5 things to know about the Utah Utes

1. The two most important players for Kentucky to defend in today’s game are Sedrick Barefield and Donnie Tillman. Barefield returns as a senior this year, after starting the majority of his junior season. He leads the team in scoring at 14 points per game, to go along with a team-leading 3.1 assists and a 34.6% shooting percentage from three point land. The problem for Barefield is that he can be turnover prone, with nearly 3 per contest. Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans should be able to give Barefield fits in the backcourt. Tillman is a 6’7″ sophomore that provides much of the muscle that Utah possesses in the paint. While Tillman has the ability to play on the perimeter as well, Utah’s lack of overall size prevents him from doing so, especially at times on the defensive end. Tillman is averaging 11.4 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds. If Kentucky can keep these two contained, the Wildcats should be able to expose the other three players on the floor throughout the game.

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