Game #219. The top two programs in the SEC meet on Sunday afternoon with a championship on the line.
In yesterday’s semifinal matchup with Vanderbilt, Florida guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker took over in the second half to recover from a 12-point deficit. The two guards shot a combined 8-15 from behind the arc, an uncharacteristic number from a pair that often struggles from three. The team as a whole shot 11-21 from three. The Gators had to make a second consecutive second half comeback to get the win. Kentucky on the other hand easily cruised past SEC West leader Alabama, leading at one point by as many as many as 26. Kentucky Coach Calipari shrugged the performance off as one of those days where you just can’t go wrong saying, “We’d have smacked anybody the way we played today.” He also expressed his displeasure with Kentucky’s seven turnovers saying that only having seven turnovers is a sign his team isn’t playing fast enough. Not a lot of coaches out there demanding more turnovers.
Today in the SEC Championship we have the two best teams in the league. They split wins during the season with the home team winning each time. These two programs have learned a special disgust for each other. Yesterday during the Florida/Vanderbilt game a picture of Joakim Noah was displayed on the giant screen as the SEC Tournament stars were honored. That picture caused loud boos from the many Kentucky fans in attendance, so many that they drowned out the Florida cheers. This should be an exciting matchup. Kentucky wins it 71-68.