2018-2019 Kentucky vs Alabama (SEC Tournament Quarterfinals - Game 32)

some consider it the kentucky invitational and big blue nation thinks of this tournament as its birthright championship in the sec sec tournament champions their 31st tournament title they won the first and they've won the last john calipari has assembled another class of talent that has its sights set on cutting down the nets not just in nashville but also minneapolis it's step one of the postseason for the cats it's prime time in nashville tennessee this is the sec tournament on the fcc network all part of champ week and tonight the second seed of kentucky wildcats meet up with the desperate alabama crimson tide both trying to refine their postseason hopes alabama with a major come from behind victory against ole miss last night they trailed by 16. they end up keeping their postseason hopes alive with the victory here's what happened today the chalk has been erased you have to go back years and years to find the last time three of the top seeds lost in one day tennessee and kentucky hopeful that does not happen and with that we walk with courtside tom hart john sunflower andy kennedy and alyssa lang will be on in a little bit big news for the kentucky wildcats while he won't start reed travis is back he is available and ak he's a difference maker on both sides of the floor no question the first thing that he brings tom is great experience fifth year senior physical presence at the basket and a guy that at the end of the clock cal can throw to and provide low post scoring i also think with his position on the floor it's going to allow spacing to let pj washington does what he do kentucky only lost three conference games this season but they dropped it first that was on the road to alabama how'd the tide do it then sonny well what a way to start conference play when alabama knocked off kentucky it was an impressive performance yes there's power inside but it was the outside game guy shot the ball well tevin mack had 22 devonte hall 11 points all in the second half but kentucky made a comeback and it came down to one possession at the end of the game in kentucky with this shot by hero almost pulled off and got back in to win but can alabama walked away with a victory it sets up for a great party afterwards and a great matchup tonight always a party in nashville when kentucky's here number one seeds on the line for them what's on the line for alabama and how's avery johnson reacted for that we say good evening to alyssa lang yeah guys avery johnson knows there's a lot on the line when i talked to him when alabama started tournament play he said we don't have any mulligans left when i talked to him before this game the word he used was desperate he wants to see a desperate basketball team take the floor tonight and he said they have been talking about it since they got to nashville he's confident that his guys know exactly what is on the line and that is their ncaa tournament future quarterfinal number three alabama and kentucky in front of a full house at bridgestone arena [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes fourth ranked kentucky now number eight tennessee in the nightcap and a huge night for sec hoops in the music city [Applause] bama controls the tip they're gonna let herbert jones bring it up guys always great to have a start that alabama played last night kentucky hasn't played in a while normally takes a while to get going especially on a neutral side of tournament time smith with his second consecutive start going to work against pj washington they tried to establish that in the second half in their big comeback last night big strong kid got great initial post position kentucky coming off of a win saturday against florida they only scored 66 points against the gators but took the air out of the ball and washington's been great inside but is a challenging team when you play the length of alabama around the rim no question they're one of the few teams in the country that can match up with size and athleticism at the basket with the catch e.j montgomery has been starting since travis's injury did not score in the game against florida but gets them off to a good start by the way we expect reed travis to be in the game very soon look at the starting five for alabama including kyra lewis 17 year old is the youngest active player in division one basketball [Applause] shot clock at six guys and the guy that's got to make shot his shots are riley north he missed four three-pointers last night he's got to make buckets because he's going to get four or five attempts well i thought they waited a little late in the clock to get to that action put kyra lewis in a difficult predicament alabama has to attack sooner in the half quarter [Applause] [Music] so what's on the line for alabama they came in on the outside of the bubble trying to make it to the big dance again under avery johnson with a great run in the conference tournament they have a 13 chance as of now and could jump to 60 with the win kelvin johnson ashton higgins followed short and then it's blocked loose ball rodney norrish with the tip great action early three on one for bama [Applause] and finally dante hall draws a foul jumping frenetic pace partners we all like frenetic but this may be another level how about take a deep breath right if you're the leader on the floor somehow get it under control a lot of nervous energy to start as we as you said sonny it's kentucky's first game in the building first game in the tournament hard to believe we've been here a few days that's [Music] a lot of right on pj washington and he threw it to the bench and how about this they don't double him until he puts it on the floor to make a move they're kind of saying we'll body him away from the block we'll see if he turns and faces when he puts it down gets in the lane then we'll double fight him on the initial catch make him make him step out 16 17 attack him off that dribble he will drift just a little bit on the offensive end not a great entry pass hall kicks it back out herbert jones off the mark it's hard to identify what alabama wants to do offensively not hard to identify how important reed travis is in ovation for big blue nation it speaks to their appreciation of what he brings to the table tom [Applause] i think on the offensive end he's like a fullback for pj washington in the backfield he clears the way and takes care of all the trash so washington can have a clean lane well besides how tough he is ak said it right he brings maturity he's been around the block a few times kentucky with the take away tyler hero that is a difficult shot he makes it look easy but that's why he's a special player yeah the kid is awesome he's got such confidence when he shoots it can shoot it deep can put it on the floor all the way but you just saw a mid-range shot that most guys can make nice cut by north blocked by hero got it back you can tell guys both teams trying to establish power in the paint everybody's going inside off the initial touch and we're used to that from kentucky but kentucky's playing a team that wants to do the same thing right back at him very unusual most teams of kentucky will go from the outside jones mid-range they need him to play well in order for alabama to have a chance to advance herb jones has to be the player that we have seen him be in his short time at alabama t.j washington got it what great improvement pj washington has had from the outside this season 42 percent beyond the three-point line and not enough is made of the fact that this kid has really made the right decision by coming back and he has made himself a much better player as as we talked pick pop adds a whole new dimension to his game p.j washington [Music] network basketball is brought to you by zaxby chicken fingers buffalo wings salads find a location at zaxbys.com [Music] big blue nation in attendance all week here in nashville and star the lakers rob palinkin magic johnson magic's alma mater michigan state on the outside looking in for one of those number one national seeds they knocked off ohio state today in the big ten tournament and so the spartan just waiting for perhaps some other dominoes to fall but it looks like this as of now virginia with an early lead on florida state will be a number one seed alongside gonzaga kentucky the third number one with north carolina behind them and then michigan state duke michigan and tennessee waiting guys i think tennessee's really low because a couple wins tennessee could leap all the way into those top four yeah no doubt about it and obviously you see kentucky up there that if they can get through tonight and tennessee advances and the matchup tomorrow night has huge impact duke and carolina later this evening in charlotte reed travis back on the floor he told me on his way into the arena today that health-wise he thought he could have played against florida but that extra time off did wonders for his knees he said i could have but i'm so glad i did and sonny you know this you take a few weeks off at the end of the season this guy's going to have more pop in his legs than he's had in months [Music] he's the old man obviously of that club [Applause] for more on reid here's alyssa yeah guys during shoot around this morning reid was saying or coach cal was saying that reed's wearing that brace just because it kind of makes him feel more comfortable he doesn't necessarily need it and one thing he's been doing while he's been sitting out for the last couple of games is underwater treadmill work so his cardio and endurance still just as good as it was when he went out he told me the brace is bulky but the stabilization he provides is reassuring he said i know it's necessary kelvin johnson to tire hiro oh foul as he went up for the jam [Applause] and good sportsmanship afterwards and a good play by herbert jones now you got to be careful obviously that will certainly be a monitor review and he hit him in the face i'll be surprised if it's not a flagrant one yeah no doubt no doubt tried to make a play on the ball but he elbowed him right in the face right across the face again we've got a good crew tonight i'll be shocked if that's not flagrant one kentucky to me early a little quicker to these 50 50 balls both teams a little out of sync offensively going a little fast as we talked about but kentucky coming up with plays let's talk about the flagrant foul it's not just the shot to the face but anytime an offensive player especially is in a vulnerable position and there's potential for injury in this day and age it will be an f1 i don't think there's any doubt i mean it's it's easy to call we saw herbert jones make a block last night from behind that was spectacular so he's used to going up but that is definitely one and and i want to tell you i don't think based on intent because he did try to swing at the ball but when you hit a kid in the face [Music] kentucky will have two free throws coming for a tower hero who's 58-59 from the line in sec play and kentucky will retain possession i appreciate the expedient manner that they did that sometimes these reviews last forever good job by the officials good job out of birmingham how about this as a freshman to