Kentucky guard Archie Goodwin (10) attempts to shoot while defended by Georgia forward/center John Florveus (32) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Athens, Ga., Thursday, March 7, 2013. (AP Photo/The Athens Banner-Herald, AJ Reynolds)
By LARRY VAUGHT
Not only did Kentucky damage its NCAA Tournament resume with its loss at Georgia, but the Cats could also have made winning the SEC Tournament — and earning an automatic NCAA bid — a lot higher.
Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Alabama are all 11-7 in league play going into the final day of play Saturday. Kentucky will host Florida, and be a big underdog. Mississippi will play at LSU, a team that has played much better the second half of the season. Alabama plays at home against Georgia while Missouri, which has won only one SEC road game this year, ends the season at Tennessee.
Based on the way UK played against Arkansas and Georgia in its last two games, it’s hard to see the Cats beating Georgia. If Tennessee beats Missouri, that would leave all three teams at 11-7 in league play. If Alabama wins at home, it would be 12-6 and finish second behind Florida. If Mississippi loses at LSU, that would put the Rebels into the 11-7 bracket with UK, Tennessee and Missouri. Two of the four teams would get byes into Friday’s SEC play, two would have to play in the first round. If Ole Miss wins at LSU, it gets a bye and leaves Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri to figure out the tiebreaker for the final bye.
Guess what? UK would win the tiebreaker based on a 3-1 record against tied teams and still get a bye.
But unless UK finds more offense and fight, do you think it will even matter who or when UK plays in the SEC Tournament?
6 Responses to Kentucky likely will still get SEC tourney bye even if it loses to Florida
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In answer to the final question above: NOPE.
The team even bothering to travel to Nashville is a waste of time and money. They are only going to embarrass themselves and make an already horrible season worse. Not that it really matters.
What a joke.
I’m sorry. This was just an embarrassment. I don’t even blame the guys for not having heart. I think they are lacking talent. Individually they may have some talent; but, as a group they do not. A great point guard can make anyone look better. We don’t have a great point guard. I don’t know if Calipari overestimated Rayan Harrow’s talent or what happened. it goes down from there. I have looked at them every single game, and not once have I thought these guys can beat anyone. I’m not of the opinion that these guys may not beat anyone. I still love them; they just aren’t good.
Excellent analysis Sarah!
I Don’t Want A BYE, We NEED THE WORK !!! One Play at the start ” says it all ” ! WCS, under our Basket, (TCB, as usual) a Bulldog swats the Ball, its out of WCS’s hands, Willie is fighting for the Ball with two Bulldogs…His Team Mates (OUR Wildcats) frozen and watching, (also, l say they stuck to their guys for defense, in case WCS lost the Battle for the Ball, they would be Defensively ready….benefit of doubt). BUT, when WCS hit the floor and kept fighting, not ONE TEAM MATE ran to help or BE THERE for a pass, WCS actually rolled the Ball 6′ on the floor, before a Bulldog and a Wildcat hit the floor….If Our Players would have went to assist WCS, ” When He HIT THE FLOOR, FIGHTING, Willie could have made an easy pass to a TEAM MATE;(WCS was looking). It did not happen, It does not happen and I’m not surprise at, What’s Happening. They show their age and ” Will ” in those Lack of effort plays, rebounds, hustle, switches, press. As We All Saw, last year, it takes more than a Shooter, ” To Be A Great Basketball Player and Team Mate. I still Love these Young Men, but if I was Coach Cal, I would show that ONE PLAY, everyday at Practice. This Team has the “Talent ” to Beat Florida and win the SEC Tourney, The Question is do they have ” The Will ” to make it happen…WCS, does !
Good point – We don’t need the bye – We need the extra game.
As the Big East tournament showed last year, sometimes it helps to have that extra game to ease into tournament play. As optimistic as I try to be, I don’t see the Cats doing well in the SEC tournament whether they get the bye or not. I still love our guys, sometimes I just don’t like their basketball play very much. They just don’t play as a team. Even with Nerlens, we just didn’t have a cohesive offense, and while the offense didn’t flow through NN, without him, we appear to have no offense.