SEC champ Florida starts tourney with deep, dangerous Kentucky
NASHVILLE -- Kentucky chases a third win in three days, with rested and well-tested Florida awaiting in a Friday quarterfinal game in the Southeastern Conference tournament.
The Wildcats (21-12) blew a 16-point second-half lead in Thursday's 78-72 win over Missouri. Otega Oweh's 21 points and big plays on both ends of the floor were instrumental in eighth-seeded Kentucky's victory.
That provided needed momentum for the ‘Cats, who lost their last two regular-season games. The last was an 84-77 home loss to SEC regular-season champ and top tournament seed Florida on March 7. It was Kentucky's fifth loss in seven games.
Oweh (18.4 ppg) and Denzel Aberdeen (13.1) have played consistently well for the Wildcats this season. Kentucky is especially tough when Collin Chandler (10.1) gets hot as he did with 15 points in Thursday's win.
Depth is key in making a deep tournament run. The Wildcats have gotten a couple of unexpected contributions. Brandon Garrison had his first double-digit scoring game in nine contests when he tallied 17 against LSU in the tournament opener.
Kam Williams, who missed the last 12 games coming into the tournament due to injury, has given the ‘Cats a lift with 30 minutes off the bench in Nashville.
Kentucky's Mo Dioubate didn't hesitate when asked what his team needs to do to pull an upset on Friday.
"We've just got to be the more physical team tomorrow," he said. "We've got to be the one to impose our will early and win the rebounding battle."
The Gators ran through the league like a buzzsaw, taking home the regular-season title by winning 16 of their last 17 -- 14 of them by double digits.
Two of those wins came over Kentucky.
Finding a Florida weakness isn't easy. The Gators are not great 3-point shooters (31.3%) and in a tight game, foul shooting (70.8%) is decidedly not a strength.
The Gators are dominant in many other areas, including ranking second nationally in offensive rebounding (15.94 per game) and fourth in defensive rebounding (29.58), that those weaknesses rarely mattered.
The three guys who make Florida especially tough are SEC Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu (11.4 ppg, 11.7 rpg), versatile Thomas Haugh (17.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg), a first-team All-SEC player who can score from all over the floor, and third-team All-SEC pick Alex Condon (14.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg).
Guards Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland average 11.6 points per game. Fland plays either guard spot. Top 3-point shooter Urban Klavzar (40.6%) was the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year.
The Gators might be even better with Haugh healthier. He missed the March 3 game with Mississippi State with a foot/ankle injury. He played 37 minutes and scored 20 in the last game with Kentucky but said that resting in Nashville has been helpful.
"I hurt this (right) leg in the Texas up in my calf area. ... It was like a high sprain," Haugh said. "And then I think in the Arkansas game, I was just putting so much pressure on my left leg to compensate for the right and I pinched two nerves underneath my foot, so I literally couldn't walk the first couple. It's gotten a lot better now."