Kentucky Basketball: What the Cats need to do to lock up an NCAA Tournament spot

In recent days with the Cats struggling on the court losing three straight, two of which were on the road and one against a top 15 team, the fan base has seemed to be in a panic.

While being on social media, I have noticed that many fans are worried that this team might not make the tournament. So, I thought we should take the time to look at the games remaining and talk about what Kentucky needs to do to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

First, I would like it to be known that no team in college basketball is the clear-cut favorite, as everyone is losing. Virginia is the number one team according to the top 16 seeds that the selection committee just released, and they just lost at home to Virginia Tech, a team that Kentucky beat in Rupp earlier in the year.

Kentucky has six games remaining in the regular season: At Auburn, Alabama, at Arkansas, Missouri, Ole Miss, and at Florida.

The game at Auburn is probably the toughest game Kentucky has left considering they are a 2 seed in the eyes of the committee.

However, Kentucky can be a matchup problem for Auburn. Their tallest starter is 6’7 and they have two 6’8 guys coming off the bench. Our starting point guard is only 1 inch shorter than their center.

Texas A&M recently won at Auburn and dominated the boards with their size and likewise, Kentucky has a huge size advantage over the Tigers and have a real shot at winning on their floor Wednesday night.

As for the three home games, if Kentucky can take care of business in those three matchups then that should be plenty to get us in the field. However, if Kentucky drops one of those then Kentucky will need to steal one of the road games or have a good run in the SEC tournament.

If we are being honest, the only way I see the Cats not making the field is if they have a total fallout and have a disastrous end to the season, which is highly unlikely. Take care of the home games and anything else on top of that is just a great bonus.

So, this team needs the fans to stay behind them and continue to support them because they still have a great shot at doing something big. Rupp needs to be filled and loud for those remaining home games because if won, they could be what locks up a spot in the NCAA Tournament come selection Sunday.