Another Saturday, another big SEC matchup. The sixth-placed Kentucky Wildcats en route to Fayetteville, Ark., where they will face the 18th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks.
Eric Musselman and his squad have become no strangers to marquee matchups as they have taken on the likes of Auburn and Tennessee. Those two wins in this matchup have one thing in common: It will take place at the Bud Walton Arena. Razorbacks loyalists will undoubtedly be out, and it will be a harsh environment for the Wildcats to step in.
However, the Wildcats are proving that no adversity bothers them as they beat Alabama and LSU without their opening backcourts. The credit goes to coach John Calipari as his mix of knowledgeable veterans and young talent has weathered the ups and downs of the conference schedule.
Can they pass another tough test on Saturday?
Big O. Seek To Lean On Kentucky
Calipari said there were no updates on the status of both Tye Washington and Sevier Wheeler at the time of publication of this article. While the impact of not having your initial backcourt may seem massive, the Kentucky offense has been fine.
Against Alabama, the Wildcats had a 60.5 effective field goal percentage and a 141.4 offensive efficiency rating, the highest of any team last Saturday. He then wiped out LSU's 11-point deficit in the second half and eventually led 15 on his way to victory.
Whether or not Kentucky has its guards back, expect Oscar Tshibwe to make an appearance. The older men of Kentucky are currently the favorites for the Wooden Award, which is no surprise. Tshibwe averages 16.4 points and 15.3 rebounds this season. Furthermore, he is the number one rebounder in the country as he leads the country in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates.
It's that rebounding skill that can give the Razorbacks trouble. While Arkansas have Jaylyn Williams - an excellent rebounder in her own right - Williams has not treated anyone quite like Tshibwe this year.
Lastly, Big O has stepped up in the last two matches as he has posted his two highest offensive performances since January as per his offensive ratings.
Razorback Guards Lead the Way
The Arkansas Razorbacks are in the middle of an incredible campaign, and a big reason for that is Jedi Notte. He has been a scoring machine this season, averaging around 19 points per game. However, his backcourt teammates have also played a significant role in the efficiency of the Arkansas offense. Stanley Umude and Audie's Tony have shot about 55 percent from inside the arc this season.
Arkansas' guard performance will only be enhanced if Kentucky is actually without Wheeler and Washington. In two games without him, the Wildcats have allowed their opponents to shoot with up to 49.3 effective field goal percentage.
Now, Kentucky took it up a notch in their comeback effort against LSU, but did so by allowing Xavier Pinson to drop 26 points. The story was similar to that of Alabama as Keon Ellis and Jaden Shackelford combined to go 12-for-23 from the back of the arc. Kentucky has been lucky when it comes to shorthand, but the razorback has the talent to take advantage of it.
Kentucky vs Arkansas Betting Picks
Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek sent a message to Razorback basketball fans asking them not to storm the court "IF" Arkansas upsets Kentucky: "IF we’re fortunate enough to take down the No. 3 Wildcats, we’re taking the celebration to you this time!"
— On3 (@On3sports) February 25, 2022
Story: https://t.co/UwCc3h1Iei
The outcome of this matchup has big implications as we draw closer to March, and it looks like Arkansas has already made plans to win the game since this message was sent to fans by their AD:
This is some serious bulletin board material for the wildcats.
Outside motivation aside, the Razorbacks are going to struggle with Tshibwe, and if they double, Kentucky could pay them off with Davian Mintz and Kellan Grady on the outside.
The cats go to Fayetteville and get the job done.