UK, UGA prepare for all-important third scuffle
Georgia opened its SEC tournament experience with a flourish, edging Tennessee in the waning seconds. But will Mark Fox’s squad have enough energy to push top-seeded Kentucky this afternoon?
The two schools are gearing up to set the quarterfinals in motion at 1 p.m. ET. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the Wildcats odds of -600 to emerge victorious. Conversely, the Bulldogs walk into Bridgestone Arena as +450 underdogs.
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In securing a 59-57 triumph over the Volunteers yesterday, UGA advanced to the tourney’s third round for the fourth straight year. Senior guard J.J. Frazier led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Yante Maten, seeing his first action since Feb. 18, also had a big impact in limited minutes.
Now, though, the competition ratchets up a few notches. John Calipari’s troops enter the proceedings riding an eight-game winning streak. In terms of individual standouts, freshman Malik Monk aspires to eclipse the 20-point mark vs. a league foe for the 11th time. The Arkansas native was recently named a finalist for the Wooden Award.
It doesn’t take a basketball savant to deduce that Georgia could be in a world of trouble here. Then again, Fox’s crew hung tough in two prior meetings this season. Ultimately, we expect the Bulldogs to run out of juice shortly after the second half commences.
FRIDAY NCAA FREE PICK: GEORGIA/KENTUCKY OVER 148.5 POINTS