How will Kentucky basketball fare against the ridiculously tough SEC? Here’s a guess.
Let’s say that before Mark Pope’s first season as men’s basketball coach at Kentucky, I told you at the end of the 2024 calendar year his entirely new roster of Wildcats would be 11-2 with wins over Duke and Gonzaga. You’d have taken it. In a heartbeat.
Now let’s say that by the end of the SEC regular season in early March, I told you those same Wildcats will be 9-9 in conference play. Would you take that? Would your heart sink?
I’ve been around SEC basketball for a long time. It has never been this strong. Almost always there have been terrific basketball teams — besides Kentucky — in this so-called football conference, but not this many.
As conference play begins Saturday, 10 SEC basketball teams are in the current AP Top 25. Five are in the top 10. Tennessee is ranked No. 1. Auburn is ranked No. 2. Alabama is ranked No. 5. Florida is at No. 6. Kentucky is 10th.
Of the three unbeaten teams remaining in college basketball, all reside in the SEC — Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma each at 13-0.
Kentucky has been SEC basketball’s traditional power, of course. This year, the Wildcats are one of many. As well as Pope’s first edition has performed over the first two months, navigating the obstacle course of the next two months will be a monumental challenge both physical and mental.
“It’s going to have a little bit of an NBA feel where you can’t get too high or too low because you don’t have time to emotionally rehab from letting yourself be devastated or elated,” said Pope after UK’s 88-54 win over Brown on Tuesday. “You play the No. 3 team in the country and two days later you’re going on the road to play the No. 1 team in the country and then you are playing the No. 10 team in the country.
“I think it’s going to be a matter of just those two things. Where are you on the execution scale and, you know, where are you on that durability scale, right? And those are going to matter.”
Take UK’s first eight days of SEC play. Todd Golden’s sixth-ranked Florida Gators visit Lexington for an unusual 11 a.m. tipoff Saturday. Pope’s pupils then take to the road, playing Mike White and Georgia in Athens on Tuesday (Jan. 7) and Chris Jans and No. 17-ranked Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday (Jan. 11). Each is 12-1.
As it stands now, 11 of UK’s 18 conference games are against ranked foes. Five of the 11 are against teams ranked in the top 10. Five of the 11 are on the road. The good news: Besides Florida, the Wildcats do play top-10 teams Alabama (Jan. 18), Tennessee (Feb. 11) and Auburn (March 1) at home. The bad news: They also play Tennessee in Knoxville (Jan. 28) and Alabama in Tuscaloosa (Feb. 22).
Little surprise then that Ken Pomeroy’s computer numbers predict the Cats will go 9-9 in league play. In fact, Pomeroy has Pope starting 0-3 in the SEC, including a Saturday home brunch loss to the Gators. And no doubt that could happen.
Personally, I see the Cats faring better than 9-9. My guess: 11-7. Experience should be a major asset. They should be equipped to handle the challenges Pope spoke of Tuesday. Through their college careers, the current Cats have ridden the roller coaster, even if not at this height.
Do I think UK is better than Tennessee or Auburn or Alabama? Probably not. I do think the Cats can beat all three. I believe this Kentucky team is capable of beating every remaining team on its schedule. Given the ridiculous strength of the league, I believe it is capable of losing to every team, too.
So Pope is right. How this Kentucky team handles the highs and lows of this league season will determine where the Cats land in the standings, and how prepared they are for March Madness. The part that counts.
Are they ready? Are you ready? Answers begin Saturday.
This story was originally published January 1, 2025 at 10:41 AM.
