It's all been leading up to this. Kentucky, in desperate need of a quality win to boost their tournament profile, marches into Gainesville this afternoon to take on the Gators of Florida. Given Kentucky's sub-par performances over the past few weeks, people are starting to question whether or not the Cats are ready to step-up and become a contender on the national stage. A win today over the #1 ranked Gators doesn't guarantee much as seeding for the upcoming SEC Tournament has already been established for the Cats, but it should do wonders for a young team's confidence if they can pull off an unlikely upset. There will be many things to look for in today's contest, and Athlon Sports has given some keys to the game for the Cats.
Pivotal player: Andrew Harrison, Kentucky
If Kentucky is going to have any chance to upset Florida, the Wildcats are going to have to crack the Florida defensive pressure. The Gators hold opponents to a 0.71 assist-to-turnover ratio, second to Arkansas in the SEC. Point guard has been an issue all season for Kentucky with Harrison, who averages 1.4 assists per turnover.
Biggest question: Can Kentucky find its shot?
It’s easy for opponents to gang up on Julius Randle when Kentucky can’t make a shot – or takes bad ones – from outside. The Wildcats are shooting 34.4 percent from the floor in the last three games and 15 of 65 from 3-point range. The slump has been team wide with James Young, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison and Alex Poythress all struggling from the field.
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