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During practices before the Sweet 16, players from most schools ran layup drills and casually shot around to get a feel for the baskets in the arena. Team managers for the Kentucky Wildcats did something different: They held blocking pads on the court, thwacking players to simulate the type of rough contact that most fans would expect in a Southeastern Conference football game.
The physical, full-contact style that has made the SEC the country’s top football conference is now taking over basketball too. After Friday…