Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
By CHARLIE PARENT
Arkansas landed yet another Top 25 victory on Saturday after downing Kentucky 75-73 at home. The win puts them in a deadlock with the Wildcats (and Tennessee, pending results) for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SEC tournament.
For the Razorbacks, J.D. Notae was unstoppable. The senior guard had 30 points and 8 assists, while shooting 50% from the field. Notae continues to put up huge numbers when they’re needed most as he had 28 points in Arkansas’ win over Auburn just over two weeks back.
“He’s one of the best players in the country,” head coach Eric Musselman said post-game. “He’s still growing. He keeps getting better, and he’s going to keep getting better. Tonight, we needed him to score a lot.”
Player of the Year front-runner Oscar Tshiebwe had one of his best performances of the season for Kentucky. Tshiebwe put up a season-high 30 points to go along with 18 boards and 3 blocks. He shot 13-21 from the field and kept the Wildcats in this one throughout.
The victory for Arkansas means the Razorbacks sit around the 4-5 seed mark for the NCAA tournament. Should the SEC postseason go their way, the sky is the limit in terms of seeding.
Following the loss, Kentucky could drop into the 2–seed area for March Madness. However, if they go on to win the SEC tournament, or avenge some of these losses, they can get right back into that 1-seed conversation.
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