The SEC Championship is set and what better match-up could you ask for other than the #1 and #2 team in the conference? This will mark the third time this season the Cats and Gators will square off with Florida winning the previous two. The question is, can Kentucky maintain the level of play, confidence and "swagger" that they have had since they arrived in Catlanta? Will they be able to over come the suffocating defense the Gators are known for and pull out a BIG win heading into the NCAA Tournament?
The last meeting between these two was not very pretty. Florida led by 21 heading into half-time, but Kentucky came out and went on a 15-0 run and cut the lead to six, but that's as close as they would get as they fell to the Gators by a score of 84-65. With that being the final game of the regular season, NO ONE thought we would see the Cats in the SEC Championship game facing Florida once again. But, soon after the loss in Gainesville, Calipari uttered a word that has been symbolic with this team heading into the post season, "TWEAK". Cal said he made a "tweak" in the offense during practice last week that made all difference in the world and so far it sure seems to be working. The two games the Cats have played in Catlanta this week have been their best of the season and they played with a new found confidence. I'm not sure what the "tweak" was, but I'm damn glad it happened.
With all of that out of the way, here's what a look at what the Cats will be facing this afternoon...
(click to enlarge)
Another game but the same "MO". The Cats must guard the three, if you have watched the Gators over the last couple of weeks then no explanation is needed as to why this is a must. Also, they will have to rebound the ball better than they have all season long, especially with someone like Patrick Young lurking down on the low-post, the kid is the definition of a "beast".
Dribble penetration. This is something the Cats have struggled with all season long, but must be something they are able to stop if they want to have a chance to pull of the upset. Scottie Wilbekin is one of the best in the country at breaking down his defender, getting to the basket and finding open shooters, so stopping him by any mean necessary is a MUST. And finally, TURNOVERS/FREE THROWS. Kentucky has got to limit their miscues against a team like Florida because they will make you pay in a bad way and they must convert from the line. They will need every single point they can get and leaving freebies at the line will come back to bite them if they leave too many.
This game has all the makings of a classic clash between the two best teams in the SEC. Will Kentucky keep the composure they've shown over the last couple of days or will they revert back to the team we saw they last month of the regular season? We will find out in a couple of hours...
GO CATS AND BELIEVE IN THE TWEAK!!!!!
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