KSR Staff Predictions: No. 17 Kentucky at No. 4 Alabama

Alabama got the best of Kentucky in Rupp Arena a month ago, an entertaining footrace between two of the best offenses in college basketball. Can the No. 17 Cats get revenge against the No. 4 Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa without Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson?

Ready or not, the KSR crew is weighing in.

Tyler Thompson

Kentucky comes into this game playing with house money. The Cats cruised to a comfortable win against Vanderbilt on Wednesday, but knocking off an Alabama team that’s coming off back-to-back losses? That’s a totally different animal.

Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson combined for 27 points in the first game against Alabama a month ago, with Robinson hitting three three-pointers. For Kentucky to have a shot in Coleman Coliseum, Koby Brea needs to show up. Brea averages half as many points on the road vs. at Rupp Arena. He can’t no-show tomorrow. Defenses have been focusing on Brea lately, but Alabama’s defense has really been struggling lately, allowing 21 total threes in their losses to Auburn and Missouri. When Brea gets an inch of space, he needs to fire away.

Another player who could make an impact: Andrew Carr. Carr played his worst game of the season vs. Alabama, scoring just four points to Grant Nelson’s 25. Nelson has been on a skid lately. Carr looked better vs. Vanderbilt; we’ll really see how his back is feeling Saturday in Tuscaloosa.

Without Butler and Robinson, I’m not sure Kentucky has the horses to keep up with an angry Alabama team. I’m picking the Crimson Tide, but the Cats have a way of winning the games we least expect them to, so I wouldn’t be shocked if they pull off the upset.

Score: Alabama 94, Kentucky 89

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Nick Roush

Alabama plays fast and scores all of the points. Even in losses, they are filling it up, scoring 85 against Auburn and 98 on Wednesday night against Missouri. Let’s face it, scoring in the mid-90s on the road without Jaxson Robinson and Lamont Butler is too much to ask from this Kentucky basketball team.

If there were a roadmap to a victory, it all starts with the start. Auburn and Missouri each jumped the Crimson Tide as soon as the ball was tipped, sprinting out to double-digit leads. If Kentucky replicates that kind of start, doubt will settle in, “Oh no, here we go again.”

Even then, it’s going to be hard for Kentucky to consistently score. Unlike the Vanderbilt game, they can’t just use a size advantage inside to get a couple of buckets. I’d love to be wrong, but it feels like Kentucky is in the absolutely worst spot possible.

Score: Alabama 103, Kentucky 85

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Jacob Polacheck

In the first meeting between these teams, Kentucky had no match for Alabama’s high-scoring offense. However, Kentucky’s defense has improved tremendously in recent weeks.

If Jaxson Robinson and Lamont Butler cannot play, it’ll be difficult for Kentucky to be at their very best. Andrew Carr is getting better with each game and should do a better job against Grant Nelson than he did in the first game.

Kentucky and Alabama have both been plagued by slow starts this season. Those first five minutes on Saturday will be crucial in determining who has the upper hand. Mark Sears continues to show why he was SEC preseason Player of the Year, while freshman Labaron Philon is finding his footing at the right time. This feels like one Kentucky can keep close, but ultimately, I’m picking the Tide.

Score: Alabama 95, Kentucky 91

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Drew Franklin

Saturday’s game in Tuscaloosa presents a unique situation for Kentucky Basketball. The Wildcats are a big underdog, playing with house money against a higher-ranked team with more on the line. Alabama lost its last two games, and the Crimson Tide need a win over Kentucky in Coleman Coliseum to stay in the conversation for a No. 1 overall seed.

I think Kentucky has a shot to pull off the road victory against our nation’s No. 4 team. However, in this exercise, I’ll surrender a win to the Tide due to homecourt advantage and the mismatch with Grant Nelson that proved pivotal in the first meeting in Lexington. Nelson won’t have the 24 and 11 he did in Rupp Arena, but he will still be the difference-maker in a game between like-minded teams. The Cats drop this one, with no implications to the NCAA Tournament seeding.

Score: Alabama 93, Kentucky 85

Jack Pilgrim

Is this not where Kentucky has been at its best time and time again this season? They’re 2-0 in rematches and 7-1 against top-15 competition, staring adversity in the face and spitting in it over and over. The Wildcats may be without Butler and Robinson, but who cares? They’ve been a top-15 defense in college basketball over the last two weeks without ’em and the right guys are stepping up as we await their respective returns. Massive holes, but they’ve been filled quite nicely and revenge is on the line.

Alabama has lost two straight while giving up 204 points in that stretch, Grant Nelson playing his worst basketball of the season after torching Kentucky in the first matchup while Andrew Carr returns to full strength. No one thinks the Wildcats can go down to Tuscaloosa and do it as tears fall about the possibility of starting on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament. Why not go win it against all odds, just as they’ve done in this spot before?

Give me the Cats as the Tide earn a three-game losing streak, Carr winning the individual matchup vs. Nelson while Koby Brea hits open threes — UK is 10-0 when he scores 10 and hits three triples — en route to a gutsy win inside Coleman Coliseum.

Score: Kentucky 88, Alabama 85

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Kentucky vs. Alabama: How to Watch, Listen

• Date, Time: Saturday, 6:00 p.m. EST
• Television: ESPN (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, Dick Vitale)
• Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• Online Radio: iHeart
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 84 (UA Radio) or 191 (UK Radio)
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tip-off, or join the conversation on KSBoard.

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