shoot 94 from the free-throw line wow unheard of he's the only guy in the gym i would take in a free-throw shooting contest over you [Applause] tyler hero the sec newcomer of the year from milwaukee originally committed to wisconsin when kentucky came calling he said i don't have any choice but to go to lexington and his offensive game that his transfer over the last month and a half has taken kentucky to another level but tom you saw this squad when they went to bahamas and tyler heroes terrific they're averaging over 17 points a game but he got off to a rough start like most freshmen do but his performance throughout sec play was spectacular the kid's a real gamer and he makes shots at the end of clock he can make tough ones and he is more than just the shooters you see an excellent entry pass there to read travis this is kentucky's best five on the floor right now with the return of reed travis this is who john calipari wants to roll with and bama is long and can get to shooters in her long and athletic sonny they close out quickly takes space away doing a great job on the defensive end kevin matt coming off of a monster game tonight at the rim [Applause] nobody stops the ball haggins has it roll off and daison ingram rolled right over the top of the basketball it'll be alabama's ball on the tie-up aka made a point last night i love how the officials are officiating this tournament they're letting guys play that's right players appreciate that they kind of understand what's going to be called what's not they can all be aggressive and i know in our opening we were talking about avery told his team he wants them to play desperate i see a desperate team in alabama different vibe than they started the game with last night a couple of upset specials according to the seating line earlier today with florida knocking off number one lsu the last time three of the top seeds lost in the same day in this tournament was 1983. that's when number one see kentucky lost a nine seed banner john petty with the triple john petty only took two shots last night made one didn't even really look to shoot he's a shooter when they put you in the game shoot the basketball he knocks in his first one to that kid's credit he had the huge tip dunk at the end which allowed them to be here tonight but in order for them to have a chance to win he's gonna have to make perimeter shots mack with the left hand brought down by johnson numbers the other way for uk alabama has missed breaks but three of them already opportunities on one end and when you don't convert you're too late getting back defensive with kentucky with another easy bucket john calipari letting his opinion know he thought that should have been a ban eternal he would be awesome at charades 22-3 in sec tournament games he's won six tournament championships here's what had him riled up i think cal was defending over here [Applause] [Music] lewis has to make the wrap-around pass he's got a teammate for a dunk didn't make it two points the other way big swing four-point swing and kentucky is running they are pushing and running and dante hall turns it over cats running again alabama's not at its best when they're in a hurry in 34 seconds kentucky's put together a seven nothing run again alabama can't be sloppy because what happens big blue will run and it's like a home court advantage they've pushed they've got to the rim and we've talked about the freshman that's got all the swag in this league he'll pull it he'll take it close but when he gets it going deep the roof blows off great tempo he has shown us the whole package early he made the right play there didn't rush it as you said alabama's playing a little bit out of their comfort zone making poor decisions this kid is playing right at his steady pace talking with the kentucky staff earlier today the thought was that alabama's offense is at its best when it's sporadic when it's random when they get you on your heels if alabama pushes it's one that's good they've got athletes it's the decision making at the end of pushing they have wasted three breaks two on one three on two wasted them turnovers go the other way they've missed opportunities to make good passes to each other they're in a hurry they're in a rush but that's what kentucky does to you avery johnson jr on the floor now for bama [Applause] [Music] [Applause] daison ingram has it blocked another one for travis emanuel quickly and one great defensive possession leads to another transition opportunity emanuel quickly just checking in and making his presence known and what do we understand mostly about john calipari's teams historically they're great on the defensive end and when they can guard like this wildcat team has been playing in the last month and a half they get out they get breaks and their athletes finish plays maybe the most impressive kentucky defensive team i've seen since they had anthony davis i agree and they're doing it with freshman on the perimeter one of john calipari's best jobs 10 nothing run for kentucky over the last minute of game time to open this up what does alabama need to do in the half court well i think there's who can give you answers you got petty on one side you got mack on the other who had a tripping game last night with 21 he had 22 against kentucky they're your shooters can gavin smith get buckets down low he's not a big bucket getter but they did pound it into him early in this ball game well mack was the difference maker last night let's see if he can get going again in game two p.j washington he'll go to the line alex reese with the foul how athletic is pj washington makes it active and then pushes it himself you know things we talk about as coaches all the time sonny have active hands be alert be aware that's all that was active hands leads to an opportunity for him to cash in at the strike he took it like a three-man once he got the steal he pushed it at a high speed still had body control almost finished that play two free throws for pj washington from dallas out of findlay prep went through the draft process in the off season in fact he and reed travis were part of the same workouts at a couple of places including with minnesota and tommy he made the right decision by coming back as a sophomore he has certainly improved his stock he had the dominant run in the middle of the sec play in 10 games or averaged over 21 points a game big possession early in this game for the tide right here great cut the jam for the pass great pass by junior great cut by alex reese people categorize him as a catch and shoot four man caught him sleep and got an easy one it brings to an end an 11-0 kentucky run almost a must-have basket at that position [Applause] so now cal will be delivered in their half court o play through pj in that mid post [Applause] the shot is so good he's got great legs so it's great lift his quick lift he can shoot the ball quickly off the top of the fingertips he can't get to the shot [Applause] alabama running a little horns action two bigs at the high post looking high low another loose ball travis with the foul he has been active on the defensive end with a steal and a couple of blocks kentucky has doubled up alabama they went on an 11-nothing run to do it and the cats looking like a number one seed here tonight against the tide 22-11 kentucky on top of alabama look at lower broadway nashville one of the best hosts you could ever hope for and good thing sec has planted its flag here we'll be here for a while final friday already one semi set florida took down number one lsu what an amazing finish in that one andrew nebhardt with the game-winning three for the second straight year number one goes down in the quarterfinals and florida is now in the ncaa tournament for the first time since 1991 the chalk lost their first game the one and four seeds and then later on tonight over in charlotte it's duke and carolina so a lot on the line for both kentucky and tennessee as they take the floor in quarterfinal action today tom hart johnsonville andy kennedy not the least of which of course is a number one seed which could be decided as early as tomorrow between kentucky and tennessee yeah it could be obviously the way kentucky has come out tonight sometimes you think they might struggle slowly they haven't they've kind of like putting their foot down saying we are a number one scene they're anxious to play there's been a lot of basketball has already occurred and this is their first opportunity i think you're exactly right they want to make sure they solidify their spot at the top because we know where a regional is and all kentucky fans know in louisville just right up the road cats would love to be there kentucky started this game three for ten they've made their last five since there was any question about getting used to this building it didn't take them long off the inbounds petty and obama turtle good execution though you're always anxious to see out of a timeout an in-line out-of-bound situation they got their best shooter with a clean look those are the ones that john petty's going to have to knock down for alabama to continue in this tournament and he can't be back though he's got to keep shooting a couple of subs in the game for kentucky including jamal baker and nick richards who's had playing time hard to come by lately there's richards great energy off their bench wow they are a step quicker than alabama ej with a little ill-advised shot but he chased it down and made up for it before his coach could get mad additional minutes for avery johnson jr against the kentucky pressure kelvin johnson commits his first as you said a a an uncharacter quick possession in a quick shot but he did chase it down in an easy finish easy lob terrific play nick richards has had a tough couple of weeks of practice according to the kentucky folks which is why he did not take advantage of the opportunity with travis out to get more minutes tom this kentucky team is so active defensively everybody's quick on their feet they're getting every shot line they can making it tough smith bobbled the entry pass and then couldn't regather kelvin johnson to montgomery and our third tie-up of the game will keep the arrow this way we are at six turnovers already for alabama five of which sunny have been steals steals are even more critical because they lead to broken floor opportunities of which kentucky's taking advantage speaking of number one seeds virginia likely to be considered a lock as a number one seed trails florida state early by double digits a quarter of the way through the action in the acc in charlotte maybe that would open up the door to two sec teams getting a one seed avery johnson junior pushes it here's riley norris active hands there on the defensive end for alabama creating turnovers of their own [Music] dante hall has range kelvin johnson to richards who gets fouled [Applause] second on herb jones between games and later tonight sec now will be by with dori pat damian and antoine maybe ak with a guest appearance will be here the rest of the night preview the semis tomorrow and have post-game coverage of all the quarterfinal games nobody covers the sec like we do as you see now is also available on the app so you can watch anywhere [Applause] you know we made the point that both teams were making a concerted effort to throw it inside alabama's kind of gone away from that in the last few possessions and as a result they've struggled to get clean looks and at times it can be the length of the defenders on kentucky's team right they get it and even if galen smith gets it inside he's not a big time scorer so he's not comfortable with the height advantage that kentucky had so it's been loose balls tip aways and they haven't gotten clean look you just get that feeling that alabama's a step slower and in that form they're rushing things on that offensive end and last night when they made the big comeback against ole miss they were able to pound inside where they had a decisive size advantage that advantage is is not there against kentucky there nick richards giving the cats some really good minutes here in this first half and they're able to rest reed travis hall looking inside [Applause] that's what they were doing last night great duck in body old body good strong finish for galen smith so part one is to get a bucket like that and part two is last night they got some turnovers second half against ole miss can their defense bother kentucky in a half court set i think it has been effective in the half of course the problem is kentucky has been able to get out in the open floor half court i think alabama's been very solid defensively galen smith may be a little shooking up the official stop play to make sure he's all right he looks gassed is it shooking or shaking i've always wondered yeah or straight up either way stirred i prefer [Music] interesting to me that they're having herb jones handle the basketball with kentucky's and the perimeter you know but he's he's probably a better facilitator than finisher they like to give it to him at that elbow but as as we talked about there's not a lot of size advantage because of the length of kentucky's back porch and cairo had some issues at time with hagin's garden haggins is so good on ball defender he's got active hands any time it's around him he's really good co-defensive player of the year and kyra lewis throws it away hero's got higgins [Applause] somehow stole it away and then bama gets a timeout [Applause] they need to wipe off that basketball i mean it just seems like there's a lot of looseness a lot of sweat on that ball that's kind of strange this looked like an easy break right here now he just loses simply loses control almost turned out to be a good pass going a little fast you saw him pick his head up ball gets away from him kentucky is already up eight to nothing on points off turnovers that could have been 10. what's kyle saying to his team right now well i think he's got to be pleased with the way that they have come out their approach has been outstanding defensively they're not getting bama anything easy i think he's saying what we're saying slow down offensively turn the ball from weak side to strong side and back let's try to score inside out he's just saying a lot louder than we are more [Music] the way his guys are playing the energy is so good defensively again everything's sloppy early when your first night out on the offensive end everybody gets in a little bit of a shooters shoot it more quickly sometimes some long shots avery johnson's got to figure out what they can get going on the offensive end [Applause] to your point tom now you've got herb jones being guarded by baker a little more favorable matchup for her good strong drive it's a first on baker kelden johnson a moment ago picked up his second so that put him on the bench great cut right there that was a great cut if he could have handled it he would have got an easy two just based off eye contact lewis has been rattled just a bit in this first half youngest player in division one basketball just 17 years old here's riley norris shot clock winding down and bama does not get a shot off sometimes when you watch alabama it gets so crowded in the lane area that if if jones or or louis takes the ball off the dribble there's nowhere to go they've got too many bodies in that lane no space no avenues to drop and sunny now they're sitting on seven turnovers in less than 12 minutes of game action they've got to do a better job with ball security out to baker is a good shooter john calipari demanded jamal baker's shoot earlier this season when he first got on the floor that light isn't just green it's nuclear green here music city nashville tennessee home of the country music hall of fame kentucky has doubled up on bama early 7 54 to go in the first half let's take a look at who's taking the next step brought to you by regions bank well the guy that's taking the next step is tyler hero an off the charts good great pass there to his freshman cohort kelden johnson right here good initial push finished by baker in transition where kentucky is up eight to nothing and fast break opportunities in here great poise great tempo lets the game come to him set smash [Applause] here's a look at kentucky's offensive put together a 17-4 run of bulk of those coming in the paint you're talking earlier sonny about kyrie lewis maybe being caught up in the moment tyler hero is also a freshman he's not as young as kyrie lewis but he's a freshman yet this moment seems to be what he was born for no no doubt tom that's a good way to put it he seems to be best in the biggest moments on stage and he takes accepts the challenge and again he's got a swag to him that you rarely see for kids his age especially guys that shoot it like he does all those things he accepts and the challenges and he's responded well this season kevin mack inside blocked by travis again and hiro has it great defensive presence as we talked about in the open it's more than just offense when you bring back reed travis offensive foul on travis let's find out what happened with avery in that alabama huddle alyssa yeah guys that alabama huddle still very upbeat assistant coaches guys on the bench telling each other hey you just got to believe one thing they mentioned though kentucky's defense starting to add a couple blocks on that stat sheet avery johnson said hey that means one of your guys is open you have to turn around and find him there's two guys going up at one time that's why they've got so many blocks that means you've got a guy open three blocks for reed travis not necessarily part of his game defensively and here's a challenge what alyssa was saying when you're a young player you don't know where weak side defenders are necessarily coming from if you're a veteran player like ingram he's got to make a better play he knows where the guys are coming from and where to make the pass sonny gets one thing to know it it's another thing to do it that's right you still got to do it against high level players and i feel as if kentucky's making them play a little faster than they would like bama in the bonus now dejan ingram shout out about half that possession after his nikes came off had to get it re-laced right under the right under the basket they just had it slipped back on and said look i'm in the right position and ashton hagins ends up getting charged for his first foul they might want to take a look and see if we've got a hook and hold on that play two most famous words in college basketball this season yeah you saw ingram when he put it on the floor he has the ability to get to the lane it's just a decision does he make the right one when he gets there watch 12 and two [Music] there was no foul call oh there was a foul call in higgins excuse me and they're looking i assume to see if pagans with his left arm had nothing there you're right though sonny design ingram's a big strong guard who's been at alabama a long time he has got to get downhill use his size and street to create an advantage and then find the open alabama player and andy when i watch ingram what i look when he puts when he gets to the lane he's gotta lower his rear end and get stronger with his base don't get knocked off your base because now you're off balance he's big enough he's strong enough to finish plays make he'd rather pad he's a pass first kind of guy good teammate to be around he can read things but he can't allow kentucky to bump him off his base after the review the officials confirmed common foul puts daison ingram at the free-throw line mr basketball his senior season at theodore high school in alabama and he's got another shot coming he made the two big free throws last night that allowed them to beat ole miss down the stretch so that they could have this opportunity that's exactly what this is a great opportunity for alabama those are the only two free throws he made he also made two big free throws at the tail end of the kentucky win with 22 seconds left back on january 5th you know they were down 14 last night at halftime to ole miss totally out of the game had no feeling that they would make that comeback that they did explain to folks how it happened well ole miss wasn't very good second half they had a lot of turnovers alabama was good on defense but they turnovers led to easy points on the offensive end they got back in it i don't see here's nick richards i don't see kentucky having a half like ole miss did last night no i don't either and i tell you what they are hitting on all cylinders each one of their guys are very active on defense and offensively they're sharp ball is moving in and out side to side been a while since second semester sophomore nick richards had a game like this here's dante hall this is the end of the floor that has put kentucky in a position to make a real run in the ncaa tournament they are off the charts good defensively offensively efficient but defensively is where they are a special group it's one of the issues that richards had in practice the last couple weeks just not handling passes inside it leads to a kentucky turnover but if this guy's playing like this they can give him minutes off the bench that's icing on the cake for cal most of spa he's always going to give you blocks he's always going to try defensively when he's not fouling if he can give you an offense the big time hook maybe the most impressive shot to this point from a low post guy that is an added bonus for cal's team 611 jump hook can't stop it right so he gets in like you said he'll make blocks if he gets uh 15 minutes a game it's putting stuff on the offensive end ah these wildcats kevin mack hasn't scored yet he had 22 in the first meeting he had 21 last night dante hall is old for five for alabama [Applause] reece that one affected by ej montgomery nine blocks for the cats tyler hero for three [Applause] three on three [Applause] reese on second thought drills it and that's what reese does catch and shoot now that was difficult because once you've ball faked it it's hard to gather yourself again and shoot but every time alabama makes one you think that's almost a must well i agree it was that's a sigh of relief he made a hard shot but they're going to have to make hard shots to be the team that guards as well as kentucky [Music] two-man game with here ellen richards now the left-handed hook good defense making him turn the other way i agree counters are overrated i wish he would have power