'Cats Come to T-Town In Huge SEC Showdown
# 25 Alabama played the # 1 team in the land, Florida, to the wire Wednesday night in Gainesville, but came up short. They do not have much time to reflect on the tough loss though as the #18 Kentucky Wildcats invade Tuscaloosa Saturday afternoon at 2pm CT in a giant SEC matchup.
Alabama (18-7, 5-6) needs a signature win over a quality opponent for its NCAA resume. A win over the Wildcats would be a huge help for the Tide come Selection Sunday. The Crimson Tide have four players averaging double digit points a game and are led by sophomore Richard Hendrix's 15 a night average. He has been the one constant for Alabama every game offensively.
Kentucky(18-7, 7-4) is coming off a 4 point loss at Tennessee on Wednesday night and a 3 point home loss to Florida last Saturday, and will be looking to rebound against Alabama, with both teams desperate for a win. UK is led by big man Randolph Morris and his 15.6 points a game. Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley also average over 14 a game for Tubby Smith's crew.
This game could go either way and features two very talented teams trying to improve their stock both in the SEC standings but also trying to build NCAA resumes. In my opinion, the Tide needs this win to feel good about its NCAA tournament chances. They have 5 games left in the regular season, 2 being on the road, and only Tennessee that would be considered a big time win, and the game is in Knoxville. They lack a win over a top notch opponent and a "signature win" over a good UK team would certainly bolster their chances not only with the selection committee but also to keep pace with Ole Miss, who has a one game lead on Alabama in the SEC West standings. Alabama needs this game bad, and I think they find a way to get it done.
Nick's Prediction: # 25 Alabama 74 # 18 Kentucky 72
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