Kentucky is just outside of ESPN’s latest NCAA Tournament Bracketology

The Kentucky Wildcats have not had the season most have expected, as they come into this week at 11-6 (2-3) on the season.

Due to that, the Cats have been put on the NCAA Tournament bubble, especially after a loss to South Carolina last Tuesday at Rupp Arena. But a win in Knoxville on Saturday has seemingly flipped the switch on what fans and media are expecting out of this team to finish the season.

A few days removed from the upset of the top-five Tennessee Volunteers, Joe Lunardi of ESPN has updated his latest Bracketology, and he has the Cats as the first team out of the field of 68.

The huge victory likely saved the Cats’ season, which was quickly becoming a lost cause before we even hit February.

Now with their first Quad I win under their belt, it becomes about stringing together some victories to get on a winning streak.

The next big opportunity will come vs. the Kansas Jayhawks at Rupp Arena in just under two weeks. If the Cats can pull off a second top-10 victory in a month, they should be firmly on the right side of the bubble.

But it's one step at a time for this Kentucky team now. Next up: The Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday night.