Pointspread: Kentucky -2 ½ Over/Under: 140 Two of the more storied programs in men?s college basketball will face one another in this year?s NCAA Tournament?s Final Four when the Connecticut Huskies tangle with the Kentucky Wildcats in the second game on Saturday?s schedule. Tip-off from Reliant Field in Houston is set for 8:49 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast on CBS.
Connecticut comes into this game riding a nine-game winning streak that started with round one of the Big East Conference Tournament. The Huskies rolled over Bucknell and Cincinnati in the first two rounds of this tournament before making a statement with a 74-67 victory over No.2 seed San Diego State in the Sweet 16 as a two-point underdog. They then held off No.4 seed Arizona 65-63 as a 3 ½-point favorite to advance to the Final Four.
Much of the credit for the nine game run has to go to Kemba Walker, who has been absolutely spectacular over the past month. He is averaging 26.8 points a game in this tournament including a game-high 36 points in the win over the Aztecs and a team-high 20 points against the Wildcats. Freshman guard/forward Jeremy Lamb has also been key with 18.3 points a game including 24 against San Diego State and 19 against Arizona.
Kentucky?s three freshmen starters grew up in a hurry by surviving an early scare against No.13 seed Princeton with a 59-57 win as a 12 ½ -point favorite. Next the Wildcats took out No.5 seed West Virginia 71-63 as a 3 ½-point favorite. They proved they can handle the pressure of the spotlight with a 62-60 victory over No.1 seed Ohio State in the Sweet 16 as a 5 ½-point underdog. Kentucky made its way into the Final Four by grinding out a 76-69 win over No.2 seed North Carolina as a 1 ½-point favorite in the Elite Eight.
The brightest star of them all has been Brandon Knight, who hit the game-winning jumper against the Buckeyes and scored a team-high 22 points against the Tar Heels. DeAndre Liggens and Josh Harrelson have been able to add some veteran leadership to the team. These two came up huge against Ohio State with a combined 33 points.
The Huskies beat Kentucky 84-67 earlier in the season as a 4 ½-point road underdog, but that should have little bearing on this game. This time around expect a back-and-forth battle that goes down to the bitter end. Once again Walker proves to be the difference in a one or two point Connecticut victory.
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