The Kentucky Wildcats will play on Wednesday for the first time since the 16-team format was introduced. This is not ideal for the Wildcats, who now have to win five games in five days to capture the SEC title at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday afternoon.
This past Saturday, Kentucky faced off against the Florida Gators in a game the Wildcats needed to secure a double bye. Instead, they dropped an 84-77 decision in front of an electric crowd on Senior Day. Kentucky is set to take on the 16th-seeded LSU Tigers on Wednesday afternoon in Nashville.
The opportunity to face the Gators remains on the table, especially if the Wildcats can take care of LSU and the Missouri Tigers on Thursday.
Kentucky will enter the SEC Tournament on a two-game losing streak. In years past, the tournament in Nashville hasn’t offered much clarity on seeding, but this season, the Wildcats have a chance to improve their NCAA Tournament seed. A loss could see them fall anywhere from a six or seven seed to the dreaded eight/nine matchup.
The best scenario for Kentucky is to reach Friday’s quarterfinals and keep the game competitive against Florida, even if they lose. Ideally, the Wildcats could win and put together a tournament run. Kentucky needs momentum, especially given how the season has unfolded. This is a new season, and it’s March—the best time of the year.
This season has already seen its share of strange occurrences. On Tuesday, the Wildcats opted not to practice at Bridgestone Arena. Head coach Mark Pope explained the decision: “We just wanted to reproduce the schedule of the day as best we could, so we couldn’t do that with our slotted time there. Also recreates our normal travel schedule, so we’re just trying to have our day before the game be as close in proximity to what we’ll face tomorrow as we can.”
In a season full of ups and downs, Kentucky still practiced in Lexington before departing for Nashville. Despite the adversity they’ve faced, the decision has sparked conversation among fans. In their last two trips to Nashville, the Wildcats suffered a 35-point loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs and a 25-point defeat to the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gymnasium. Perhaps, this time, a change of fortunes is in the cards.
The good news is that Kam Williams, who broke his foot back on January 21, is now listed as probable on the injury report released Tuesday evening. Brandon Garrison was also added to the injury report.
The journey to March begins on Wednesday afternoon, starting with an LSU team the Wildcats defeated on January 14. In that game, Kentucky trailed by 18 points in the second half and started down 19-3, but battled back to win on a buzzer-beater from Malachi Moreno. That victory sparked a winning streak, which continued with a win over the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville.
The Wildcats now face a challenging path in the SEC Tournament, with Missouri up next and a potential matchup against Florida looming on Friday. While the situation isn’t ideal, reaching Friday could open the door for anything to happen.
Kentucky needs a spark, and with Big Blue Nation taking over Nashville, this is the moment.
For more coverage of Kentucky basketball, Click here. Kentucky Cruises Past Vanderbilt Fueled By Collin Chandler’s Hot Shooting
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