dribbled and got to that right hook [Applause] [Music] yes petty kicks reece again to reagan you need someone in tournament time to step up and be your savior last night tevin mack tonight maybe just maybe alex reese is the guy and then that play was made by john petty great dribble penetration making the extra pass drive drift open that one was based just off a broken floor and then moments ago off the dish drive drift know where your teammate is alex reese back to back brings the tide back alabama has scored 10 of the last 12. developing situation continues in charlotte florida state leads virginia 29 to 19. alabama needs to continue winning to sleep comfortably the night before selection sunday and a win tonight against kentucky would drastically improve their odds to make it back to the postseason under avery johnson remember they won three in this tournament last year came in on the bubble got a colin sexton buzzer beater to start their weekend and made it back into the tournament guys the first game of the session this afternoon lsu is just hammering florida thought they'd be up 20 at halftime right didn't get it done florida comes back florida wins the balkan has a little bit of the feeling not quite because kentucky's playing well but again you think kentucky would be up about 15 16 right now they're not a couple of differences including kentucky having their head coach on the bench right now tyler hiro with the jumper in other news texas a m announced that they have let billy kennedy go after taking the aggies to the big dance two out of the last three years pj montgomery the foul his second sonny we've talked about it the entire game kentucky needs a basket kind of switch momentum back player making a play catch it wipe it get to your spot elevate make a hard shot look easy six five that's the difference folks he's six five and on the step back and how quick the release is hard to get to that shot i love his balance i always think you can determine whether or not is a guy's a good shooter based on his balance tyler hero plays with a great strong base a lot of folks on broadway late last night would not be labeled good shooters galen smith at the free throw line another one coming for the sophomore from clinton mississippi back into the starting lineup last couple of games after he started the first seven this year [Music] two-man game for the catch with their two best offensive players now to your point sonny he puts it on the floor and alabama comes with a double washington straight ahead hagins the point guard in on the glass and out to baker what he's in there for breaks your back yeah good defensive possession don't clean it up with a rebound leads to a three-point shot by a specialist reece a host of fakes and he's been the main offensive weapon with a team-high 10 for bama about the value of pj washington who he goes on the post but when he gives it up he can move so quickly to the outside or back in he's got so much movement that he brings out any of the bigs that alabama has that normally they defend the rip his greatest strength is his versatility got a bump and a whistle against bama with seven seconds on the shot clock kentucky was in control early alabama put together a comeback and they're trying to fight to make it a single digit deficit and keep it there at the break john calipari knows what's on the line a number one seed hanging in the balance for his cats who hope for a national title and avery trying to get the tide back to the tournament [Music] uh we're just a few minutes from halftime as you well know you're gonna get the four of us we'll show you how florida advanced dramatics how auburn advanced and look ahead to tennessee mississippi state what are you seeing behind us i'm seeing alex reese you know what he reminds me of a difference it from the three-point line alabama body blows they need to continue to go to the paint gotta take care of basketball too many turnovers sloppy play by alabama all right gentlemen it's back to you why don't we keep our mics open if we want to be more involved though what do you say well we don't always invite people to our party but sure you know why not why not only thing better than a three-man crew out there is a seventh man hey coach kennedy hey you good with alyssa taking your sideline job she does a much better job i didn't i set a pretty low bar dollar we were helping america on that one come on now come on now eight-man crew it's going to take two ubers to get us back after this hey antoine let me ask you though you know what it's like to shine in the postseason especially at this event can you identify what players like to be on this stage yeah i can identify right now where alex reese is going through my freshman year um i wasn't getting much playing time and i got an opportunity in the fcc tournament and took full advantage of it so he's doing that right now i don't know if he can get to mvp i was the mvp you knew he was taking the shot that's the beauty of antoine all right we'll see y'all at halftime fantastic work all week working overtime here's hagen's from the top of the key i like the look though sonny he's inside out just missed it good clean look good action it's an easy look that's what they want on the offensive end [Music] alabama's shooting 31 percent here in this first half but tommy you know why kentucky already has nine blocked shots pretty amazing ingram's improvement shooting the basketball this year 40 beyond the three-point line last year was at 25 huge difference huge numbers because most guys play them for the drive alabama's getting great production off their bench first reese now design ingram and ingram's got to guard hiro and stay close you got wallop by washington on the screen nick richards fouled by reese that's a second on reese so that might be an issue for his offensive production should be a loaded sec representation in the postseason and sunday at 8 eastern 7 central our sec now selection special we'll break down the brackets preview all the games the sec teams are playing in you can always watch it on the espn app from anywhere [Applause] could we get two one seeds out of this conference i think it's going to be difficult because let's say obviously the only two still in play are one kentucky and number two tennessee and if they both hold serve they got to play in the semifinals which will be difficult for the loser to get to the one line i would agree when you look at it it would be tough for tennessee to jump all the way up there and if they were let's say they both win old chalk and tennessee wins would they even jump over kentucky maybe they would but then kentucky would probably drop out of that one seat tough to get two of them virginia north carolina shared their regular season title in the acc they're still alive in charlotte it'll be caroline and duke later tonight zion was pretty good on his comeback oh guys yeah not a lot of rust there they went all the way to china to find him some new shoes probably found in the same place ak gets his suits richards commits his first i made a call for him a few days ago just to make sure america needed him back that's what it seemed like anyway dejan ingram to the free-throw line and what does that do for the committee when they look at duke now if duke wins a tournament that maybe that's different than winning you know with all due respect what i said before he came back that duke was obviously not a number one seed they probably weren't even a top 10 team without him they almost lost it home to wake forest right and now to be fair on the other side of that coin with him they are remarkable yeah they're really good side to side can they finish it with an effective shot b.j washington challenge fouled and won best offensive possession of the game for ivor team incredible patience for kentucky and then get it to your playmaker at the end of the clock and it's not necessarily just ball movement look at the body movement guys are moving side to side in and out everybody's cutting so now all of a sudden you said ak can you finish it off often you get a bucket you get a good drive you get a finish and then and one so what a possession almost to perfection what does chuck daley say chucked into the late great chuck that he would say offense is spacing and spacing his offense great spacing by the catch ingram with the board for alabama they're only trailing by nine and to your point sonny about the first game of the day does it feel like kentucky like lsu missed out on an opportunity to build a larger lead i don't think they've missed out trump i think they've played terrific i thought earlier today lsu missed an opportunity kentucky's play well alabama's hanging in there no question fighting getting great bench production as we've already touched on kentucky with the seven turnovers i'm sure that's something that cal was going to address at the half and you know andy you've got to have guys unexpectedly produced for you tournament time hagins all the way to the rim known as the defensive specialist also an offensive threat shot clock is off mack from the corner alabama's missed a couple threes late here's lewis i thought pull it back out now you've missed a chance you're gonna give kentucky time to get a bucket at the end of the half that's a freshman playing on a big stage for the first time i think he must have lost track of how much time was still on the clock but you know matt took the first one he's deep in the corner he shoots it with 22 seconds left yeah but there was still i think wasn't there shot clock still in play then no no no no i'm just pushing up the break clock was over max who really hadn't scored so he's going to say i'm going to get me a bucket and then tyra lewis you know you bail it out with a long rebound and now the sudden it could be a huge swing mental mistake but probably because of the rebound lewis again when you're a floor general you got to know it right back it out get one possession now again they're gonna get the ball back see if they can score but they're gonna give up two right here baker exactly baker hadn't shot a lot of free throws on the season now just four for seven he missed the first eight games coming back from knee injury and when he came back he was instant offense for the cats and bama worked so hard to fight their way back now it's back to 12. big last possession ingram with the drive and fouled by higgins second on higgins ingram has had an aggressive first half he has he's taken it off the bounce he's gone to the rim going the free throw line two of three from the line he is so much better going to his left hand obviously he's a left-handed player kentucky needs to sit on that left hand push him right when he goes left gets that big old shoulder on you he can typically get right where he is back to that free-throw line let's go back size of the body right 6-5 so he he can get where he probably wants to go does he finish sometimes he's got to be better at that area but tonight he's been pretty good richard's back in the game for kentucky he's already played more minutes in this first half than he did the entire game against florida after starting three games ago against tennessee another one coming for ingram less