5 reasons Kentucky will win the SEC Tournament

3. Tyler Herro is heating up

While Washington and Travis have been the headliners for Kentucky, an underrated role player has been freshman guard Tyler Herro. Herro has been forced to step up his game in Travis’ absence and has emerged as Kentucky’ssecond-leading scorer.

In the five games the Wildcats played without Travis, Herro has averaged 17.6 ppg and has knocked down 45.4 percent of his three-point attempts. That perimeter shooting has added a nice balance to Kentucky’s offense, making it harder to teams to key on Washington inside.

The Wildcats need Herro to play a huge role in the SEC Tournament if they want to get by teams like talented guard play, like LSU with Tremont Waters, and his recent performance indicates that he is up to the challenge.

2. The Wildcats have one of the stingiest defenses in the SEC

The cliche goes that defense wins championships, and that can certainly hold true in college basketball. Teams with lockdown defense tend to advance far in the single-elimination mayhem of tournament season, and Kentucky is well prepared to meet that challenge with their D.

The Wildcats are currently rated as the 8th most efficient team on the defensive end of the floor according to the KenPom rankings, allowing just 90.5 points per 100 possessions. That is the best figure in the SEC, and Kentucky is well ahead of both Tennessee (28th, 94.3 points per 100 possessions) and LSU (57th, 97.2) in the defensive metrics.

A lot of the credit for that defensive ability comes down to Kentucky’s ability to utilize its athleticism to alter shots, clog passing lanes, and lock down opposing players. That is the kind of recipe you need in order to go far in March.

1. Kentucky has won the last three SEC Tournaments

Past track record doesn’t mean a ton with all the turnover in college basketball, but winning three conference tournaments in a row is highly impressive. The Wildcats have done that, winning the SEC for the past three years under Calipari, who clearly knows what it takes to win this event.

Winning a conference tournament more than twice in a row is impressive, and the current high water mark of six titles in a row came to an end when Gonzaga lost in the WCC finals earlier this week. That means that the school with the most consecutive conference tournament victories is Iona, which has won four straight MAAC titles, a feat Kentucky can match by winning three games in Nashville.

While the Gaels’ dominance in the one-bid MAAC is impressive, Kentucky’s reign in a loaded SEC is even more dynamic. The Wildcats will likely need to go through both Tennessee and LSU to win the SEC title this year, but history says you shouldn’t bet against Calipari and Kentucky.