One of the biggest sports betting debates that seemed to center around the SEC this season was the legitimacy of calling the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats the best team in the country based on the fact that they completed their conference schedule with a perfect record. On the one hand, there were those that pointed out how incredibly rare it is for a team to win all 16 games on their conference schedule and finish No. 1, which is understandable. On the other hand, the fact that the Wildcats had only one SEC victory that came by a margin of less than six points, including a pair of blowout wins over the No. 19 Florida Gators that came by a combined 25 points, is proof that Kentucky really just didn’t have any true competition in the SEC and was able to benefit from playing in a conference void of top national contenders. The fact that the Wildcats beat both Kansas and UNC earlier in the year will keep critics from attacking their place at the top of the national rankings regardless of the timing of those wins, but looking forward to the SEC tournament there may not be much reason to even bother watching.
Head coach John Calipari’s team is expected to absolutely dominate in the tournament, and right now there isn’t even a single reason to think that they wouldn’t. With as many as six scorers that are capable of hitting double-digit point totals in a single game, the Wildcats boast unparalleled talent and depth in the SEC. Even mort importantly is the way that talent is spread out in terms of size and intangibles, with potential NBA first-overall draft pick Anthony Davis dominating down low as the top big man in the country, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist a future lottery pick out on the perimeter, Doron Lamb a steady difference-maker, and Marquis Teague the consistent playmaker that makes the offense work from the point. That all goes without even mentioning Terrence Jones and Darius Miller, and when you line them all up, a very strong argument can be made that Kentucky has the most talented per head roster in the country.
While it is important to talk about the team’s depth, it is just as important to acknowledge just how good Davis has become. The freshman forward has matured incredibly under coach Calipari, and not only leads the Wildcats in average points and rebounds as a double-double machine, but has also become an elite defender with good speed, size, and instincts. There is not a single big man in the SEC that can slow down Davis when he is at his best, and that is just one more reason to doubt that any team will stop the Betonline tournament favorites.
With so many blowout wins throughout the course of their SEC season, the Wildcats are the closest thing to a lock to emerge from their conference title tournament as champions, and it’s unlikely that it will even be close. Teams like Florida, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt are respectable, but they are nowhere near the level that Kentucky is playing at, and that should make for an SEC title tournament that goes exactly how it is predicted to go ahead of the March Madness betting action.
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