SEC Tournament preview: Part I
Well, whether you think it mercifully over or unfortunately not longer, another Wildcats regular season is in the books. This one, however, won't be one to tell the kids about.
After a couple of tough losses early on and a nice run against some decent, albeit midmajor, competition -- EKU (in), UMass, Santa Clara and Miami (OH) all have a chance to make the NCAA tournament -- the meat of the season hit, and the Cats never really figured out their identity.
Particularly brutal were a loss at Georgia in January in which UK led comfortably and then tossed, fouled and clanked their way to a demoralizing road loss that I believe, more than any other single game, torpedoed their season. Losses like that instill little doubts and seeds of future defeats.
Contrary to the rosy view I and other fans who trend toward the optimistic side took about the team, the results speak for themselves.
Nine conference wins, but none over ranked SEC teams -- Ole Miss, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina (twice), Tennessee at Rupp, LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn. Losses to Alabama, Florida (twice), at Tennessee, Vanderbilt (twice) and the aforementioned Georgia. In short, a mediocre record given the top-heavy talent on the UK roster.
But now we turn to the next stage, the most important one. And this stage is taking on new importance after last week's acknowledgement by the UK A.D. Mitch Barnhardt that the hoops flagship would be under review after the season, and that how the team ends the year (read: tournament run) would have a lot of impact on how the year is judged.
Kentucky's tepid campaign earned them the fourth seed in the East, and a first-round date with fellow underachiever Alabama. That's hradly a reward, and justly so.
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If the Cats can get their act together enough to move past a game that the Tide desperately needs to win, they would face surging Mississippi State, who rallied to claim a share of the SEC West crown.
There is no more room for error, no room for Randolph Morris' fleeting interest in paying attention and no room for Tubby's mystifying substitutions (or lack thereof).
There's only Thursday, and Alabama and a probably date with another middle-of-the-road major conference team and then a long, tough look at the current basketball situation.
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If there is a silver lining
The Cats these years have been anything but predictable. The one positive we can take from the past few games is that we are consistently shooting above 50%, but it just so happens so have the other teams as well.
If we can get our defense together and working, I like our chances to get far in the SEC and potentially NCAA tourneys.
If, however, we continue our play as of late, we go home on Thursday and wait with baited breath to see if we make the tournament.
By this point, who knows. We have shown flashes of what this team could do. This team has the tools to make a successful run, we just need to put them in place.
If that is the job of the coach or whether the players bear some responsibility, I don't know. What I do know is that we have to be the aggressor to have any shot at any kind of post-season run.
Defense and Offense
Also, that's 3 straight good games for Perry. If he can keep this up it really adds another dimension to this team - especially if Crawford and Bradley can resist the urge to hold a dribble-a-thon every game.
PICKS
round 2 UK, Vandy, Florida, Tennessee
round 3 UK, Florida
round 4 Florida, 7 consecutive loss and a huge blowout
NCAA tourney teams
Florida, UK, Tennessee, Vandy, Miss. State
I know I know, Miss St. but I think the SEC will get 5 teams and I dont think the 5th will be bama.

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