2. Kentucky needs to erase its past
One thing that Kentucky fans would love to see is for analysts to forget about what happened at the beginning of the year. With their two losses, they looked like they did not deserve to be in the top 25.
The Duke loss to begin the year was given a mulligan. It was their first game, and many have now learned that Duke is one of the best teams in the country. However, experts have not been as nice in terms of forgiving the Seton Hall loss. And this is done rightfully so, since Seton Hall is definitely not one of the better teams in the nation. UK had no business even letting that game get close, and they managed to find a way to lose it.
These losses have kicked Kentucky out of contention for being a top team in the country for the time being. However, the season is far from over. Thankfully, Kentucky has more top teams slotted on their schedule. Their conference schedule includes teams like LSU, Mississippi State, and Auburn and Tennessee twice. Their matchup in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge is Kansas, the best team in the nation.
Thanks to these competitions in the coming months, Kentucky has enough bulk in their schedule to overcome their past mishaps. However, they have to prove that the past Kentucky no longer exists. If they get upset in SEC play more than once or twice, and they can’t compete against Kansas, this season will go downhill fast.
Confidence and hope are both high for the Wildcats, but there will be more challenges that they simply must overcome if they have any hopes of earning a top seed in the NCAA Tournament this year. It’s in their horizon, but much has to happen for it to be within their grasp.