GAME 6 - 11/25/2009
9:30 PM EST - CANCUN, MEXICO
STANFORD CARDINAL (3-2)
TV - CBS COLLEGE SPORTS
UK LEADS SERIES 2-0 LAST MEETING:
3/28/1998: UK 86 STANFORD 85 OT
It's an interesting matchup for the Finals of the Cancun Challenge. The Kentucky Wildcats, picked to win the SEC in virtually every pre-season ballot vs the Stanford Cardinal, widely picked near the bottom of the PAC 10 Conference. Former Dookie Johnny Dawkins is in his second season as head coach of the Cardinal and despite a 20 win season and appearance in the CBI last year, his Cardinal are picked around 180 overall pre-season. Dawkins is firmly in rebuilding mode as despite the 20 wins last year, the Cardinal was just 6-12 in the conference and lost their top two scorers and PG and returns just one player that averaged over 7.0 last season.
THE STARTERS
G/F- LANDRY FIELDS - SR - 6'7 - 210
22.5 ppg, 8.3 reb, 3 assists
G- JEREMY GREEN - SO - 6'4 - 190
14.5 ppg, 5 reb, 0.5 assists
G- JARRETT MANN - SO - 6'3 - 180
8.8 ppg, 2.8 reb, 6.3 assists
F- JACK TROTTER - SO - 6'9 - 200
7.5 ppg, 4.3 reb , 0.3 assists
F- ANDREW ZIMMERMAN - SO - 6'8 - 215
5 ppg, 4.8 reb, 0.5 assists
The Cardinal were a surprise to make it past Virginia, but will be very hard pressed to replicate that success against UK. Landry Fields has stepped up his game by about 10 points a game and plays the forward and guard position effectively. This is a very guard oriented offense as Drew Shiller is averaging over 10 point a game, usually off the bench. Shiller, Green, and Landry are the top 3-point threats on the team, but overall, the Cards are not a great 3-shooting team, averaging just 36%. The big men are the soft area of the team, and like we have said all season, very few teams in the country are going to post up well against the Cats. en
OUTLOOK
Simply put, the Stanford don't have nearly the firepower of UK and aside from Landry, very few players that would make Kentucky's roster. Dawkins has a really good recruiting class coming in next season, but this team has been to decimated by players leaving to the NBA or simply graduating to put up much of a fight.
I think you will see Kentucky play their starters sparingly if they can get an early start. It was obvious that Calipari was not happy with the court conditions in Cancun and he is probably more concerned with a freak injury due to that floor than running up the score. Look for UK to get an early lead and put the game out of reach in the first half, and then be able to go on cruise control to a 90-63 win.
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