Kentucky Advances, Garrison Shines in SEC Tournament

0:00On March 11, Kentucky grabbed an 87-82 win over LSU in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. The ninth-seated Wildcats advanced to face Missouri on Thursday after a gritty battle against a tough athletic Tigers team. Branding Garrison stepped up huge for Kentucky, especially early when key big men picked up quick fouls. The junior center scored 17 points with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals in 26 minutes. His back-to-back threes in the second half pushed the lead to seven with 10 minutes left. Coach Mark Pope and players Denzel Aberdeen in Otega Awe praised Garrison's energy on both ends of the floor. They highlighted how his defense sparked the offense and called him a dream contributor who always comes ready to compete. Cam Williams made his return after foot surgery in January, playing 17 minutes with a key, three-pointer, two rebounds, and assist and a steal.

1:01Pope noted his defensive length adds flexibility to the rotation, especially with games coming up back-to-back as long as his foot holds up. Kentucky now eyes Missouri, a physical squad with size up front that gave them trouble earlier this season. The Wildcats keep building momentum in the tournament hunt.