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The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats face a tough road test on Saturday, visiting the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Kentucky is 16-0 overall and 3-0 in the SEC. The Wildcats rolled through non-conference play, easily dispatching every opponent they faced. But things have been a lot tougher inside the league. Kentucky needed overtime to win its first two SEC games before blowing out the Missouri Tigers 86-37 on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.
Sophomore guard Aaron Harrison continues to lead the Wildcats in scoring, averaging 11.8 points per game. Kentucky’s other shooting guard, Devin Booker, is second on the team, averaging 10.5 points per outing. Junior forward Willie Cauley-Stein averages 9.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.7 steals per game for head coach John Calipari and the Wildcats.
Alabama is 12-4 overall and 2-1 in the SEC after a tough loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday. Anthony Grant has his team playing well this season as the Tide look to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
Senior guard Levi Randolph scores 15.1 points per game to lead the team. Junior guard Ricky Tarrant is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per contest, while senior guard Rodney Cooper averages 10.7 points per outing.
Alabama relies heavily on guard play, but it’s the big men that could help the Tide pull the upset in this one. If Alabama can keep Kentucky’s bigs off the boards and prevent second-chance opportunities, the Tide could hang in the game. Hitting shots from the outside will also be a big point for Alabama. Even if they do all of those things, it might not be enough to top this talented Kentucky squad.
Final score prediction: Kentucky 72, Alabama 63
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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