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After making the America East Conference championship game for the third-straight year, the Stony Brook Seawolves overcame a 12-point second-half deficit against the Vermont Catamounts on Sunday to win 80-74. It’s the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the up-and-coming school based in Long Island’s Suffolk County.
Unfortunately, Stony Brook is running into a buzzsaw in John Calipari and the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats head into the dance having won the SEC tournament 82-77 over the Texas A&M Aggies on Sunday. While Calipari wasn’t able to get the best out of his squad throughout the entire season, there’s no denying the future Hall of Fame coach knows how to push the right buttons in the tournament, so it’s fair to assume the Wildcats have a chance to make noise all the way to the Final Four.
What To Watch For:
No one thinks the Seawolves have a chance in this game; however, Stony Brook is playing with house money and can leave it all out on the court. Knowing Kentucky might be looking past them deep down, the Seawolves must play fast and loose while hoping to catch the Wildcats off guard.
Senior forward Jameel Warney carried the Seawolves on his back against Vermont, finishing with an astronomical 43 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Senior guard Carson Puriefoy added 23 points, four assists and three rebounds. Clearly, if the Seawolves are going to have any chance of pulling off what would be a miraculous upset, the two New Jersey natives will have to combine for over 65 points once again.
This will be easier said than done.
For Calipari, keeping his guys focused on the task at hand will be paramount. When you’re the mighty Kentucky Wildcats and are taking on a school that is making its first March Madness appearance, it’s easy to get ahead of yourself. Assuming Calipari has his guys with their eyes on the prize, sophomore guard Tyler Ulis, who dropped 30 points and five assists against the Aggies on Sunday, should put forth a similar effort.
Kentucky’s frontcourt must do anything and everything it can in order to keep Warney somewhat in check. It’s imperative that the likes of Alex Poythress, Derek Willis, Marcus Lee and Skal Labissiere keep in mind this is their most important duty throughout all 40 minutes. If the frontcourt does an adequate job against Warney, Ulis will ensure they score enough points.
Prediction:
Stony Brook deserves endless praise for finally making the dance and the program is undoubtedly headed in the right direction. But even head coach Steve Pikiell subconsciously knows his Seawolves have little-to-no-chance of taking down Kentucky. Expect a valiant effort from Warney, but Calipari’s tournament experience will prove too tough for the Seawolves to overcome.
Kentucky 75, Stony Brook 65
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