The slow build of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge will finally reach a crescendo tonight as the long-awaited battle between Kentucky and Texas tips off at 7:00 ET. RTC contributors Brian Goodman (@BSGoodman) and David Changas (@dchangas) are here to break down the showdown between two of the longest and strongest frontcourts in college basketball.
BG: One of the many things that makes this match-up so enticing is that Kentucky will finally go toe-to-toe with one of the few frontcourts around that can match its size down low. The Longhorns lead the nation in blocked shots, and for the tempo-inclined, own the country’s third-best block percentage, swatting 20.3 percent of their opponents’ shots. On offense, Jonathan Holmes, Cameron Ridley and Myles Turner haven’t always been the most efficient group, but collectively, they can score in virtually any way imaginable — shooting from deep, slashing to the rim, or posting up on the blocks. How do you think the Wildcats will look to contain that trio?
Myles Turner has feasted on inferior competition, but has yet to break out against a team with comparable talent. Will tonight be the night? (Jim Rogash/Getty)
DC: It’s hard to imagine a better match-up of frontcourts in all of college basketball. The challenge the Longhorns will present Kentucky is one the Wildcats haven’t faced thus far, and likely won’t face again all year long. What makes Holmes and Turner so dangerous is how good they have been from the perimeter – the duo is a combined 18-of-39 from three-point range – and it will be interesting to see how the Wildcats deal with players who can draw their big men outside. If they can hit some early shots, that should open things up for the Texas guards. Given the unique problems Holmes and Turner present, John Calipari might need to mix and match his lineups a bit more than he has thus far. As for Ridley, he needs to do a better job on the glass than he has done thus far, as Kentucky leads the nation in offensive rebounding percentage (48.1%). Of course, another major advantage the Wildcats have with so much interior depth is that Calipari does not have to worry about foul trouble, whereas Texas has to be quite careful to avoid it.
BG: Even though Javan Felix has experience as a starting point guard dating back to when Myck Kabongo was sidelined by an NCAA ruling, the Longhorns are going to miss Isaiah Taylor, who is out with a broken wrist. Felix doesn’t have Taylor’s quickness, but as a physically-gifted guard, he can create space and deal with contact on his drives. From Kentucky’s perspective, they get a break in that they won’t have to worry about Taylor, but do you see Felix posing a threat to Aaron Harrison and Tyler Ulis?
DC: This is going to be a huge problem for Texas, obviously, but it’s difficult to overestimate how much it will miss Taylor against Kentucky’s pressure and depth. The Wildcats have pressed this season far more than any of Calipari’s previous Kentucky teams, and I expect them to use their depth to exploit Taylor’s absence. Fortunately for the Longhorns, they have already played four games without Taylor, and have used that time to get used to Felix handling those duties. If Texas is going to pull off the upset in Rupp Arena, Felix will have to play near-perfect basketball. In the halfcourt, he should have an easier time against Ulis than he will against the bigger Harrison, but this match-up appears to be a huge advantage for Kentucky, and it’s a shame we won’t get to see both teams tonight at full strength.