For the second night in a row, Madison Square Garden will be the center of the college basketball world, as it will host the first of two nights of SEC versus Big East feuding.
SEC/Big East Invitational: John Wall Takes Manhattan
The nightcap of Wednesday’s SEC/Big East Invitational doubleheader in New York is the headliner, as No. 4 Kentucky faces 14th-ranked UConn, with both teams searching for consistency.
While the Wildcats are unbeaten, they've struggled to impress at times -- surviving Miami (Ohio) in their opener, needing overtime to beat Stanford in Cancun, nearly collapsing in the second half against No. 11 North Carolina Saturday, and so on. However, the win over Tar Heels could have been a bit more impressive had John Wall not been stricken with cramps after halftime.
If Wall can stay healthy tonight, the Huskies could be in big trouble, as they've struggled to stop star guards this season. While Charles Jenkins' big second half couldn't lift Hofstra a win in Storrs and Jeremy Lin's 30 points weren't enough to lead Harvard to victory Sunday, Wall has more of a supporting cast than either one of those two. Expect the frontcourt battle between Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins of Kentucky and UConn's Stanley Robinson, Gavin Edwards and company to be key.
For more on UK-UConn, check out the game preview over at our Wildcat blog, A Sea of Blue.
The Invitational opener, pitting Georgia against homestanding St. John’s, is obviously the undercard. The Bulldogs are rebuilding in Mark Fox’s first season at the helm. The best win of the four they’ve claimed so far this season is their home victory over Saint Louis a week ago. Meanwhile, the Red Storm seems to be resurgent in Norm Roberts’ sixth season in Queens, earning wins against Siena and Temple in the Philly Hoop Group Classic over Thanksgiving, with their only loss coming Saturday at the hands of Duke.
You can follow both games here on SB Nation.
FINAL: St. John's 66, Georgia 56
The Red Storm survive a Bulldog comeback in the final minutes to move to 7-1 on the season.
Game discussion at Dawg Sports
FINAL: No. 4 Kentucky 64, No. 14 Connecticut 61
John Wall scored 25, capped by an amazing finish and free throw with 31 seconds left, to lead the Wildcats to the win.
Game discussion at A Sea of Blue
For a rundown of tonight’s other televised games, visit Blogging the Bracket.
See More:
