The No.4-seeded Kentucky Wildcats (27-8) take on the No.5-seeded Indiana Hoosiers (26-7) in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Action gets underway at 5:15 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 19 and will air on CBS.
The Wildcats come into this game on a high note after blowing out Stony Brook 85-57 in the First Round. Skal Labissiere had a good outing, putting up 12 points, six blocks, and four rebounds for the Wildcats. The Hoosiers, meanwhile, are coming off a 99-74 win over Chattanooga in the First Round. Yogi Ferrell had a good game, posting 20 points and 10 assists to claim his first double-double of the season.
Over the last five games, Jamal Murray has really been playing well for the Wildcats. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 3.4 three-pointers.
It might turn into a shootout as a pair of the nation’s top offenses match up. Kentucky ranks seventh in the country with 117.6 points per 100 possessions, while Indiana is second in that metric (121.0). Also, the Hoosiers’s second-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 121.0) will face off against the 25th-ranked defense of the Wildcats (defensive efficiency of 99.3).
The Wildcats come into this game 27-8 Straight Up (SU) and 19-16 Against The Spread (ATS). The Wildcats, sporting the 48th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.31), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team.
On the other side, the Hoosiers head into the game with records of 18-15 ATS and 26-7 SU. Most recently, Indiana is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. Teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Hoosiers, who are 17th in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 203 this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kty, ATS Winner – Kty
Notes
“Kentucky is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kentucky’s last 6 games “.
“Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indiana”.
“Kentucky is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana”.
In its last game, Indiana won by a margin of 25 points. Kentucky is 13-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Indiana has a 14-2 record in blowouts.
The Indiana Hoosiers have the second-best offensive rating in the nation (121.0). The Kentucky Wildcats have a top-tier defense with a defensive rating of 99.3 (ranked 25th).
Indiana is ranked second in the country with an average field goal percentage of 50.5%. Kentucky is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Kentucky Wildcats rank higher based on their field goal percentage (20th) than their effective field goal percentage (38th), while the Indiana Hoosiers rank the same for both metrics (second).
Indiana ranks 30th in assists, recording 16.2 per game. Kentucky performs worse at 103rd with 14.4 assists per game.
Kentucky, the fourth-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.9 per game. Indiana ranks lower at 101st with 4.0.
Kentucky ranks 38th in offensive rebounding. Indiana ranks 179th in defensive rebounding.
The Kentucky Wildcats make an average of 5.7 steals per game. When the Indiana Hoosiers allow 5 or more steals, they are a fantastic 20-5.
