Fansided

5 reasons Kentucky will win the SEC Tournament

By Mike Phillips

KNOXVILLE, TN - MARCH 2: Kentucky Wildcats guard Ashton Hagans (2) and forward PJ Washington (25) walk off the court during a college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats on March 2, 2019, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - MARCH 2: Kentucky Wildcats guard Ashton Hagans (2) and forward PJ Washington (25) walk off the court during a college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats on March 2, 2019, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 2
Next
Kentucky, SEC Tournament
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – MARCH 09: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats looks on in the second half against the Florida Gators at Rupp Arena on March 09, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

With the cloud hanging over LSU thanks to the suspension of head coach Will Wade, Kentucky could be in perfect position to claim the SEC Tournament crown.

The SEC Tournament should feature some fascinating basketball this week, with at least three teams that can make an argument for a top-2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. LSU, Tennessee, and Kentucky all should be highly seeded on Sunday, making their performances in the conference tournament a potential tiebreaker.

Tennessee has gotten a lot of the conference’s hype this season due to a lengthy winning streak that brought them to the top of the polls, but Kentucky is in prime position to win their fourth straight SEC title. Here are five reasons why John Calipari’s Wildcats are in great shape to cut down the nets in Nashville.

5. Reid Travis could be back for the Cats

The  Wildcats don’t traditionally rely on upper class leadership, rolling with a lineup full of fantastic freshmen and sophomores under Calipari’s watch. That changed this season when coach Cal took on his first ever grad transfer in forward Reid Travis.

The former Stanford product may not put up the most eye-popping numbers, averaging 11.3 points per game and 6.9 rebounds a night during the regular season, but he is a valuable glue guy. for Kentucky.  The Wildcats have been without Travis for the past five games, and while they went 4-1 in his absence two of those wins came by just four points.

Even if Travis plays limited minutes in Nashville, his presence with the team should be a help. Travis’ experience of going through the rigors of a conference tournament can be a valuable resource for the younger Kentucky players.

4. P.J. Washington has been a beast for Kentucky

While Travis may be the Wildcats’ most important player, the most valuable guy on Kentucky is sophomore forward P.J. Washington. Washington, one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Award, has really emerged in the second half of the season.

Since scoring a season-low three points at Vanderbilt on Jan. 12, Washington has averaged 17.7 ppg over Kentucky’s last 16 contests. It’s no surprise that the Wildcats have fared very well over that stretch, putting up a 14-2 record to vault themselves into consideration for a spot on the top of the brackets.

Kentucky will go as far as Washington will carry them, and if his recent performance is any indication the Wildcats should make sure they have their hotel rooms booked through Sunday in Nashville.