The Kentucky Wildcats and Seton Hall Pirates are both set for tipoff in the Big Apple on Saturday afternoon in the Citi Hoops Classic. Kentucky enters the game as sizeable favorites, ranking No.8 in the nation and boasting a superior offense, a size advantage and plenty more depth than the Pirates.
Seton Hall has experienced a gold era of sorts for the program of late with a run of success over the last three seasons that saw them relevant in the Big Dance and amassing consecutive 20-win seasons. The Pirates lost a number of key players over the summer and while a solid recruiting class and a couple key recruits have helped, the Pirates are still sizeable underdogs against a stacked Wildcat squad.
Can the Pirates surprise the nation in this game? It’s certainly possible, but losses to Nebraska, St. Louis and Louisville don’t bode well for Seton Hall. Meanwhile, the Wildcats come into play on the heels of seven straight victories after their no-shame opening loss to Duke.
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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Seton Hall Pirates
Date and Time: Saturday, December 8, 2018, 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
College Basketball Odds: Check Back Later
Wildcats vs. Pirates TV Coverage: FOX
The Wildcats took on Duke to open their season and the Blue Devils ran away with the Champions Classic contest, winning 118-84.
The Kentucky defense didn’t show up for that game and Duke shot 54.4-percent from the floor and 12-for-26 from three. The Blue Devils were just the better team. From there, however, the Wildcats went on a run and have not lost a game since.
Of course, other than the Duke game, the Kentucky non-conference schedule hasn’t exactly been a massive challenge with easy wins against teams like Southern Illinois, North Dakota and Monmouth. Interestingly, the Virginia Military Institute, Winthrop University and Tennessee State all kept their respective games within 15-points.
As always, John Calipari has brought on a strong recruiting class, but unlike years past, he’s got a good amount of returning players as well, giving Kentucky a bit more experience than it typically has.
P.J. Washington is one of those returning players. The second-year forward had 10.8 PPG and 5.7 RPG last year and is up to 12.1 PPG and 8.4 RPG on the young season. He had double-doubles in the games against Virginia Military and Winthrop.
Washington is a big presence inside, but so is Reid Travis. While Travis is in his first year with Kentucky, he’s a college basketball veteran after four years at Stanford. Travis is an important low post presence and key offensive player inside. He average 19.5 PPG and 8.7 RPG last year with Stanford and has been as impressive in Calipari’s system.
E.J. Montgomery and Nick Richards are also nice inside pieces, particularly defensively, able to produce key boards and blocks.
On the outside, the Wildcats have a few key pieces there, too. That’s where their recruiting really comes into play. Keldon Johnson was a highly touted freshman coming into the season and he’s producing with 15.9 PPG. He’s also proven to be a solid rebounder for a guard. He’s shooting 50.6-percent from the floor and has been able to sink a few shots from deep, too.
Tyler Herro has been a good player, too. He’s a solid shooter and has proven to be a smart player, earning more playing time quicker than most thought. He’s been producing with that playing time, too.
On the other side of this matchup, Seton Hall had to replace a number of starters from last year and the Pirates don’t have the same impressive recruiting history as Kentucky. One thing they do have, however, is Myles Powell.
The junior guard has really elevated his game. He was a key scorer last year, but has taken this team on his shoulders early with 22.4 PPG. He’s also been able to set up his teammates for success as well. He’s a high volume shooter that’s getting a ton of playing time, but he’s been reliable.
Senior forward Michael Nzei is the only other Pirate player to have double-digit points through the team’s first eight games. He’s shooting 71.7-percent from the floor, scoring 11.3 PPG and notching 5.1 rebounds.
Sandro Mamukelashvili is a solid rebounder, too, and has gotten some points here and there. He’s not as reliable of an offensive player under the basket as Nzei, but he pairs with him to form a solid frontcourt. The backcourt, however, is basically all Powell.
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Seton Hall’s last loss came against Louisville where they scored just 65 points, shooting 40.3-percent from the floor, but 16.7-percent from three.
The Pirates are a terrible shooting team from the outside. In eight games, they’re shooting less than 30-percent from beyond the arc. They’re better up close, of course, but they’re still lacking in shooting from the floor as compared to Kentucky. That accuracy will be important in that game.
If Seton Hall is to keep this game close, the Pirates will need a bit better shooting, particularly outside. Nzei is predictable and reliable inside, but a lot comes down to the likes of Quincy McKnight and Myles Cale who are the teams’ best shooters on the outside. Both have been extremely volatile early on.
Be sure to take advantage of all the exciting live betting opportunities at BookMaker.eu in this exciting non-conference battle.
Key Player
While Powell has been the center of Seton Hall’s offense and Nzei and Mamukelashvili a strong pair inside, it’s the other guys that are key in this game, namely McKnight and Cale.
Kentucky has Travis and Washington doing their thing inside to compete with Nzei and Mamukelashvili. Travis and Washington are the more dynamic duo, but the Pirates’ front court may be enough. The team’s biggest issue has been their shooting, particularly outside and that’s where McKnight and Cale come into play.
With Johnson and Herro—amongst a few bench shooters as well—the Wildcats can shoot, but can Setaon Hall?
McKnight and Cale have both been inconstant performers. McKnight scored 18 in his last game with a season high in shots. He also sank two from three-point range for the first time all year.
As for Cale, he sank just one of seven shots against Nebraska and made a third of his shots—or less—in the teams’ losses. He’s starting to shoot more—and have more success—from the outside. He looked good in that most recently against New Hampshire.
Wildcats vs. Pirates Live Betting
The Pirates are a legitimate team and one that’s been particularly dangerous the last few years. They’re the best team the Wildcats have faced since losing to Duke, but Kentucky should still be viewed as the sizeable favorites and should get the win.
Look for Kentucky to take advantage of it superior shooting while also outrebounding the Pirates. They’ll take advantage of those extra chance to put this one even further out of reach for Seton Hall.
Overall, the shooting on the outside should be the real difference. Powell is a star player, but Johnson and Herro have really stepped up for Kentucky to control the backcourt.
Count on Kentucky to get the win and cover the spread and be sure to check out all of the live betting at BookMaker.eu for this weekend’s college basketball action.
NCAA Basketball Score Prediction: Kentucky 85, Seton Hall 73
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