Borzello: Give me Kentucky. I just have no idea how good Kansas is right now. Kentucky is on fire lately, but to be fair, the last time everyone hopped on the Wildcats’ bandwagon (after wins over North Carolina and Louisville), they went to Alabama and lost to an average Crimson Tide team. Kentucky is highly susceptible to teams that can spread the floor and make shots from the perimeter, which is what Kansas was last season — but not this season. The Wildcats are clicking at the right time, while the Jayhawks still seem to be figuring things out.
Gasaway: One shootout at Auburn notwithstanding (and even that was a Wildcats win), Kentucky’s looked outstanding on defense in SEC play. So, yes, the Jayhawks are catching UK at the wrong time. (Right now Self’s wondering: Where’s that version of John Calipari’s guys that allows 118 points? Can we play them?) Also, KU has lost games in Tempe, Arizona; Ames, Iowa; and Morgantown, West Virginia. Lexington, Kentucky, might be too tough as well.
Schultz: Calipari posts a 95 percent win rate coaching the Cats at Rupp. Just as important, Kentucky is playing its best ball of the season right now. Freshmen blue-chippers Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro have become reliable perimeter scorers, while sophomore PJ Washington has flashed first-round ability by playing both ends of the floor. Kansas will ultimately be just fine, but the Jayhawks — sans center Udoka Azubuike — have been an enigma of late. They got hammered in Ames and then fell to lowly West Virginia in Morgantown. The Wildcats win this game with suffocating half-court defense and plenty of firepower offensively, especially in the open floor.
