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Convention play in faculty basketball is heating up throughout the nation as we strategy mid-February, and on Saturday, No. 17 Kentucky and Gonzaga will sq. off inside Rupp Area for among the best out-of-conference video games of the season as a pleasant palate cleanser for a wild weekend. The sport is the second of a six-year sequence that began final 12 months in Spokane and can run via 2027.
Gonzaga received the primary spherical of the sequence final season 88-72, doing so regardless of enjoying at Spokane Veterans Memorial Area as an alternative of inside The Kennel on Gonzaga’s campus. Kentucky will get a clear shot at redemption to even the sequence with a real house recreation — the primary of the sequence — in what’s going to possible be a rowdy afternoon environment in entrance of Huge Blue Nation.
Kentucky is strolling wounded with losses in three of its final 5 video games however UK has the offensive weaponry to compete with any staff on any given day this season, and that is regardless of nonetheless not enjoying a full recreation at full energy as a consequence of varied accidents and absences. That development is unlikely to alter Saturday with Tre Mitchell and DJ Wagner nonetheless not 100%, however the betting gods recommend the chances of a UK win is extra possible than not, with UK favored by 4 over the visiting Zags.
Date: Saturday, Feb. 9 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Rupp Area — Lexington, Kentucky
TV: CBS | Stay stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Wounded Wildcats: Continuity has not been sort to the ‘Cats this season. They’re going to enter the weekend having precisely zero video games all season with its whole lineup accessible, and that is not more likely to change Saturday with DJ Wagner and Tre Mitchell nonetheless working again from harm. That has largely not been a catastrophic combination up till these days, which has unsurprisingly coincided largely with Wagner’s absence.
Dillingham the dude-ingham: With so many transferring components of late for this UK roster, one factor has remained a relentless: the regular emergence of a star in Rob Dillingham. The freshman guard has averaged 25 factors and 5.7 assists per recreation over his final three and shot a scorching 62% on 21 makes an attempt from 3-point vary in that span. A win for UK over Gonzaga possible means Dillingham once more stole the present, and at this level that is change into the expectation in each UK recreation.
Rupp-roh: A homecourt benefit in faculty basketball is among the many extra dependable ones you will get, however that has not been the case for Kentucky of late. It enters Saturday having misplaced two in a row inside Rupp Area with the specter of extending its house shedding streak to 3 — which it has by no means accomplished in a season underneath John Calipari.
Kentucky’s protection might not be capable of gradual a Gonzaga offense that appears just like the worst in a decade for Mark Few, however finally I do not suppose it issues — not less than because it pertains to figuring out the result. UK’s offense is in a groove proper now with Dillingham taking cost, and I might count on Justin Edwards, Reed Sheppard and Antonio Reeves contributing at house will likely be sufficient to get UK to the end line with a dub. Decide: Kentucky -4
Who will win and canopy in each faculty basketball recreation? Visit SportsLine to get picks from the model that simulates each game 10,000 times and is up greater than $1,200 for $100 gamers on its top-rated unfold picks the previous six years.
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