Photo by Vicki Graff
Most of you were probably thinking “here we go again” when the Kentucky Wildcats had their doors blown off by the Duke Blue Devils in the season’s opener. Across national television, every follower of college basketball saw Kentucky be absolutely out-matched in every facet possible.
Many wrote the Wildcats off, claiming head coach John Calipari couldn’t recruit anymore and couldn’t coach the talent he was landing. Many suggested the Blue Devils could beat an NBA team and the NCAA should go ahead and hand them the 2019 NCAA Championship trophy.
However, it’s now four months later and the tables have significantly turned.
Kentucky is the No. 2 seed in next week’s Southeastern Conference tournament, with a potential semi-final matchup against Tennessee likely deciding which of the two is granted a No. 1 seed in the looming NCAA tournament.
Duke, on the other hand, is without their star player and has lost three of their last six games.
While the talent is obviously a tipped scale when comparing the two rosters, Calipari’s team specifically gelled to perfection throughout the course of the regular season. The Wildcats heard the consistent noise that their out-of-conference schedule was too weak and didn’t present any competition.
However, in their second game away from Rupp Arena against a then-superior North Carolina team, Calipari’s Wildcats dismantled the Tar Heels in Chicago’s CBS Champions Classic to start their path to the top.
After dominating UNC, Kentucky advanced by besting Louisville on the road and taking down quality SEC teams like Auburn (twice), Florida (twice), Mississippi State (twice), Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Kentucky fans watched forward PJ Washington declare his return to school for a sophomore season and couldn’t be any happier with the decision. Washington has blossomed into one of the country’s best players and the program’s success has significantly hinged on his production.
After Washington played what was most likely his final game in Rupp Arena on Saturday, his head coach told him to soak it all in.
“Yeah, this was my dream school growing up and to come here and develop in my two years has just been special,” Washington said.
Speaking of Calipari, the Kentucky coach seemed to be eager to have starting center Reid Travis back on the court for the SEC Tournament.
“We’ve got to get some 45-minute, 35-minute games and we haven’t had them in the last couple weeks,” Calipari said. “Maybe it’s because Reid is out. I know — do you guys know Reid Travis is on our team? You guys do know that, right?”
“But you know, now, you stick him in there, and maybe that lapse doesn’t happen. So hopefully in the tournament stuff, he’ll be ready,” Calipari said.
Travis played a significant role in Kentucky’s February home win against Tennessee, and his absence in Knoxville was more than apparent.
Now, with a third matchup likely awaiting the Wildcats, a strong return from a sprained knee will be essential.
With the Volunteers’ loss at Auburn on Saturday and Kentucky’s win over Florida, the two flip-flopped tournament seeds to grant Kentucky the early game on Friday night. Instead of playing at 9 P.M., the Wildcats will play the earlier game that tips at 6:30 P.M.
“The most important thing that happened: Instead of playing at 9:00, we’re playing at 6:30,” Calipari said. “I’m not the guy any more that’s like at 9 and 10 at night, I’m dancing and moving. That time, I’m a little tired.”
Regardless of what time the Wildcats tip off their SEC Tournament, 40-minutes of full-on effort will need to become the norm. Simply falling for just a few possessions on either end of the floor can be detrimental when the “win-or-go-home” tournaments begin.
On the bright side, Calipari has prepared his team accordingly throughout the 2018-2019 regular season and this postseason shouldn’t be any different. In his tenth season, considering the lesser talent level and increase of the team’s chemistry, this very well could be his best coaching job since joining the Big Blue Nation.
