I think all of us here agree that Kentucky’s mid-November loss to Evansville was a terrible and inexcusable loss. Nobody disputes that. It was a bad loss at the time and with Evansville finishing winless in the Missouri Valley Conference, it continues to look even worse.
But on the other hand...
I think all of us can also agree that this team has grown, improved, and evolved tremendously over the last 3.5 months. Anyone with eyes, a brain, and a droplet of basketball knowledge can see that.
Kentucky is arguably playing as well as anyone in the country, but aren’t quite getting the same respect as those teams and it really all comes back to one game: Evansville.
I’m not saying that game shouldn’t detract from Kentucky’s overall resume. It’s a major blemish for sure, but is it that much worse than teams that have lost multiple games over the last few weeks?
I’m sorry, but in one game, anything can happen, and I would place more importance on multiple losses in the month of February than a fluke loss in November.
Kentucky isn’t the favorite to win the national title, but among the group of projected 2 seeds going into the NCAA Tournament, the likes of Dayton, Maryland, Seton Hall, Florida State, etc., I think Kentucky should be right there in the mix of that group.
The Evansville loss is a bad loss, but it shouldn’t overshadow everything else this Kentucky squad has accomplished this year and it isn’t a reflection of where this team is as the calendar flips to March.
Tweet of the Day
Calipari making the point I've been making for a month. No team has had a single loss heald over their heads as much as Kentucky with Evansville. Period.
— Round Daddy (@JStreble82) February 29, 2020
He’s right, ya know?
Current 3-seeds with overall bracketology ranking:
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) March 1, 2020
9) Creighton
10) Kentucky
11) Louisville
12) Duke
I’m not a bracketologist, but I don’t see how Kentucky isn’t on that 2 line.
Quickies
Calipari has confidence when Hagans defends and protects the ball - Herald Leader
Hagans didn’t shoot well, but he took better care of the ball.
Quickley gets to the line when Cats need it most - Courier Journal
Having someone like Quickley late in the game is incredibly valuable.
Cats found what it took when it mattered in victory - Herald Leader
Just win baby.
Bench proves valuable in Cats win - Cats Pause
Sestina and Brooks gave Kentucky valuable minutes.
Calipari rants about Evansville - Cats Pause
I couldn’t agree with him more.
The Horned Frogs closed the game on an 18-1 run against the #2 team in the country.
A March Madness without fans? - Yahoo
The coronavirus is sparking fears, but I can't see this happening.
Steph Curry’s return to the court pushed back - Yahoo
Curry was slated to return from injury today.
Could Carmelo return to the Knicks? - SI
With Leon Rose at the helm, it’s a possibility.