NCAA Basketball Game Preview: Kentucky v. South Carolin

The regular season for college hoops is wrapping up with only a couple games remaining for most teams. On Thursday, likely #1 seed in the NCAA tournament Kentucky gets a chance to avenge its only loss of the season when they host South Carolina. South Carolina Gamecocks (14-12, 5-7 t-7th SEC) @ Kentucky Wildcats (26-1, 11-1 1st in SEC) NCAA Basketball Odds(*note lines are approximations as they have not been posted at the time of writing) Spread: Kentucky -9 Over/Under 136 Money Line: Kentucky -350, South Carolina +225 The last time these two teams squared off Kentucky was just named the number one team in the country. Perhaps playing a little too over-confident, the Wildcats were sloppy on January 26th and fell to the unranked Gamecocks. Kentucky had no answer for lightning quick and acrobatic point guard Devan Downey who scored 30 of South Carolina’s 68 points in a 68-62 victory. The game came down to the wire and Kentucky PG, and consensus number one pick in this year’s NBA draft; John Wall, turned the ball over on a bounce pass he couldn’t corral that would have led to a game-tying layup in the last minute. Wall played his heart out in that game but fell short for the first and only time as a collegiate athlete. The rest of the Wildcats seemed to be standing around in that game and did not play with the intensity that Kentucky has displayed since. This time, playing in Rupp Arena, Kentucky will be ready for South Carolina and looking for some payback. How South Carolina can win South Carolina has done it before so they have the recipe for success. In the previous game, South Carolina not only outscored Kentucky, but they outrebounded the Wildcats (40-38) they won the turnover battle (11-15) had six less fouls and took seven more foul shots. South Carolina is going to need a repeat performance to beat Kentucky at home, where they play much better. The task will once again fall on the shoulders of 5’9” Senior PG Devan Downey. Downey is leading the SEC in scoring and is 6th in the nation with 22.7 points per game. Downey really has had to be the whole team this year and has stepped up in key moments. Downey has incredible speed and ball handling skills that made him a nightmare the first time these two teams met. If they get another virtuoso performance from Downey they can give Kentucky headaches again. How Kentucky can win Kentucky will be looking for blood in this game and will have to improve how they cover Devan Downey. Downey was a force getting to the line and hitting key shots. Downey doesn’t shoot a high percentage and if they can contain him, they can roll over this Gamecocks team. PG John Wall is averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds a game but will have to do a better job of getting his teammates the ball in this game as Kentucky only had eight assists in the entire game. South Carolina had six, but with the style Downey was playing, that is not surprising. Ball movement is the key to beat this South Carolina team that has dropped three in a row coming into this matchup. 5dimes Review: Prediction Kentucky needed a game like the one they lost to South Carolina. This team is very young with the exception of Junior PF Patrick Patterson and needed to see that if they don’t pass the ball around and rely too much on one-on-one play, sometimes teams have guys that that strategy plays right into the hands of. Devan Downey is the exact type of player you do not want to go shot for shot, punch for punch with. Kentucky is too good and coached too well to make that mistake again. Kentucky will win easy. Sportsbook Review: Final: Kentucky 79- South Carolina 56. Take Kentucky and the Under.