Big Blue Nation can vividly recall the sight of Arkansas guard Michael Qualls sailing in for a put back dunk in overtime to beat UK. The Cats battled and fought in that game only to see it come to a crushing defeat. Rest assured that the Kentucky players remember it all to well and will be looking forward to a second chance against the Razorbacks.
Arkansas enters the game 18-9 with a 7-7 record in conference play. They are mired in a pack of seven teams that just can’t seem to get over .500 in league play. The NCAA tournament bubble is as weak as it has ever been and most analysts still believe the SEC will get four bids. Florida and Kentucky will get two and Arkansas is one of five teams that have a shot at getting the other two remaining bids. Obviously a win against the Cats in Rupp Arena would do wonders for their resume.
The Razorbacks are an athletic team that loves to get up and down the floor and apply full court pressure defense. The problem for them is that they are much less effective away from home where their crowd gives them an advantage. They have won more games away from home than in Mike Anderson’s first 2 years but those wins have been against SEC bottom feeders. They have a tremendous freshman big man in Bobby Portis who leads them in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots. Rashad Madden and Qualls make for a versatile backcourt that is skilled off the dribble. The future for Arkansas looks bright if Bobby Portis will stick around for another year to a team with multiple returning players. It has taken Anderson longer than some expected but next season should be a major step up for the Hogs.
The future for Kentucky is now and tonight is another step in the maturation process of this young team. The task at hand is to face a good team and control them for the length of the game. If the Cats come out and play with energy and intensity for 40 minutes they should be able to win with relative ease. Arkansas does not match up with Kentucky nearly as well as LSU did and that will likely show tonight. It will be interesting to see if the overtime win on Saturday will serve as a spark to push this team to the next level. With only four regular season games remaining it is important that Kentucky begins to hit their stride soon. My prediction for tonight is a 79-67 victory for the Wildcats. The regular season is winding down but in reality the real season is only just beginning.
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