than four seconds remaining on the game clock and sunny at about the eight minute mark if i would have said hey the way this game has unfolded if you're alabama and you go to the halftime down 10 you would have probably taken them yeah because kentucky's been very impressive in the first half yep no doubt last possession for kentucky looking for washington back to hagins with a full head of steam clock at one floater well-designed play at the end of clock for kentucky the cats in their first game this week in nashville shoot 47 percent in the first half but lead by 10 cows with alyssa [Music] we have a couple guys not competing to where they need to be offensively we trying to make crazy plays and just play basketball but defensively i like what i saw thanks coach sorry back up to [Music] as you a lead as 14 for kentucky alabama did battle back hit a couple of threes alex reese contributing 10. rick barnes in tennessee getting ready to go in the nightcap tonight they've got mississippi state two of the top 10 teams in college basketball kentucky and tennessee including the sec player of the year two-time winner grant williams wonder what he's listening to number one lsu went down in their first game florida with the game-winner and then auburn ousted south carolina so chalk has been a race in the top half see what happens in the bottom half welcome back everybody tom hart alongside john sunfield and andy kennedy aka you don't have to look far to find great talent in this one tonight no a lot of really good players and i think both teams are really going at each other kentucky has been tremendous in the first half led by this tremendous player tyler hero showing you the whole package the pull-up in the lane the step back from three end of clock strong moves back to back tyler hero leading kentucky in that first 20. he's playing with style brought to you by belt meanwhile and big blue nation defense never goes out of style tom their defense has been active with their hands and with their feet and they have challenged at the rim they have nine block shots which is a season high already just in one half of basketball when the ball goes on the floor and it gets to the paint active defensively not only if it's your guy but the weak side help and guys are coming two blocks that you see nine in the first half alabama's got to make sure when they get to the paint kick it out find some open shooters six different catch with the block reed travis has three to find out what amy johnson had to say here's alyssa lane yeah guys i just caught up with coach johnson and he's talking about exactly what you guys were just mentioning the block shots and he's not happy with the amount of turnovers that his tied team has committed he said we're giving it up too much at the glass my guys are playing too erratic at the rim and that's not alabama basketball they've kind of been erratic offensively i don't know all season but his point is finishing i suppose because they've got kentucky on their heels at times no question they've gotta they can't settle i like the ball movement here right out of the half good penetration and pitch reese has been the savior for alabama so far tonight he's got a dozen and you notice hey avery johnson knows what he's doing dezon ingram and alex reese both get the second half star said same thing reece who had 10 in the first half ingram was seven avery knows that they've got to win this game ray travis with the board and the putback that's got to feel good for him first basket in a few weeks you better put a body on him you can't let him rebound three feet from the hoop [Applause] [Music] petty and travis with the board he has been an impact player all over the place for kentucky first came back after missing five he's made pj washington better just by his attendance tonight well people don't understand the mobility of pj washington he can run he can cut he can slash he can post big time great change of direction in the open floor cats up 10-2 in transition [Music] alabama stars from previous nights have yet to show up here's hiro with the step through man he's good alabama pushing the other way an air ball from a foot away three on two for kentucky tyler hero transition three [Applause] that was the right decision though by ashton hagins he set that complete play up good look by hero he happened about a half second too late he kind of lobbed it over there i don't know why he went underhanded give it to the shooter when he's ready first bucket for dante hall tevin mack who had 21 last night still has yet to score so hall and mack obviously need to need to show up in this one for bam washington you need stops you need rebounds tom then you can get on the offensive end but the key for this kentucky team is they just been so aggressive and they rebound and read travis gets that first one to go and again it's his physicality but again here's the mobility how does a six eight guy that's 235 coming at you step through and then hero's just been good all night most guys stop pull a pull up jumper he's looking for contact he doesn't get the whistle still finishes the play i like the way that pj washington has come up much more aggressive in this half every time he's touched it he has driven it to the rim kentucky is plus eight on the glass so far tonight leading by 12. hero off the screen good post wedgie there's something about that rim and that board that's about that's the third wedgie we've seen in the tournament you think it needs to be adjusted there's something you always have to adjust your wedgies kind of question is that tom they are trying to get the ball to pj though making a concerted effort this guy's been a little quiet yeah maybe he'll mention his name lewis with the skip back to reese wow kids had a tough night to this point [Applause] yeah good hustle by design ingram that would have been that would have brought the house down yeah he's really and louis has had a tough night he's going to size up as a point guard would love to size up a big guy and loses it off his toe does get back to not allow kelvin johnson to get an easy dunk and again we're not the only ones that see that as avery johnson's got john petty at the table so what do you say to him when he comes over to the bench anything well avery's going to be super positive he's a great point guard he loves kyra lewis kyle lewis has been a tremendous player for alabama as a freshman the kid you can see on the bench is being very hard on himself and you can see the staff trying to support him hey man get your head up keep fighting there's a long time to go in this game they're telling him you're going to make great plays down the stretch hang in there you're going to make great plays for us we're going to need you here's avery johnson the former point guard led southerned a pair of ncaa tournament appearances with the pat on the backside [Applause] avery led the nation in assists at an ncaa record playing for ben job [Applause] heroes doing a good job on mack has not allowed him avenues and then challenges every jump shot great great defense sonny you're exactly right for a true freshman that kid has made huge improvements on that end of the floor kevin mack now oh for seven tonight travis with a grimace after he bumped into rhys hey people were asking me hey do you play him now in the sec tournament or your way to the ncaa tournament that's the perfect example why you have to play when he's ready to play timing is something that you cannot simulate in in drills or in practice reid travis needs these minutes in order to get back into shape reid travis walking into the building today was telling me about his excitement to get back in the game and and after getting to know him this year he's not just excited about this game he's from minneapolis he's excited about getting the final four that's why he's at kentucky after graduating from stanford exactly and he's also never played in the sec tournament in front of a 20 000 seat packed house hero in traffic alabama with the takeaway ingram to petty got to convert got a steal now you set up your offense got to get a bucket traffic jam on blower broadway there and petty comes out of it pj's everywhere he affects the game in so many ways sonny that that's his value hagen's cut off by ingram [Music] [Applause] doors open for alabama can tev and matt kick going reece not shy from the corner if you're avery johnson you're glad he got on the bus from the hotel he has kept them in this game playing with a lot of confidence because he likes seeing the ball go in the basket it's the same thing what kevin mack did last night and have a guy come off and be productive and reece has done it tonight for alabama now they need other guys to step up as well we don't have to worry about him stepping up that kid is a player and if you go under the screen the ball screen he's just going to kill you that's great over the top at least you make him put it on the floor another dribble it's great action by cal a little pin down into a dribble handoff very difficult to guard especially when you can score at all three levels like tyler hero higgins commits his third tyler hero having an impact in his very first essence hero's done it on both hands we've seen him on the defensive if you go underneath on a shooter-like hero game over you might as well just keep running to the other end cat's on a roll sec network basketball is brought to you by zaxby's chicken fingers buffalo wings salads find a location at zaxbys.com by the cumberland river beautiful nashville tennessee and kentucky making their home in nashville at the sec tournament again they lead 49-36 they won the first ever sec tournament in atlanta back in 1933 when herbert h hoover was still in office and they've also won the last four so one seat lsu upset by florida to get the day started andrew nemhart with a game-winning three for the gators in a wild finish and auburn held on to knock off frank martin's south carolina team so they'll meet at one o'clock tomorrow in the first semi-final we'll decide the second a little bit later tonight as tennessee matches up with mississippi state they just met a week ago or so and tennessee blew him out in the second half andy kennedy you ever think about supplements for your follicles that kid's got a good idea you know what i have thought about that but not many people can pull off bald as well as i do so i just rock it question off the court coming into this weekend is would there be more orange than blue in the arena and there's still time for the folks in orange to file in i'm taking blue you yeah it's an easy pick but there's quite a bit of orange when you take a look around no question and they are excited about their they are going to be well represented at this tournament i assure you when the balls come out and in the second game this place will erupt avery tried to set something up for alex reese who has been their offensive star but he is not as good catching coming off a pin down he's more of a pick and pop stationary guy hero got a step past [Music] back to reese so you got rhys and norris on the floor right now are they pretty similar players on the offensive end i think they are similar but now one will play the five