Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Leads Kentucky over Buffalo in 2018 NCAA Tournament

No. 5 seed Kentucky booked a spot in the Sweet 16 in the 2018 NCAA tournament as its youth, athleticism and fast-paced offense was the difference in a 95-75 win over No. 13 Buffalo on Saturday.

Freshman guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was nearly perfect in leading the Wildcats attack. He scored 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the floor while adding six rebounds and six assists. Fellow freshman Hamidou Diallo backed him up with 22 points and eight boards. 

For Gilgeous-Alexander, it was a much more polished performance, as he shot 38.5 percent from the floor against Davidson in the first round. He was a source of timely scoring throughout the game. ESPN's Dick Vitale and CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein noted he's proved himself more than capable of playing in the NBA: 

The Bulls streaked past a surprisingly sluggish Arizona squad in the first round, but they didn't find it so easy against Kentucky. The Wildcats played at a blistering pace, and the Bulls had to be at their opportunistic best to keep up. They were able to do just that for 30 minutes, but it all came apart in the late stages of the game, as Kentucky's nonstop offense never wavered.

Wes Clark paced the Bulls with 26 points, while CJ Massinburg chipped in with 18 points and eight rebounds. Clark was a constant source of both energy and inspiration for Buffalo, even as his side lost its edge at the end of the game. WGRZ's Stu Boyar praised his performance:

After going 0-of-6 from beyond the arc in its first-round win over Davidson, Kentucky supplemented its attacking style of play by sinking 7-of-15 three-pointers.

The Bulls rode a strong three-point shooting attack (15-of-30) to a first-round upset of Arizona, but they weren't as prolific against Kentucky, making just 7-of-31 from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats were aggressive from the opening tip, and their talent and athleticism paid dividends as they raced out to a 51-42 halftime lead.

Kentucky attacked the basket with ferocity, as these first-half highlights from NCAA March Madness demonstrate: 

The Wildcats also found their range from beyond the arc for the first time in this tourney, knocking down three first-half three-pointers.

Kentucky stretched its lead to double digits a few times during the first half, but Buffalo was kept the game from getting out of hand by finding a rhythm from beyond the arc after a cold start. Clark hit three treys in the first half, and Massinburg encapsulated Buffalo's confident style of play with this long triple, per NCAA March Madness: 

The Bulls refused to go away even after Kentucky stretched its lead to 13 shortly after halftime. Clark was in complete command the offense, and Buffalo did well to force the Wildcats into some costly turnovers. 

The charity stripe became increasingly important as the game wore on, as the Kentucky aggressive style of play led to many fouls. The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach was not a fan of how it slowed down an otherwise breathless game: 

Anytime Buffalo seemed like it might turn the tide and get out ahead of Kentucky, Gilgeous-Alexander was there to hit a clutch shot. His importance to the team was not lost on 247Sports' Evan Daniels:

Buffalo cut Kentucky's lead to 72-67 with just over eight minutes left in the game, but it would never get that close again as the Wildcats kept the pressure on. Wenyen Gabriel and P.J. Washington were big down the stretch, combining for 11 points in the final 10 minutes of the game. 

Kentucky also tightened things up on the defensive end toward the end, and Buffalo seemed to have finally run out of counterpunches in the final few minutes of the game. 

Kentucky awaits the winner of University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Kansas State in the Sweet 16. No matter who they play, coach John Calipari's Wildcats are going to be a matchup nightmare, especially in man-to-man situations. They are poised to make a deep run in this tournament as long as they continue to shoot well from the field.