East No. 4 – Kentucky (Overall: 25-8, Conf: 13-5)
Team Strengths:
As you’d expect from a John Calipari team, Kentucky is athletic and talented as hell. Leading scorer Jamal Murray is another NBA lottery pick in-waiting, while Tyler Ulis was rightfully named the SEC Player of the Year.
With that terrific backcourt carrying the offensive load, the Wildcats had the most efficient offense in the country and can put up points against any team in the tourney. They also have great length in the frontcourt, which can provide outstanding interior defense.
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Team Weaknesses:
Simply put, Skal Labiessiere failed to live up to the huge expectations surrounding him this year. The highly-touted freshman struggled all season, and has seen his minutes taken by the likes of Alex Poythress, Derek Willis and Marcus Lee. Those three are all decent players, but if Labissiere can’t provide meaningful minutes in the frontcourt, the Wildcats may not make it too far in the tourney.Team Stats:
Category | Stat | NCAA Rank |
---|---|---|
Points Per Game | 79.6 | 29th |
Rebounds Per Game | 38.9 | 53rd |
Blocks Per Game | 5.6 | 7th |
3-Point Percentage | 36.7% | 73rd |
Free Throw Percentage | 68.4% | 233rd |
Starting Lineup:
Position | Name | PPG |
---|---|---|
F | Skal Labissiere | 6.6 |
F | Alex Poythress | 10.3 |
G | Isaiah Briscoe | 9.5 |
G | Jamal Murray | 20.2 |
G | Tyler Ulis | 16.8 |
Writer’s Prediction
Kentucky claws its way to the Sweet 16, but falls to UNC.