so now if uh actually they've got galen smith in there so they're just going big this is their big lineup when you look at that team for alabama that's bigger than some nba teams when you look at their size at all five positions so you take a look you've got petty who can shoot it reece who's already been shooting it and riley norris i said start the game he's got to make open looks so right now what what avery's saying is we're gonna we're gonna spread it we're gonna push when you guys get open looks shoulder square facing the bucket take the shot and design ingram has to create those opportunities sonny getting to his left hand and then making good decisions off penetration and each one of those guys who are in the lineup to shoot it gets set to shoot it if petty don't don't even think about passing and kicking somewhere catch it and release it they've got to put points on the board to get back in this game missed chance for reese missed him both at the free-throw line kentucky the other way richard's running the floor wow the speed we're off the free throw that is the way you draw it up ball gets advanced up that sideline great look by kelden johnson nick richards running rim to rim you run it in practice and you rarely think you'll get into the game that's why you practice it though [Applause] danger time for the tide hiro tried to sneak it in to johnson [Applause] paddy launches dante hall has been silent tonight he's got two points [Applause] sonny this is just how you draw it up good clean rebound ball gets advanced one dribble leads to a slam dunk cal will be happy with that when he watches the tape and miscommunication by alabama going back defensively two guys chase the ball nobody's at the bucket nobody easy bucket mistakes paul getting pushed around by travis inside nice play travis king help turn into a dunk paul's second field goal a lot on the line for alabama in this one it would greatly improve their chances to make it to the ncaa tournament for the win against fourth ranked kentucky the number two seed in this tournament currently sitting at 13 and that will be affected by loss obviously a win jumps them to 60 percent a loss drops them to seven p.j washington great dime he is sitting here sunny with eight points ten rebounds four assists three steals three blocks just another day at the office yeah stat sheet stuffer paul had to put it above the defender keep it from being blocked and they get kelden johnson for his third surprise he got the whistle because he faded away you know they don't give you most officials won't give you that call yeah i think the official must have thought there was a slap down at the end because i thought kentucky did a pretty good job of building a wall here not letting get to his strong hand dante hall has another free throw coming senior from luverne alabama in the twilight of his alabama career his father donald was a huge alabama fan he hasn't seen him play a single game for the tide he passed away in the stands after suffering a heart attack while watching his son play eighth grade basketball he signed his letter of intent on the very same table where they tried to revive donald hall back in the day and with that free throw hall joins four other crimson tide players with a thousand career points 800 boards and 200 blocks the last two being jamario davidson and jamichael green big shot bob orri another and leon douglas history for the senior from luverne and the question is can he and his crimson tide teammates mount a comeback in the final 11 48 to keep their season and postseason hopes alive [Music] he won the first tournament back in 1933 and now they've won four in a row 2015 it was perfection for kentucky 2016 they survived texas a m in overtime derrick willis with the go ahead three dara fox was the mvp in 17 in this arena he had 18 against arkansas and then shay gilges alexander with his postseason surge at 29 to give john calipari his sixth title kentucky owns 31 tournament titles more than all other sec schools combined that's why they call it the kentucky invitational and so no surprise if so many from big blue nations show up in nashville or wherever the tournament is and they expect to win they're like ants to a picnic aren't they said it last night when you uh are in nashville and you're walking to the arena from every corner and every alley someone in the blue shirts heading this way did you see him in the alley i saw a few people in the alley and i think some of them did have blue one so yeah you won this thing i mean the fact that kentucky has been in here could you repeat that what does he say how quickly it turns at ole miss i it just it's astonishing to kentucky we know their great history obviously but to be able to dominate this tournament because you know how hard it is to accomplish that no doubt and i think john calipari he you know this is serious this isn't like oh let's play and you know we're trying to improve our seed line no for all these kids you got an opportunity to be an sec champion yeah that's a big deal well think of the kentucky kids because there's so many one-and-dones over the years you want to leave with banners right you want to hang a banner and this is a banner you can hang no question and if you leave kentucky in one year and you didn't win the regular season or you didn't win the tournament or you didn't win the championship in the ncaa you didn't hang a bait yeah you're a footnote that's right eight national championships in the winningest program in ncaa history john petty hangs wow paul able but the dribble penetration brought the help which allowed dante hall to get to the offensive glass this guy goes trying to make a block on the ball dante hall finally awakened and it gives you a little life if you're a bama fan now can you get another stop string about four or five stops together then you get a chance [Applause] travis on hall cut off it doesn't matter boy he uses those shoulders in that wide body to clear space even against a great shot blocker like dante hall and sonny it all started with his initial touch he had a very deep initial touch which allowed him to get to his spot training back in the buckets now john petty has five how about petty becoming a penetrator we know him as a jump shooter but that is his growth of his game too turns a corner doesn't have the shot get all the way to the rim he's a big athletic win yeah a lot of big athletic wins on this court [Applause] [Music] hero amazing touch of massey off the top corner of the square he's got such explosive elevation to get up and then he can finish any kind of shot because he's got great risk great release of every kind of attempt he takes and i think he's a master of angles i myself wasn't very good at geometry but that kid obviously was great angle to get him to the basket in two bounces hall slips and the ball slips off numbers for kentucky hero hesitates lodge and pj jumped right past it you know what they say tom yee who hesitates is lost that's why i just jump right in much like here initial touch for reed travis was good you score in the post with space at angles and he's very good with creating the angle another good angle off a downhill drive for john petty and what you can do i can do better great drive incredible finish yeah what a touch there how often do you see a shot go up the top of the backboard and end well and the difficulty is the fact that the speed you're going now you've got to release it at a point that it's got a soft touch off the glass not a firm touch pj washington all over reece pagans with the steal he had eight of them against north carolina school record now hiro [Applause] out to calvin johnson [Applause] that may be the first thing that i question that tyler hero's done all night why would he go with the left hand right there keep playing keep playing not a surprising steal by hagin's third in this league in steals he's got great hands bama turnover you know a lot of big men won't run back defensively to make a play goes to the left hand it exposes the ball as you said andy but again a big center running the floor terrific hustle play no quit in dante hall he has had a tremendous career at alabama [Applause] travis takes it himself great ball fake now you see me now you don't the wise old man of the kentucky squad brad transfer from stanford out of de la shall in minneapolis all eight of his points have come in the second half and look where he got hall off the block and then travis commits the foul on dante hall reed travis said when he was a student at daylight sal in minneapolis he could not imagine taking full ability of all of his talents and those that don't would be committing his sin he plays as hard as he can every night his team is up by 15. final quarter final of the day is up next six seed mississippi state 3c tennessee behind player of the year grant williams should be a fantastic matchup they just met on senior night in knoxville a week and a half ago will be a lot more orange in this stands in just a little bit kentucky leads by 15. they are playing kind of like tennessee in the sense of playing as a true team tonight yeah a lot of touches on the offensive end and you talk on you think of offensive basketball it's body movement ball movement touches make a defense guard different angles and different bodies first guy next to hero ball moves everybody's filling in spots for openings to catch and they're playing the bucket and they're delivering it off so when you score a bucket they've got 12 assists sharing the basketball keeping the floor spread so guys can go and work inside or freeze up outside shooters for jump first i think their ball movement has been good they have not shot it great from three only three for ten a couple of sloppy turnovers but otherwise pretty flawless offensively well what's amazing is kelton johnson is only one of six has really hasn't joined the party tonight playing and we know how great he is dante hall at the free throw line all defensive team in the southeastern conference this season a fantastic shot blocker more than 200 in his bama career [Applause] and bama has closed within 13. it's getting about the part of the game tom where bama is going to have to string together a number of consecutive stops in order to fight their way back clock becomes an enemy under eight and you have i always saw it as a player can you chain when you're down can you change the momentum of the game and you really got to do it defensively you got to somehow figure out to get kentucky less comfortable on their offensive end travis finds the board got tied up by ingram you know who's becoming more comfortable reed travis this game was very important for him he's getting back into form by play he hadn't played in a while andy i said this early in the year tom and i were doing a game and we talked about you know reed travis showed up and there were great expectations and the early season was pretty tough i kind of compared it when guys in baseball sign with the yankees right it's a different environment you show up man my goodness all eyes are upon you and i'm sure reed travis said he didn't know who blew big blue nation was yeah they found out quickly no questions it's completely different ball