Despite its ranking, Kentucky men’s basketball has some NCAA tourney resume-building to do
As the calendar hits the middle of January, there is absolutely, positively, undoubtedly one thing this Kentucky men’s basketball team must do moving forward: Build its resume.
Yes, John Calipari’s young Wildcats are entertaining. Yes, they are No. 8 in the AP Top 25. Yes, their ceiling is high.
And yet, UK’s current NCAA Tournament resume is only so-so. After Monday’s play, it was No. 19 in the NCAA NET rankings. It is 2-2 in Quad 1 games, 1-0 in Quad 2. It sat 19th in kenpom’s metrics, 24th according to Bart Torvick’s computer.
A NET rankings review: A Quad 1 win is constituted by a home victory over a team in the top 30 of the NET, a neutral-site win against a top-50 team and a road win against a top-75 team.
To date, UK’s best win is the 87-83 triumph over North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic. The Tar Heels are No. 7 in the NET rankings. UK’s other Quad 1 win was the 87-85 victory at Florida, currently No. 49 in the NET.
Calipari’s club barely missed out on another significant road win last Saturday. Texas A&M may have been 9-6 overall and 0-2 in the SEC heading into that 97-92 overtime win over the Cats, but Buzz Williams’ club had suffered tough losses to strong competition. As a result, it sits No. 41 in the NET with a 4-4 Quad 1 record.
The stain on UK’s resume is that 80-73 home loss to UNC Wilmington on Dec. 2. Among the current top 25 teams in the NET, only Illinois and Kentucky have either a Quad 3 or Quad 4 loss. Illinois’ blemish was a home loss to Maryland, a Quad 3 defeat. UK’s loss to the Seahawks also fit the Quad 3 category. UNCW is No. 120 in the NET, by the way.
To be sure, there will be plenty of chances for Kentucky to add to its tournament portfolio. There is the home-and-home with Tennessee — Feb. 3 in Lexington, March 9 in Knoxville. There’s the home game against Ole Miss on Feb. 13 and a road trip to Auburn on Feb. 17. Alabama visits Rupp Arena on Feb. 24. The Tide is unbeaten in SEC play.
Alas, the Feb. 10 game against Gonzaga at Rupp Arena may not hold the same cache as in previous years. Mark Few’s Zags are having a down year. A 77-76 loss to Herb Sendek and Santa Clara dropped Gonzaga to 11-5 and out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in eight years. The Zags are No. 50 in the NET.
Why is all this important? Seedings. I know, I know, Kentucky was a No. 2 seed when it lost to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s two years ago. And last year’s Final Four consisted of a pair of No. 4 seeds and a pair of No. 5 seeds. Those were aberrations. By and large, seedings matter. The better the resume, the higher the seed. The higher the seed, the better the chance at success.
Seeds do not matter as much as how a team is playing, of course. These Cats continue to be an elite offensive team. They rank eighth in Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency, eighth in three-point field goal percentage, third in turnover percentage. Not to harp on the subject, but they still need work on defense, however. The Texas A&M loss dropped the Cats to 54th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
There is time for defensive improvement. The tools are there, too. This is certainly an athletic team. Keeping Aaron Bradshaw out of foul trouble would help. The return of Adou Thiero should pay dividends, as well. And experience. This is a team still learning what it can and cannot do, what it should and should not do.
Winning while learning is the best path forward, of course. The SEC is strong this season, which actually works in Kentucky’s favor. It should both help UK prepare for postseason play, and help UK’s resume. Both are important.
