LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — There are two kinds of regular season games remaining for the University of Kentucky basketball team.
There are the credibility games that the Wildcats need to win, such as the one Kentucky will play at No. 18 Texas Tech Saturday.
And there are the games against unremarkable opponents that the Wildcats cannot lose, such as the one Kentucky played against Georgia in Rupp Arena Tuesday night in Lexington.
Mission accomplished.
Kentucky dispatched the Bulldogs, 89-79. Four guys scored in double figures. There was the unrelenting Nick Richards, who had 20 points and eight boards.
Ashton Hagans not only helped UK get the victory, he outplayed his Atlanta area rival, Anthony Edwards, a freshman guard for Georgia. Credit Hagans with 23, on a night when Edwards scored 16, all in the second half. Make a special note that Hagans fouled Edwards out.
There were some wobbles. John Calipari had to burn several timeouts after he didn’t see enough barbed-wire in his team’s approach to defense. The Wildcats were only one for nine from distance but were wise enough to stop launching.
But on a night when the Wildcats were favored by a dozen, they improved to 14-4 overall and 5-1 in the Southeastern Conference. They also swept both games against Tom Crean and Georgia.
A win against Georgia won’t translate into any juice for Calipari’s team in the seeding game for the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulldogs are ranked 73rd in the NCAA NETS computer power formula and No. 84 by Ken Pomeroy. Crean is only two seasons into trying to take Georgia back to the success the program (briefly) enjoyed under Tubby Smith.
But with three losses against teams that won’t make the tournament, Kentucky did not need to give the Tournament Selection Committee more material to question.
It’s only 54 days until Selection Sunday (March 15). The consensus from the early brackets that I’ve checked has the Wildcats booked as a No. 5 seed.
Beating Georgia won’t move the Wildcats up a line. Losing to the Bulldogs would have bumped UK in the wrong direction.
Against Georgia, Kentucky started fast, surging to a 10-2 lead. The advantage was 20-10 midway through the half.
Even though Georgia did not get any early points from Edwards, its freshman guard who some project will be the first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Bulldogs scrambled back and led 29-28 with 5:34.
Calipari was not pleased, especially with his freshman guard Tyrese Maxey. He called timeout. He benched Maxey. The Wildcats responded by scoring the game’s next seven points, forcing Georgia coach Tom Crean to call a timeout.
The Wildcats closed the first half with a 41-35 lead.
But the start of the second half showed that Calipari would be required to burn another timeout, after 35 seconds and two Georgia layups.
That’s as close as the Bulldogs got as well as the last time Calipari had to ask for a timeout. The Wildcats shared the ball, attacked the rim and finished strong.
It’s on to Lubbock, where the Wildcats will play a Texas Tech team that defeated Louisville in Madison Square Garden. The Red Raiders are not as talented as the squad that played Virginia for the national title last season.
But Texas Tech defends like crazy. The Red Raiders are ranked 7th nationally in defensive efficiency. They’re 9-1 at home, losing only to top-ranked Baylor.
Beating Texas Tech in Lubbock would be a win that would resonate on Selection Sunday.
Copyright 2020 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
2020-01-22 01:26:00Z
https://www.wdrb.com/sports/bozich-kentucky-preps-for-texas-tech-by-sweeping-georgia/article_3b979e28-3cb6-11ea-b723-b7a059ef8724.html
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "BOZICH | Kentucky preps for Texas Tech by sweeping Georgia - WDRB"
Post a Comment