game at kentucky kid has been a big contributor glad to see him back and kentucky have a full roster they get higgins on the illegal screen talking to jack calipari about reed travis yesterday he said he's exceeded expectations but he through all of the work that he's done has been more athletic he's played more above the rim he's got more elevation on his jump shot all things that were important to both reed travis for his future and to kentucky for getting him to be the type of player that can play in their system yeah no doubt no doubt and we saw the first matchup against tennessee in lexington his value of what he did with grant williams yeah no question another big body to put both offensively and defensively and look at his stat line 17 minutes eight points on four for six five rebounds three blocks very solid debut in his own right hall is slow to get to his feet after he went down hard with the ball in his hands john calipari with the call see who they go to here [Applause] this is their base motion this is the action that they're going to do and then run into a specific set galen smith commits his third andy the concern i have for alabama that they're kentucky is running anything they want on the offensive end comfortably right they're not forced uh outside bad pass i mean they're just running what they want to run now whether they make a shot or not that's another story but if alabama gets in this game they've got to change the comfort zone they've got to be they've got to be much more disruptive you know basketball is the ultimate game of rhythm establish yours disrupt there especially on the ball someone get in guys face too easy right there well yeah it looks like they tried to go a little zone out of that inline ob pj washington wide open in the high post did exactly what you're supposed to do catch it square attack the basket [Applause] kentucky's defense turns him over here's hiro i think he was more concerned with drawing the contact and finishing the layup yeah as much elevation as he has just just gonna make the play travis with the foul on the floor for kentucky his third bama in the bonus and you talked when they underneath out of bounce i went quickly to a zone i'm not sure all five guys were on the same page i agree i think it was a zone yeah well look yeah you could tell because i couldn't tell a couple guys were man three guys in a zone and pj said well here i'll get it four feet late yeah let's but you got to guard the first team all-league player correction that's the fourth personal on reed travis going to leave him no they're going to get ej montgomery in for him if status quo holds john calipari after the game will likely rave about the job reed travis did first game back after missing five justifiably so he is a complete difference maker because of all the things that he can bring to their team does not jump off the page actually in any one particular area just a solid veteran leader which is something the cats are going to need moving forward comes from an athletic family his brother played hoops at harvard his cousin ross travis played basketball at penn state and then turned himself in to a football player now a tight end for the indianapolis colts after four years of hoops they're going back to the monitor for something that happened almost a minute ago what are they looking at yeah they they were reviewing some action to see if there was a flagrant involved and if if bus three didn't see it i don't i don't think there was a flavor i just told him let's play on yeah we got no we didn't see it move on let's take a look top of the screen travis and norris might be what they're looking for yeah and did uh did norris take a cheap shot well i don't think i i don't think it was a cheap shot i think it was an in it burton below the belt that'll get you that will get you tommy that's speechless right yeah yeah stand a standing a count usually can you move on usually same results as you are dropping a wedgie comment on the air so we got nothing tell riley norris that was not exactly exactly go there and explain it to the guy who can't breathe thanks for looking guys but that's not going to get those four minutes of pain back dante hall at the free-throw line not to play the role of captain obvious but if alabama's going to make a run it is now or never 5 20 on the clock they've got to get stops if you stand up and do that pose you can be captain obvious whenever you want so reese returns give him another offensive option well we know kentucky handles pressure if alabama wants to put pressure on they handle that well again hard to disrupt you've got a number one seeded team in the country that you're playing against here's what happens too sonny and you know this you get extended defensively which makes you susceptible off the glass and kentucky is so good off the offensive glass but at some point you almost have to take the chances right no question speaking of one seeds virginia trails florida state by 11 in charlotte tonight that's a semifinal game in the acc any chance you see of virginia falling off the one line guys [Applause] as of today they're the number one overall seed that will change losing the number one national seed will definitely have an effect on geography if there's another acc team especially get into the dc regional yeah correct and i want to tell you this we're watching a team right now that if they can win finish this one tonight and win the next two they could jump to the number one overall receipt and that goes that would lock up kentucky in the louisville regional and likely in columbus as well and big blue nation saying we've got enough gas to get to both of those spots i know they'd certainly be happy at rosebuds but you know calums cal has already said it did rosebuds expand to louisville they should they will now looking at property [Music] hall at the free-throw line and you know what cal will say that he said they will ship us as far away as they can that's what they do to us well that's that's the candidates it should be that's a catalysm and he'll be in the toughest bracket that's right playing the hardest we're going to play the hardest 16 in the tournament that's it that's it [Applause] bama is closed within two touchdowns all 14 for dante hall have come since the break [Music] kentucky will be patient in the half court they've got multiple guys who can make plays at the end of the clock ashton hagans will return for the cats got to go a little quicker here sonny only 13 on the clock let's see if they can get something right to action i was going to see if they zoned it defense they didn't man-to-man good help hagin's passed up the three shot clocks at four kelvin johnson and i think hagans they got a bucket but i think hagans i agree right i think it surprised him a little bit and he's been shooting it pretty well from three in league play we got basket interference what do you think that's what they say it is above the right yes good call todd austin with the right call it's on the shoulder it is not reviewable and a lot of kentucky fans sing and thinking back to that lsu game [Applause] you had to go there didn't you well i'm just putting you in their mind [Applause] i wouldn't mind for us to get to the international rules where you can take it up swipe it up wow that'd be fun great way to play during this commercial timeout we're going to make up more rules kelvin johnson just picked up his fourth big blue nation sharing their emotions lot to cheer about if you're a kentucky fan regardless of the last couple of whistles cats look like they will move on to a semi so figuring out who they will face dory pat fish and fly here we will see you after the game is over and assuming score holds as tom hart suggested yes john calipari will come join us here what is it you will want to hear from him assuming they closed this game up well you talk about his defense and how they've been able to hold alabama to 50 points right now that's a young team being able to step it up defensively a young team that looks like a number one seed the one that she said at basketball has been great to watch kentucky all of that holds as long as kentucky holds bama might have one more run in them though gentlemen let's see feels like a road game for bamidari because it sounds an awful lot like ruff right now and a lot to cheer about especially the return for kentucky of reed travis [Music] well when it came in the lineup well received by big blue nation and i think his teammates were happy he was back in the coaching staff big smiles on their face because he does so many things great team and a great teammate most especially the dirty work yeah it's like heart you and i don't want to do the dirty work that's why we're glad he's here that's right they're glad to have him back because he's a guy that doesn't mind throwing that big body around doing the things no one else wants to do i can relate to relation at times no one wants to do that that's right should know you're the first of the three of us to clock in today great job on the studio well done espn2 yeah i'm a world traveler be here all night i'm still on the rookie contract i work a lot cheaper on youtube favorite ingram at the free throw line he's the rook carry the bags move here move there hazing on air by tom you know the best thing tonight we got you away from the band in your ear on the sideline no question mad crops and i saw it got john califari at halftime alyssa was trying to get a little [Applause] if one had porpoise ears it wouldn't be an issue no question [Applause] full court pressure handled easily [Music] again great patience by kentucky now let's pound it into reed travis inside out good action if you're coaching against kentucky is that the one the shot you want from this five on the floor yeah and he doesn't look comfortable shooting no no a couple of them and that one wasn't taken with confidence and that was the right shot and he's been shooting it pretty well especially lately yeah reese with the pump fake washington flew by unable to convert but the handyman is back reed travis another rebound milk the clock play through pj play through tyler he's not afraid to shoot it and what people don't understand when when you're milking the clock it's tough on a defensive team you got to stay in balance you got to help you got to stay down and sooner or later you kind of relax and you get to give up a wide open look quickly knocks it in like that to your point sonny they are doubling off ashton hagens but that time hagins made the extra pass to quickly who stepped in an answer from kyra lewis jr his first bucket making it a 12-point game two minutes 28 seconds left in regulation alabama trying to put together a comeback meanwhile kentucky quickly extending their advantage it's 67-55 cats [Music] mississippi state in tennessee in the nightcap tonight our final quarterfinal of the day the vols 8th ranked team in the country trying to cap what has been perhaps the best season in school of history with their longest win streak ever in two-time player of the year grant williams so kentucky looks to be in control of 228 to go remember they split the series with tennessee each team won the home game jordan bone was