Yesterday’s Results for Santa Clara vs Kentucky

NCAA 1ST RND TOTAL OF YEAR (12:15 EST Friday)

Analysis: I'm expecting a faster overall pace and efficient offensive performances to combine to help push this interesting Round One matchup between Santa Clara and Kentucky "over" the posted number. Santa Clara was 26-8 this year, and it lost 79-68 to Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament Title game. The Broncos average 83.5 points per game, which ranks 50th, while conceding 72.3, which ranks 115th. Kentucky was 21-13 this season, and it lost 71-63 to Florida in the SEC Tournament. The Wildcats enter averaging 84 PPG, while allowing 76.2. Kentucky has a dynamic player in Otega Oweh, who I expect to light up the scoreboard. The Wildcats' transition offense is top-notch, scoring 1.44 points per play (which is the 99th percentile). Oweh dominates in those situations and he's responsible for a team-leading seven percent of Kentucky's transition scoring. The Broncos allow 1.28 points per play in transition, which is one of the worst ratios in the country, so Santa Clara is going to be forced to lean on their Top 50 offense. With each team pushing the tempo from the opening tip until the final horn, as I suspect, look for this total to eclipse the posted number as the game comes down the stretch; the play is on the "over" ***NCAA 1ST ROUND TOTAL OF THE YEAR