The No.1-seeded Kentucky Wildcats (32-0) and No.5-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers (23-9) meet in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Action begins at 9:45 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 26.
The Wildcats come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping Cincinnati 64-51 in the third round. Karl-Anthony Towns played a pivotal role with 13 points, five assists, and three steals. The Mountaineers, meanwhile, are coming off a 69-59 win against Maryland in the third round. Devin Williams played well for West Virginia, recording 18 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists
Over the last five games, Towns has taken his game to another level for the Wildcats, averaging 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.8 blocks.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Kentucky ranks first in the nation, allowing just 119.4 points per 100 possessions, while West Virginia is 10th (145.4).
This one isn’t expected to be close when Kentucky, a substantial 13-point favorite, takes on West Virginia. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 136 points. The Wildcats have gone 36-0 Straight Up (SU) and 19-15-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (8-1-1). The Wildcats are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .469 from the field. Kentucky is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 14.9 assists per game. The Wildcats have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking first in the country with a .354 opponent field-goal percentage. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Wildcats, ranking second in the country in blocks per game with 6.9. Kentucky will look to take advantage of the Mountaineers and their propensity to foul. West Virginia has committed the most fouls in the nation, averaging 23.3 per game.
As for their opponent, the Mountaineers have 25-9 SU and 19-13 ATS records. The Mountaineers have controlled the offensive glass with a Division I-best 16.8 per game.
These two will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their previous meeting last season, Kentucky came out on top, bumping its SU record to 3-1 over West Virginia in their most recent meetings. Furthermore, Kentucky holds the advantage ATS with a record of 3-1. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – UK, ATS Winner – UK, O/U – Over
Notes
The Kentucky Wildcats have the best defense in the country, giving up just 119.4 points per 100 possessions. The West Virginia Mountaineers have the 97th-ranked offense, scoring 106.1 points in the same number of possessions.
The West Virginia Mountaineers average a field goal percentage of 41.2% this season. The Kentucky Wildcats are a perfect 12-0 in games where opponents have a FG% of 41.2% or greater.
The Kentucky Wildcats and the West Virginia Mountaineers both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Kentucky is 78th and 38th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while West Virginia ranks 288th and 281st in these categories.
Kentucky ranks 41st in assists, recording 14.9 per game. West Virginia ranks 53rd with 14.5 assists per game.
The Kentucky Wildcats average 6.9 blocks per game, the second-ranked team in the country. The West Virginia Mountaineers rank a lowly 245th in blocking with just 2.8 per game.
Kentucky is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 22nd. West Virginia ranks just 344th in defensive rebounds.
The West Virginia Mountaineers make an average of 10.9 steals per game, ranked first in the nation. When the Kentucky Wildcats allow 10 or more steals, they are undefeated (2-0).