just simply sensational in their second game in knoxville five for five from three and uh no issues with mississippi state 44 from three pj washington 22 points a game so let's look ahead to game number two tennessee obviously the favorite aka what does state need to do to pull off the upset well mississippi state has shot the ball exceptionally well in their last two outings they'd make 27 threes at over 50 percent they need to extend that another day they have the offensive firepower to certainly test tennessee bam bam firepower for mississippi state what do you think well i think the state's got to be physically tough right they've got to come out and try to punch tennessee in the mouth a little bit tough to do state doesn't play that way but they've got to do it tonight it's always awkward when you go on camera during a tournament setting and the folks on press row behind you weren't planning to be on camera yet they show up i'm not sure i was planning on being on camera where did that guy come from oh yeah there they are including the uh wes flanagan and the auburn coaches yeah see look you're getting tv time that's a how going on over here sorry you're having to sit behind me be careful when you come to a tournament and you feel the best open seat you can find because it might put you in the firing line you never know you never know it's like sitting on the front row in a comedy act yes yeah gallagher is going to smash fruits all over you uh did you like it did you like it in the post season when you get to scout live again was that enjoyable for you as a coach i think it's good because you get a much better feel life obviously you're going to go back and watch the tape so you can rewind it and see where everybody is is but i think you get a great feel when you're in life how much though when you're in conference and you get a conference tournament how much do things really change nothing you know you're just trying to see obviously there's going to be adjustments made game to game but you know these teams pretty well at this point and really your key is to get your dudes ready and you hope you have a couple guys that have a magical run through any tournament no question and you make sure your gas make a trip down broadway to rally the fellas and get them back in the room get some rest that's right get a meal much like we do with our staff here's quickly for three kentucky and from the other side of the aisle guys alabama will suffer its 15th loss of the season avery johnson took him to the tournament last year he's faced some very pointed questions over the last week and even right here in nashville from paul feinbaum wondering if he's fully dedicated to the program he has brought this alabama program leaps and bounds past where it was when he took the job [Music] shot clock at four hero not shy got it for the cats kentucky 35 of their 73 coming from the bench before the cats fans got back into it guys we're talking about avery johnson in his fourth season at the helm of tuscaloosa great player in the nba 16 years nba coach of the year in 2006. the spurs all-time assist leader one of the best recruiting classes in school history came in last year with colin sexton and then feinbaum really put the screws to him and avery answered the question as anybody would he said listen you question me show up at the building at 5am he's got a staff that is dedicated to this and he's built an incredible program in tuscaloosa remember last year remember the shot colin sexton hit an incredible runner to get them through the first round in a must-win situation then what did they do they bounced right back and blew out their in-state rival the auburn tigers they go to the ncaa tournament where they advanced they beat virginia tech and were eliminated by the eventual national champion in villanova in 18 wins his first year tying the great wimp sanderson our dear friend for the most wins first season at alabama season and postseason hopes will hang in the balance for bama odds of making the ncaa tournament will drop to seven percent according to joe lenardy senior dante hall can feel the [Applause] emotions [Music] avery johnson jr gets a shot off lawson schaefer senior on the floor for bama and that'll do it they won't shoot it again impressive effort by the kentucky wildcats in their first outing in this tournament [Applause] john calipari will go to the set talk to darian the guys right here on the sec network as soon as we're finished standing ovation from big blue nation while big orange waits for their time in the sun [Applause] 73-55 the final kentucky knocks off alabama bama will be very curious on selection sunday if they will return to the ncaa tournament would be their 21st in school history if they do first semi-final is set florida in auburn kentucky has their spot reserved for tomorrow at three o'clock eastern on espn they await the winner between tennessee and mississippi state volunteers waiting in the wings ready to take the floor for the first time here in nashville the last team to do so kentucky wildcats shoot 48 percent tyler hero with 20 points in his first sec tournament game his honor to speak with alyssa lane tyler 20 points in your first sec tournament game what went into that performance for you tonight uh just my teammates could be a great you know a great position to you know do what i do um you know all goes to my teammates i mean you know they put me in the right positions they trust me so i appreciate that what did it mean to have that guy read travis back on the floor with you it meant a lot you know we missed him for a few weeks he means so much to the team and you know when he when he's out there with us we're a whole different team thanks tyler congrats thank you tyler herrera with 20 hit a couple of threes he was above and beyond the rest today so was pj washington reid travis getting some post game love as well our final 73-55 reminder john calipari will join the guys in the set in just a moment for john sunfield and andy kennedy i'm tom hart will be back with tennessee mississippi state in just a little bit let's get you to the set here's darinoka all right gentlemen thank you we'll get it back your way from tennessee mississippi state in a matter of moments but right now joining us as you guys suggested the head coach of the wildcats john calipari after an 18-point win over alabama and another appearance in the semi-finals here in this very tournament they've won the last four years coach 55 points is all you allowed we've seen this team develop defensively and become an absolute force winning your estimation and what sparked it what sparked the transition to playing this well on that end well we we never work on defense in the summer when they get to the campus the reason is the season's too long so we're usually going to develop later defensively we start the first day of practice we'll talk defense i don't have them in a stance in july i'm sorry we're working on fun stuff shooting and telling them we're going to try to score 100 a game and they're believing me you know like but bottom line is this team is a skilled basketball team we were sloppy today that you just got to get them to defend their offense is good enough you know i i wanted pj he did fine you know he goes 12 point 12 rebounds and i'm not satisfied i want him to be the best in the country when you watch and you say wow is he good how much better is he than last year today like he was good but that's for me that's not good enough for him coach i want to ask you a question y'all that's our defense was great but did you focus in on on tevin mack and kyra lewis julian i just felt like you shut them down today tavern back was open seven of them you know matt killed us last time he went six for six and in the last two games he made shots kelvin johnson gave uh john petty that three in the corner backed away well no you were making him floor the ball and it was he and then kyrie the same but it was um you know we're what all even now like we started four freshmen and a sophomore even now we're saying can we get better as a team how do we get better how do we stay more engaged i didn't think ashton was engaged i mean he played okay but he wasn't engaged i mean you saw him flying around deflecting balls well where we need that guy and at this time of the year that's who you need coach kyle you always talk about it's a process and right now you're in the sec tournament a lot of things going well what else do you think this team needs to improve upon right now the biggest thing that i'm talking about and what i'm driving home you cannot play up to the other team you cannot play up to the tournament play to the training now we've been working every day including individually telling guys here's how we want you to play so play to the training and then you can do that for 40 minutes it's hard to play up to another team for 40 minutes and if you're gonna do anything post season you won't believe this i've done this 30-something years you better play for 40 minutes so you're not winning yeah and it takes that and and so that's what i'm driving home right now with this young group 30-something years you look great coach you know i'm focusing on them i remember you when you were like 12 years old that's right when tony barbie was making shots for you hey um you know i'm gonna focus in on tyler hero just because i love seeing a guy that can step out shoot the three take it inside he shot eight to fourteen okay as a guy that relies on that jump shot and he missed a layup right and he shot an airball runner and with i'm not going to do the math but i i know that's over 50 right right okay i don't know exactly what it is but i remember talking one of your buddies from the media early on saying tyler hero has not found his shot what's he doing wrong in the progression to see him from day one to now is that you know what it is though for you guys they have to have defensive confidence before they can have offensive confidence if you're getting busted and dumped on and dribbled by what you're going to go down on offense and play well you're going to be so confident after the guy got 25 on you so it took him a while to be able to guard and make sure he was confident defensively then he can let his offense go but it doesn't work the other way let him shoot more he should be he's better than the other three let him it is it all comes back to certain things and the culture of what we try to create which is you're unselfish if someone else has it going let them go we're all going to defend and be engaged and then just play to win i mean at the end of the game these kids even though they're young they're finishing off games you're not giving the other team a chance it was 12 it was 10. all right it could have gone to six and four but they did the stuff they had to do to keep that thing there massage the clock a little bit and still play now i know i was going to say i know why i didn't recruit you because you hold on to the ball too long like that last question yeah it was defeating your offense congratulations

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Length: 105min 55sec (6355 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 06 2020